Problem with deleting account profile - cannot delete folder

I deleted an account using DELPROF from the Resource Kit, but it exited with
an error, saying that the directory was not empty, or something like that.

The user account folder in Documents and Settings was still there, but only
containing an empty folder called Cookies.

I cannot delete Cookies in explorer or the command line - Access Denied.

The Properties for the folder does not have a Sharing or Security tab, so I
cannot take ownership that way. Only the General and Customise tabs appear.

I cannot use CACLS to take ownership either - Access Denied.

I cannot delete the user profile folder that contains this undeletable
Cookies folder using RD Cookies /S - Access Denied.

Also, the original account that I deleted, with only these two nest empty
folders remaining, still appears with NET USER. I suppose because DELPROF
did not complete, there are still some registry entries for it in the HKU
hive, or something?

How do I delete this weird folder, and will I be able to remove the profile
from the NET USER list by running DELPROF again after I do delete it?

Cheers

ss.

"Censored Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMsyndrome.me.uk> wrote in message
news:OZzFCo%234IHA.2348@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>I deleted an account using DELPROF from the Resource Kit, but it exited
>with an error, saying that the directory was not empty, or something like
>that.
>
> The user account folder in Documents and Settings was still there, but
> only containing an empty folder called Cookies.
>
> I cannot delete Cookies in explorer or the command line - Access Denied.
>
> The Properties for the folder does not have a Sharing or Security tab, so
> I cannot take ownership that way. Only the General and Customise tabs
> appear.
>
> I cannot use CACLS to take ownership either - Access Denied.
>
> I cannot delete the user profile folder that contains this undeletable
> Cookies folder using RD Cookies /S - Access Denied.
>
> Also, the original account that I deleted, with only these two nest empty
> folders remaining, still appears with NET USER. I suppose because DELPROF
> did not complete, there are still some registry entries for it in the HKU
> hive, or something?
>
> How do I delete this weird folder, and will I be able to remove the
> profile from the NET USER list by running DELPROF again after I do delete
> it?
>
> Cheers
>
> ss.

Reboot the machine, then log on under an account other than the
one you have a problem with.

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message
news:u4dMCm$4IHA.776@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I deleted an account using DELPROF from the Resource Kit, but it exited
>>with an error, saying that the directory was not empty, or something like
>>that.
>>
>> The user account folder in Documents and Settings was still there, but
>> only containing an empty folder called Cookies.
>>
>> I cannot delete Cookies in explorer or the command line - Access Denied.
>>
>> The Properties for the folder does not have a Sharing or Security tab, so
>> I cannot take ownership that way. Only the General and Customise tabs
>> appear.
>>
>> I cannot use CACLS to take ownership either - Access Denied.
>>
>> I cannot delete the user profile folder that contains this undeletable
>> Cookies folder using RD Cookies /S - Access Denied.
>>
>> Also, the original account that I deleted, with only these two nest empty
>> folders remaining, still appears with NET USER. I suppose because
>> DELPROF did not complete, there are still some registry entries for it in
>> the HKU hive, or something?
>>
>> How do I delete this weird folder, and will I be able to remove the
>> profile from the NET USER list by running DELPROF again after I do delete
>> it?
>>
>
> Reboot the machine, then log on under an account other than the
> one you have a problem with.

After I rebooted, I tried deleting the folder from the Administrator account
again, and it deleted as normal. The username still appeared under NET USER
though.

I tried DELPROF again, but it did not find the profile. I then used NET
USER <username> /delete, and then it was gone.

What is the difference between using DELPROF and NET USER <username>
/delete?

Cheers

ss.

"Censored Syndrome" <synapse@NOSPAMsyndrome.me.uk> wrote in message
news:eo5cVjF5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message
> news:u4dMCm$4IHA.776@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>I deleted an account using DELPROF from the Resource Kit, but it exited
>>>with an error, saying that the directory was not empty, or something like
>>>that.
>>>
>>> The user account folder in Documents and Settings was still there, but
>>> only containing an empty folder called Cookies.
>>>
>>> I cannot delete Cookies in explorer or the command line - Access Denied.
>>>
>>> The Properties for the folder does not have a Sharing or Security tab,
>>> so I cannot take ownership that way. Only the General and Customise
>>> tabs appear.
>>>
>>> I cannot use CACLS to take ownership either - Access Denied.
>>>
>>> I cannot delete the user profile folder that contains this undeletable
>>> Cookies folder using RD Cookies /S - Access Denied.
>>>
>>> Also, the original account that I deleted, with only these two nest
>>> empty folders remaining, still appears with NET USER. I suppose because
>>> DELPROF did not complete, there are still some registry entries for it
>>> in the HKU hive, or something?
>>>
>>> How do I delete this weird folder, and will I be able to remove the
>>> profile from the NET USER list by running DELPROF again after I do
>>> delete it?
>>>
>>
>> Reboot the machine, then log on under an account other than the
>> one you have a problem with.
>
> After I rebooted, I tried deleting the folder from the Administrator
> account again, and it deleted as normal. The username still appeared
> under NET USER though.
>
> I tried DELPROF again, but it did not find the profile. I then used NET
> USER <username> /delete, and then it was gone.
>
> What is the difference between using DELPROF and NET USER <username>
> /delete?
>
> Cheers
>
> ss.

As a server administrator you need to be aware that a user account
is one thing and a user profile is another. Usually the two exist together
but you can easily have one without the other:
- A user who has never logged on will have an account but no profile folder.
- A user whose account gets deleted with "net use xxx /del" will have a
profile folder but no account.

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message
news:umE78JG5IHA.4988@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> As a server administrator you need to be aware that a user account
> is one thing and a user profile is another. Usually the two exist together
> but you can easily have one without the other:
> - A user who has never logged on will have an account but no profile
> folder.
> - A user whose account gets deleted with "net use xxx /del" will have a
> profile folder but no account.

I think you meant NET USER, not NET USE.

Thanks for the clarification. I am not actually a network administrator as
such, although I do some network administration as a CAD consultant. I'm an
architect.

ss.