I have been using my Administrator profile as my working profile. Recently, I created a User Profile and was shocked to discover that I no longer had access to all of the defaults and setting associated with my Administrator profile. After a mile panic attack, I can now log in to the Administrator profile after discovering how to find it again, but would prefer to simply copy all of its settings to one of my new user profiles (with Administrator rights). Instructions I have found discuss how to copy one user profile to another but the Administrator profile is not accessible except when logged into it and instructions for copying a profile specifically say to not be logged into the profile being copied from or to. In am worried that copying from a profile I am logged into will somehow corrupt the new profile's ability to function. Does anyone have experience doing what I am trying to do?1 person needs an answerI do too

You need to create a third administrative user account and log into it. From there you can copy your old account to the new one. Copy Files to the New User Profile 1. Log on as a user other than the user whose profile you are copying files to or from. 2. In Windows Explorer, click Tools, click Folder Options, click the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders, click to clear the Hide protected operating system files check box, and then click OK. 3. Locate the C:\Documents and Settings\Old_Username folder, where C is the drive on which Windows XP is installed, and Old_Username is the name of the profile you want to copy user data from. 4. Press and hold down the CTRL key while you click each file and subfolder in this folder, except the following files: * Ntuser.dat * Ntuser.dat.log * Ntuser.ini 5. On the Edit menu, click Copy. 6. Locate the C:\Documents and Settings\New_Username folder, where C is the drive on which Windows XP is installed, and New_Username is the name of the user profile that you created in the "Create a New User Profile" section. 7. On the Edit menu, click Paste. 8. Log off the computer, and then log on as the new user. Note: You must import your e-mail messages and addresses to the new user profile before you delete the old profile. For additional information see 313055 OLEXP: Mail Folders, Address Book, and E-mail Messages Are Missing After You Upgrade to Microsoft Windows XPMS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Hi Malkeleah! Thank you for answering. After having found these identical instructions in the Windows support KB, I tried that from another profile with Admin permission. When I view my Documents and Settings/Administrator files they appear empty (while I know they are not). When I try to view them I get an Access Denied dialog box. It seems that the only way to have access to these files is to be logged into the Administrator profile itself, BUT, your instructions tell me to NOT be logged into either the profile being copied FROM or TO. So I am stuck on this point. Do you think the attempt to create another profile with the exact same defaults etc. will fail if I am logged into the Administrator profile itself? And if so, is there another work around? Thanks.

Just copy your data then to the new account while logged into the Administrator account. Forget the settings. It will take you less time to redo the settings.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!