For years, I've been using a generic log in on my desktop at work. Then, it was decided that the midwife could use my room on the day I'm not in at work. Which was fine but meant I needed to keep my computer files elsewhere so she didn't accidentally delete them or something.

I went to the domain server, set up a new username and password and for the past two months, that's what I've been using to log in on my desktop. Except today (typically after the midwife has just used the computer), I tried to log in with my normal username and it started setting up a new user profile! All of my desktop and folders are empty under this profile, but if I go into c: -> users, I can see my old username folder with all contents intact. There's also a new folder called TEMP.

If I log in under the generic username, I can get it and it's laid out the way it always has been.

So why has Win7 done this and how can I go back into my normal log in?

Were you using roaming profiles?

Don't think so. It was something the practice tried to work and found it didn't work. So should be all local profiles. Ergo if I log in on one computer and then go an log in on another, they shouldn't be linked in any way.

Had a bit of a google around and it turns out my profile may well have been corrupt. I followed the advice about renaming the S-1-5 ending in .bak and deleting the new temporary profile. I've got all my files on the desktop and access to My Documents but everything else is buggered. I can't change screen resolution "the interface is unknown". None of the drivers and software that should load up do so.

I guess I need to back everything up, delete the profile and start again.