Windows 7 User accounts missing after system restore

[QuickFire]

OK, full story. I was meddling a bit with the security settings for my C: partition (where my Windows 7 resides) by right clicking the drive and selecting properties > security. The reason for doing so was because I thought someone had meddled with it first, so I was trying to get it back to the default settings by using the same settings as my other two partitions. It turns out the settings for Authenticated Users for C was different from both the other partitions, so I changed them to reflect the settings from the other two. Later on I found out nobody had tampered with the settings before me (but why then did the security settings for different partition differ? Can someone explain?), so I attempted to revert the settings by using system restore.

After the system restore, my main Admin account was available but the other accounts (there were 3 others) were missing. I tried system restoring back to a few days, didn't solve it. I ended up using system restore a few time (back and forth between a few restore points), before it suddenly turned up again. Why would this happen?

Also, the system restore did not change back my security settings for Authenticated Users. Do you think this will affect anything?


This is my current security settings: (Note the "special permissions" under "write" is unticked)

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[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've encountered a series of issues after adjusting the security settings of your C: partition and performing a system restore on your Windows 7 system. Let's break down each of your concerns: 1. Differences in Security Settings between Partitions: - You mentioned that the security settings for the C: partition (where Windows 7 resides) were different from your other partitions. The differences in security settings between partitions can occur due to various reasons: - Previous System Modifications: It's possible that at some point in the past, specific security settings were modified on the C: partition for a particular reason. - Software Installation: Certain software installations or configurations can alter security settings. - Migration from a Different System: If the partition was originally created on a different system or setup, it might carry over unique security settings. - User Actions: If someone used the C: partition for specific tasks that required different security settings, this could lead to variations. 2. Missing Accounts after System Restore: - The disappearance of the other user accounts after performing a system restore can be attributed to issues related to the system restore process itself. When you perform a system restore, the state of the system is reverted to a previous point in time, including user accounts. - Factors that may have caused the accounts to disappear temporarily after the system restore could include incomplete restoration, user profile corruption, or issues with user account settings stored in the system restore point. 3. Restoring Security Settings for Authenticated Users: - After the system restore, despite your attempts, the security settings for Authenticated Users were not reverted. This situation could arise if the changes in security permissions were not tied to the system restore points, or if specific settings were not affected by the restoration process. - As for the impact of these security settings, it largely depends on the permissions that were altered. It's essential to ensure that the permissions are appropriately set to avoid any security vulnerabilities or access issues. Given these circumstances, it's crucial to review and adjust the security settings as needed to maintain system integrity and security. If you encounter any further issues or need assistance with specific settings, feel free to provide more details.