Directory C: is corrupt

[davidnix71]

http://groups.msn.com/FreewareandShareware/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=19568&all_topics=0

 :| :| :|

[worker201]

I suppose you noticed that he is a fireman...

No fucking clue what a CCleaner is, but I suspect it produced a shortcut or link file or alias or something to the root directory, and that is what is fucked up, not the directory tree itself.  So it's not so much a dumbshit problem as it is a semantic problem.

[Lead Head]

Corrupt files can be a nightmare on windows. My session store for fire fox got corrupted somehow and I could not delete it no matter what I did. I had to boot into safemode and log in as a super-administrator to delete the file

[worker201]

Super-administrator........

Why do people still use this crap?

[Lead Head]

What do you mean? On my XP install, I have one user account, mine which is an Administrator. When I logged onto safe mode, I was given a choice of another user account just labeled Administrator along with my account. I was just assuming the "Administrator" account has even more privileges then a standard administrator

[worker201]

It doesn't.  An administrator is an administrator.  If you've never seen this administrator account before, it probably has a default password, which you should change immediately.

What you should do is get into group/user management and create a power-user account for yourself.  That gives you sufficient privileges to work and maintain the system, but doesn't give you root access.  If you're a power user, the only time you need to be an administrator is to overwrite a .dll or something.  You can still install software and take ownership of most files.  After that, the administrator account really is a super-administrator.

But really, even with those precautions, Windows security is a joke.  The Mac requires you to revalidate your password when you install software and security updates.  And by default, there is no root account - only user accounts with sudo access.

[Refalm]

No fucking clue what a CCleaner is

CCleaner is a program that cleans up all temporary files and unneeded register entries.

He probably got a corrupt NTFS index, which happens more than you think with Windows 2000.

[Lead Head]

It doesn't.  An administrator is an administrator.  If you've never seen this administrator account before, it probably has a default password, which you should change immediately.

What you should do is get into group/user management and create a power-user account for yourself.  That gives you sufficient privileges to work and maintain the system, but doesn't give you root access.  If you're a power user, the only time you need to be an administrator is to overwrite a .dll or something.  You can still install software and take ownership of most files.  After that, the administrator account really is a super-administrator.

But really, even with those precautions, Windows security is a joke.  The Mac requires you to revalidate your password when you install software and security updates.  And by default, there is no root account - only user accounts with sudo access.

The thing I can't change this Administrator account. It is only accessible through safe mode. Windows says my account is an Administrative account, but apparently there is still one step higher. But I agree, the security systems of other operating systems are much better.

[worker201]

You are a member of the administrators group.  "He" is a member of the administrators group.  No difference.

To change the password:
open Control Panel
open Administrative Tools
open Computer Management
in left frame, expand Local Users and Groups, click on Users
in the right frame, right-click Administrator and choose Set Password
pick something you will remember, and write it down somewhere safe!

This is also the place where you can add yourself to the power-users group:
double-click on your account name (in the right frame)
go to the Member Of tab
click Add
type 'Power Users'
click Check Names - it will recognize it
click OK
You are now a member of the Power Users group.  For best security, remove yourself from the Administrators group.  When the Administrator is required, you can log out and log in as Administrator now.

Yeah, not sorry for providing Windows help here.  This is important stuff, and it's hard to track down this info.  Lead Head needed this information, would you really send him to a fanboy site to get it?  I learned this stuff from a book published by Microsoft Press - surely it would be against the spirit of the forum to suggest sending them money?

[WMD]

All that stuff just above only works in XP Pro.  Home Edition is more likely to have the scenario as described by Lead Head.

Either way, it has no higher privledges.  If you want to log into it without going to safe mode, hit Ctrl+Alt+Del twice at the Welcome screen and the old-style login box will appear.  Type "Administrator" for the user name and it will let you in, provided you know the password.

[Lead Head]

Interesting. Thanks for the information, but yeah I do not see a Local users and groups section. The only reason I'm asking about this is because I do not remember ever seeing this on my last XP install, but it was quite a long time before i started using XP again, maybe I just forgot.

[Calum]

Yeah, not sorry for providing Windows help here.  This is important stuff, and it's hard to track down this info.  Lead Head needed this information, would you really send him to a fanboy site to get it?

actully this is just the sort of windows support that should not be seen here, and yes, if people persist in using ms windows, then they should not expect to get help with their issues here at "stop microsoft", regardless of whether they "need" it. The real answers, and the only acceptable ones are: 1. you don't "need" ms windows and 2: if you disagree with (1) then go elsewhere for your support.

Now this is in no way saying that lead head, worker, wmd etc have done anything wrong, personally, i don't even really agree with taking a hard line over this rule myself, but this forum does, and this would be unacceptable under those rules.

Having said that, i bet this whole thing will be ignored, and my comments will no doubt be used against me, thus proving that with enough effort, two or three wrongs can indeed equal a right.

[worker201]

All that stuff just above only works in XP Pro.  Home Edition is more likely to have the scenario as described by Lead Head.

So XP Home is broken by design?  I know it seems crazy, but I've never used XP Home.  And if it is that unfunctional, I never want to.

[davidnix71]

Worker, XP Home doesn't have/support many networking services that businesses need. That is safer for a noob home user.
XP Home doesn't have root access except by safeboot, as well. That can be annoying for a power user, but is safer for the average id10t user.

[worker201]

I think that catering to the "average id10t user" is what ruined Windows in the first place.  At least XP Pro can do things.