Solved Creating a secondary user account - how to ensure desired folder name gets created?

I have a bit of an annoyance going on that I'd like to remedy. I think it's somewhat of a flaw in the design of the UAC for Windows 11, but not a functional fault. It just makes "housekeeping" a little sloppy.

As you know, when you create a new user account there will be a new folder structure created user C;\Users. Normally you'd expect Windows to use the exact same string as your selected username, or possibly a truncated version of it. However, I've found this behavior works unpredictably when creating a new user with an email address.

Example username: fullname@gmail.com
When I first created this account, Windows decided to create the account folder as "fulln" instead of "fullname". This really annoyed me. So, I went ahead and deleted the account. Sure enough the folder was gone. HOWEVER... when I tried again? Windows created the account as "fulln_000". Somewhere deep in the bowels of the registry, Windows didn't forget that original name, and decided to apply a suffix to it.

So I went ahead and did some digging. A guy came up with a methodology to change the account directory manually.
1. Note the SID for the account in question
2. Create a new local account as administrator
3. Log on and find the Users folder. Open a cmd prompt w/admin privileges, and rename the username folder.
4. Run regedit, navigate to the ProfileList node, find the SID key, and change the path value.

Well, I did that. However, to be sure, I searched the registry for the "fulln" string... and guess what? It was all over the place. Most annoyingly, several nodes that had keys with the wrong value could not be edited. Windows rejected my attempts despite running regedit as admin.

OK... so one can't just clean up this username folder mess manually then. I deleted the user. I searched the registry and the user was not found. But if I try to create it again, I expect I'll get "fulln_001".

So, is there some way to avoid this problem? How do I get the folder name I desire for the new user account I intend to create?
Thanks!

Create your new user account as a local account and only after that convert it to an MSAccount.
Do not re-use a previously-attempted username.
That will make sure its folder within C:\Users has the name you desire.

You can then tidy up the failed attempts at your leisure. They are recorded in known places & can be removed. I'll dig out my notes for you.


Denis

Excellent!
I didn't know you could convert a local account to an MSAccount. Sounds like a good workaround, so the folder is created first and then renaming for the MSA reference will keep the original folder naming as preferred.

I did remove the account and then searched the registry. This time it was mostly clean. The few references still there, I was permitted to delete as they weren't critical. Thanks again, Denis.

Done. Deleting the account and recreating was far easier than trying to manually fix the naming, risking some broken registry references. Created as local, then later all it took was to sign on as an MSA.

I'm glad it's all done.

I'm surprised that I didn't post links to the relevant tutorials to help you do the job.
Add Local User Account - ElevenForumTutorials
Add MS User Account - ElevenForumTutorials
Change Account Type (Std-Admin) - ElevenForumTutorials

Switch to Microsoft Account from Local Account - ElevenForumTutorials
Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account - ElevenForumTutorials


All the best,
Denis

---

Welcome to ElevenForum.

It's really worth making time to browse through the ElevenForum Tutorial index - there's a shortcut to it at the top of every ElevenForum page [within the Tutorials dropdown list].
- At the foot of the ElevenForum Tutorial index is a shortcut to download it as a spreadsheet.
- I download a new copy each month.
- By downloading it as a spreadsheet I can benefit from Excel's excellent filtering capabilities when I search for topics of interest.
- ElevenForum tutorials are also listed at Tutorials and there's a shortcut to that at the top of every page.

You can search ElevenForum using the search box in the top-right corner of all ElevenForum webpages or using Advanced Search - ElevenForum
- You can also search ElevenForum threads in many general search engines, such as Google, by adding site:elevenforum.com after your search term. For example,
Taskbar setup site:elevenforum.com
- [This is what the search box in the top-right corner of ElevenForum webpages does automatically]

For MSOffice problems search in and, if necessary, create threads in the TenForums MSOffice section [ElevenForum does not have one].

Thanks, Denis. I'll check those out.

Btw, do you know if the UAC design has changed much from Windows 10 to 11? Also, were there any known flaws with Windows File Explorer in Windows 10 addressed in 11?

The reason I ask is that when I'd had a bizarre folder type mapping problem showing in File Explorer, I came across an interesting post by a Microsoft MVP support rep, who pushed some 3rd party file managers in favor of File Explorer. My problem was a little different than the one I'd posted about here (and happened under Windows 10), where one of my top level user folders, the one for "Music", got mapped to my account root. But it wasn't recursive--if I selected "Music" under "Music," my files were there. I discovered under the "C:\Users" folder my user account folder was named "Music." And I couldn't find a way to change it back. But thankfully it was all contained within that one account, so deleting it was the simplest remedy.

Anyway, this was the content of his post:

I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 9 year Windows MVP here to help you.
You might benefit from a third party file explorer. Here are a few to look over:
techradar.com/best/the-best-file-manager
makeuseof.com/tag/best-windows-file-explorer-replacements/
online-tech-tips.com/software-reviews/best-windows-explorer-replacements-for-windows-10/

See what I have on the limitations of File Explorer to set folder templates here:
thewindowsclub.com/set-default-folder-view-windows
tenforums.com/tutorials/34119-change-folder-view-layout-windows-10-a.html
howtogeek.com/howto/16694/customize-the-five-windows-folder-templates/
troubleshooter.xyz/wiki/fix-folder-view-settings-not-saving-windows-10/

Click to expand...

What are your thoughts? Do you use an alternate File Explorer app?

cytherian said:

do you know if the UAC design has changed much from Windows 10 to 11?

Click to expand...

I have not noticed anything and I have not seen anybody posting about changes.
I don't think UAC has changed since the release of Windows 7.
Windows 11 ≅ Windows 10 + a new Start menu + a new Taskbar + some new apps
Why do you ask?
UAC [User account control], is what generates these dialogs
Are you thinking of something else?

cytherian said:

were there any known flaws with Windows File Explorer in Windows 10 addressed in 11?

Click to expand...

The new Windows 11 File explorer is an app that has little connection to the previous File explorer.
I think I have seen people talking about methods of getting the original Windows 11 File explorer back and I think that is the same, or almost the same, as the Windows 10 version. I haven't paid much attention to it.
The only tutorial I have noticed in the subject is Restore Classic File Explorer with Ribbon - ElevenForumTutorials I haven't paid much attention to that either but I notice that only Options 1 & 2 work now. Perhaps they will also be blocked one day & third-party alternatives will be the only non-standard choice.

cytherian said:

one of my top level user folders, the one for "Music", got mapped to my account root. But it wasn't recursive--if I selected "Music" under "Music," my files were there. I discovered under the "C:\Users" folder my user account folder was named "Music." And I couldn't find a way to change it back.

Click to expand...

I am familiar with this user folder location problem and I could have helped you resolve it.
But if that user account was expendable then your deletion of it was almost certainly the quickest solution.
None of your user folders are actually 'top level' folders but Windows does its best to confuse the picture with those icons that look like folders in Windows 11, File explorer, Quick access. They are actually disguised shortcuts to C:\Users\%UserName%\Documents etc.
I would have to manually edit the Registry if I wanted to "relocate" several of my own user folders. I deliberately ignored Windows' warnings and put my Desktop, Downloads & Screenshots folders together. Windows will not let co-located user folders be separated again afterwards - just as you experienced with your Music folder problem - so Registry editing is the only way to change them.

cytherian said:

What are your thoughts? Do you use an alternate File Explorer app?

Click to expand...

I set up my default folder views for General, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos and I am content with that.
- I copy those defaults between user accounts & between computers [including between Windows 10 & Windows 11].

I don't use any File explorer replacement except for two specific needs.
1 When I boot from a Windows installation USB to do some repair work, I run a portable version of Explorer++ so that I have the convenience of a decent browsing etc interface.
2 When I use my TV to play videos, I sit eight feet away and cannot read the text in File explorer in order to select files. I use a portable version of Free Commander XE in which I have set the text very large so I can do what I want without trying to alter the normal File explorer.

Greg Carmack is highly competent so his suggestions are worth consideration if you are not getting what you need from File explorer.
- But there might have been a misunderstanding arising from your use of the term mapping instead of user folder relocation.
- I don't see how an alternative to File explorer was relevant to your user folder relocation problem.



All the best,
Denis

When it comes to terminology I'm an equal opportunity offender. Yes, "mapping" wasn't proper. I should've said "co-located."

My understanding with the user folder location problem (corrupted co-location reference), is that it had to do with File Explorer. I hadn't tried out any alternatives, but was wondering if they'd see this issue as well, or perhaps it wouldn't be an issue because it was a registry error in connection with File Explorer (my assumption--unless WFE caused registry corruption in a commonly accessed node)..

Nice to hear about your techniques in using File Explorer type apps in different scenarios.

Anyway, being familiar with that user folder location problem, do you know what File Explorer manipulation causes it to happen? And is that safeguarded in Windows 11?

cytherian said:

do you know what File Explorer manipulation causes it to happen?

Click to expand...

File explorer is not a cause of these problems but is merely the messenger that tells us that problems exist i.e. that displays the symptoms of problems.
Alternatives to File explorer would be equally affected by any problems.
The cause has always been thought to have been user error during user folder relocations.
It was definitely user error in my own case [which is how I came to learn about the subject] and in all the cases I have encountered in TenForums & ElevenForum.

cytherian said:

is that safeguarded in Windows 11?

Click to expand...

The mechanisms are exactly the same in both Windows 10 & 11.
Relocating user folders alters two Registry Keys - one main Key & a subsidiary one.
Main - HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
Subsidiary - HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
The first one can be edited manually if necessary.
A new system image should be made first because it is possible to make matters much worse by making mistakes during manual edits
The second one is not properly understood by anybody I know. It is common practice to merely check that changes to the main one have trickled down into this subsidiary one.


Denis