Alias entries in Documents and Settings

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In the process of trying to write an install batch file for a MS Access file, I want to create the menu shortcut in the “All UsersStart MenuPrograms” directory. However, I find that _sometimes_ there is an apparent alias directory setup under the name of “All Users.WINNT”. I have been unable to find any documentation the describes the circumstances under which this alias is created, nor how it is used in comparison to the original “All Users” directory chain.

For that matter, I also see both a “Default User” and “Default User.WINNT” directory within the “Documents and Settings” directory. The same comments are relevant here.

Can someone enlighten me as to why these alias directory chains are created, and how they are used relative to the original directory chains?

If one has precedence over the other, how do I determine the “relevant” one in a batch file so I may create the necessary subdirectories and short cuts in the correct location?

Thanks, Jim

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I think that these are created if you reinstall Windows over an existing installation. Other user folders get named USername.Computername but these two are created before the Computername is known.

StuartR

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Stuart,

Thanks for the quick reply. However, I think something else is the cause here. This is a brand-new Win2K installation that I made just for testing purposes, that doesn’t even have the latest MS Service packs (beyond SP3). Furthermore, the single defined user (other than Administrator) is “Jim” and it has NOT been aliased to “Jim.HOME-NET” which would be the result of your composition structure provided.

Any other thoughts?

— Jim

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This always happens if you reinstall windows over an existing installation.
I have not seen it caused by anything else, but I guess this could be a first .
The user account being normal would happen if this account wasn’t on the previous version
Did you format the disk during the installation process?
Did anything strange happen during the installation?

StuartR

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Stuart,

The system has two physical disk drives: Disk1 is 30 GB, with the first 8 GB partitioned as an active primary, formatted as NTFS, the remainder currently unallocated. Disk2 is 80 GB, with the first 20 GB partitioned as non-active primary, formatted as NTFS, the next 1 GB partitioned as non-active primary, formatted as FAT16, the remainer currently unallocated.

Win2K was installed, from scratch, including a format, on the first 8-GB partition on Disk1.

As to “oddities”, I may have renamed the computer and/or Workgroup after initial installation. I suppose that in the lexicon of MS, that could be sufficient excuse to perform the alias generations — but I’ve never seen any documentation regarding such actions.

I guess my real question, at this point, is “How do I fix it?” That is, can I delete (safely) the “All Users.WINNT” and “Default User.WINNT” directories (after copying all of their sub-directories over to the respective “All Users” and “Default User” directories), and will this require some fancy footwork in the Registry? If so, is there any way short of reformatting and re-installing everything from scratch to get it re-adjusted?

Thanks — Jim

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I did once “fix” a computer that had this problem. It wasn’t a pleasant job to do and I don’t have a complete record of all the registry keys involved.

The steps were something like…

1. Take a DriveImage backup of the computer – for when I screw it up
2. Log in to a user account with Admin privs that is not affected by the problem
3. Copy the entire contents of each .WINNT folder to the corresponding normal folder
4. Search the entire registry for the string username.WINNT
5. Export each registry entry that I find so I could restore it if needed
6. Replace each incorrect entry with the correct data
7. Reboot
8. Log in to each impacted username and check that all looks OK. Check which folder tree I am using
9. Delete the now unused .WINNT folder trees

It worked for me

StuartR

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Thanks again, Stuart. That looks pretty much like the scenerio I derived from reading the MSKB articles.

Now, if I could just find documentation on command line options for “regedit”!!

— Jim

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Thanks again, Stuart. That looks pretty much like the scenerio I derived from reading the MSKB articles.

Now, if I could just find documentation on command line options for “regedit”!!

— Jim

Reply | Quote

I did once “fix” a computer that had this problem. It wasn’t a pleasant job to do and I don’t have a complete record of all the registry keys involved.

The steps were something like…

1. Take a DriveImage backup of the computer – for when I screw it up
2. Log in to a user account with Admin privs that is not affected by the problem
3. Copy the entire contents of each .WINNT folder to the corresponding normal folder
4. Search the entire registry for the string username.WINNT
5. Export each registry entry that I find so I could restore it if needed
6. Replace each incorrect entry with the correct data
7. Reboot
8. Log in to each impacted username and check that all looks OK. Check which folder tree I am using
9. Delete the now unused .WINNT folder trees

It worked for me

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Stuart,

The system has two physical disk drives: Disk1 is 30 GB, with the first 8 GB partitioned as an active primary, formatted as NTFS, the remainder currently unallocated. Disk2 is 80 GB, with the first 20 GB partitioned as non-active primary, formatted as NTFS, the next 1 GB partitioned as non-active primary, formatted as FAT16, the remainer currently unallocated.

Win2K was installed, from scratch, including a format, on the first 8-GB partition on Disk1.

As to “oddities”, I may have renamed the computer and/or Workgroup after initial installation. I suppose that in the lexicon of MS, that could be sufficient excuse to perform the alias generations — but I’ve never seen any documentation regarding such actions.

I guess my real question, at this point, is “How do I fix it?” That is, can I delete (safely) the “All Users.WINNT” and “Default User.WINNT” directories (after copying all of their sub-directories over to the respective “All Users” and “Default User” directories), and will this require some fancy footwork in the Registry? If so, is there any way short of reformatting and re-installing everything from scratch to get it re-adjusted?

Thanks — Jim

Reply | Quote

This always happens if you reinstall windows over an existing installation.
I have not seen it caused by anything else, but I guess this could be a first .
The user account being normal would happen if this account wasn’t on the previous version
Did you format the disk during the installation process?
Did anything strange happen during the installation?

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Stuart,

Thanks for the quick reply. However, I think something else is the cause here. This is a brand-new Win2K installation that I made just for testing purposes, that doesn’t even have the latest MS Service packs (beyond SP3). Furthermore, the single defined user (other than Administrator) is “Jim” and it has NOT been aliased to “Jim.HOME-NET” which would be the result of your composition structure provided.

Any other thoughts?

— Jim

Reply | Quote

I think that these are created if you reinstall Windows over an existing installation. Other user folders get named USername.Computername but these two are created before the Computername is known.

StuartR

Reply | Quote