HELP! Default User disappeared! :-o

[Guest mjs]

I just installed 2GB of additional ram, and installed a new HD at the same

time.

 

Both seem to have worked fine (they show up in the systems reports, and I'm

formatting the new drive as I type this), except for one small problem...

LOCAL USER could not be found when I booted back up. Smack in the middle of

the Welcome screen during the boot-up process, I was told the local user

account had a problem and that I'd be assigned a "temp" account, which was

virginal - no shortcuts, no automatic messenger sign-in... the OS was

untouched save for the programs installed which were all still visibly

there (but the Start Menu program order had reverted back to before I

ordered it properly).

 

Also visibly there is my usual account. Let's call it "Charlie". I can see

it under Documents and Settings, along with "All Users" and - what's this? -

"Charlie.Machine", where Machine = name I gave the machine when I installed

the OS.

 

- All Users

- Charlie

- Charlie.Machine <-- Huh?

 

When I go to USERS in the Control Panel, however, I see only "Charlie".

 

When I look at who's name titles the Start Menu, I see "Charlie". But I'm

clearly "Charlie.Machine", as browser favorite/bookmark tests soon revealed.

How do I tell WinXP that the default user ought to be "Charlie" and not

"Charlie.Machine" (even though it tells me I'm currently "Charlie")?

 

What if I copied all of the contents of Charlie's Documents and Settings

into Charlie.Machine's? Would that screw things up even more

(registry-wise)?

 

I spent all afternoon configuring Outlook, too. I really don't want to go

through that again. :-( Even

Outlook Express asked me to re-enter this news account from scratch for me

to post this.

 

Help?