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Cannot Delete User Profile in XP Pro

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8 replies

by leon_guerrero

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I'm trying to delete a user profile on one of my XP Pro computers, but the delete button is greyed out. If I try and delete the folder of the user under 'Documents and Settings' I get a message that says something like 'cannot delete file in use'? I'm not logged in as that user when I'm trying to delete the profile. Thanks for the help!!!

8 replies

by w2ktechman

If you were logged in as that user and then you logged off and back in, Windows keeps part of that profile open. Try rebooting completely.
If the option to remove the profile is not there, you may not have permissions to it. Log in as Administrator

by pierrejamme

Can you delete the user\computer and user\domain.
There is an option when the user is created to make file private or not. Saying private may keep you from deleting that user from that computer, I'm not sure. Just a guess.

by toastydoc

If that user/profile is set up as the only ADMIN user(set with admin rights) then XP won't let you delete it. Ensure that the user name is logged of, make sure there is another ADMIN user profile set, and then try to delete it.

by trwagner1

I'm having the same problem... here's the scenario.

This is a procedure we do pretty much all the time and it works. A project I'm working on includes 10 brand new PC's. I create a "master" PC that is not a member of my domain. Then, I ghost it. I write the ghost image to a fresh PC (exact same machine as the "master" PC). Next, I run the sid changer utility and rename the PC at the same time. AFter the reboot, I join it to the domain and finish with any folder ACLs that require domain rights for groups.

This time around, after doing some initial testing as a computer lab user (just logging on to test a program here and there) I tried to delete that user profile so they would be created fresh.

However, when trying to do so, both the "Copy To" and "Delete" buttons are disabled. It doesn't matter if I logon as the local workstation administrator or the domain administrator or a member domain admins group.

This is really bugging me because I swear I've read something abuot this about a year ago and it had to do with either roaming profiles or something in the local security policy that prevented accounts from deleting profiles.

But, so far my searches have turned up empty handed for this problem.

Let me add that I've logged in as a local admin, the domain admin, a username that's a domain admin.... and no luck.

Ted

by tfenner

If the user profile is setup to be a local admin of the PC, you cannot delete it. It becomes "protected". To get around this, do the following:

1. Make sure there is at least one other local admin profile. Open the local PCs users and groups console, open the administrators group and make sure there is at least one other local user account listed.

2. Then remove any accounts from the Administrators group that reference any profiles you wish to delete.

3. Then reboot your PC. Afterwards, the profiles should be unprotected and you can delete them as you wish.

by cwe20

In case anyone still has this issue, boot into safe mode (f8) and then delete the profile folder in documents and settings.

by enduroktm300

Along these same lines, there is a util called process explorer that will identify any process that is running/using that profile. this will let you see what is being used and thus why it can't be deleted....not the right tool for this particular application, but a good one to throw in the bag of tricks.

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