how to change the default user on bootup

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After imaging an old hard drive and loading the image on a new SSD in a new computer, I have royally screwed up the accounts. I did this by messing with administrator accounts and deleting files that obviously (in hindsight) should not have been deleted (among other things). I’m living proof that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Here’s the situation: In the PC’s User file on the C: drive, there are five accounts. Two of them are standard: Administrator and Public. The problem(s) are with the other three: hanse, Karen, and Karen.KarenInspiron30. The PC boots into the third account. However, the correct account should be Karen, which has all the files and folders imaged from her old PC.

I deleted the files in the hanse account, in an effort to get rid of it. I added the Karen.KarenInspiron30 account in an attempt to make Karen the default account.

Is there some way to get rid of hanse and Karen.KarenInspiron30, so that the PC boots to Karen?

Thanks for any help or suggestions. (Keep them clean, please, lol.)

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ForensiT Domain Migration  When I have messed up a user profile that normally bails me out.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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foxaroni

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ForensIT loads and runs on my Windows 10 PC. On the new PC, with Windows 11, the app downloads but will not run. When I double-click on it, a screen flashes and closes, much too fast to see what it’s doing. This happens with programs that run in DOS only–they try to open in Windows and then close immediately. (I did try running the app in an elevated CMD window, to no avail.)

In reading the documentation for the ForensIT app, it looks like exactly what I need. Unfortunately… I’ve had nothing but problems with setting up this new PC. It goes back to the store tomorrow.

I really appreciate your checking in on the problem.

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foxaroni wrote:

Is there some way to get rid of hanse and Karen.KarenInspiron30, so that the PC boots to Karen?

What happens when you try?

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foxaroni wrote:

After imaging an old hard drive and loading the image on a new SSD in a new computer, I have royally screwed up the accounts.

If this computer is the same computer described in this post, then you should have a drive image available.  If that is the case, restore that drive image and start over.

In my experience, the “default” user for a machine with multiple user accounts is the last user to log on/off.  Try logging on/off the Karen account a couple of times, then do a restart.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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foxaroni

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I started over as you recommended. The problem I’ve run into is that the Karen folder does not show up as a user I can configure, nor log in to it.

In the C:\Users folder, there are now just three accounts listed: hanse, Karen, and Public. (Hooray for that bit of progress!) Checking properties, the Security tabs show hanse in the Administrators group, with a path of “Administrators (KarenInspiron30\hanse).” In the properties for the Karen folder, she is assigned to the SYSTEM group.

Since I screwed up the accounts the last time, I’m not making any changes in the Users or Administrators accounts.

I appreciate all the input you’ve provided. I’ve decided to return the PC to the store tomorrow.

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See How To Change Default User At Startup in Windows 10 / 11

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foxaroni

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Excellent article. Thanks for sending the URL.

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