why ntuser.dat file time stamp is not updated for over a y..

No.
It is not me who is looking, but my code.
And my code is looking at ntuser.dat located in the current user profile.
"C:\Documents and Settings\<current user name>\ntuser.dat"
<Current User Name> is determined by API call.
It works 99.5% of the time but .remaining 05% is the reason I would like to
find the answer.
Jack

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
news:OkFOkFavHHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
> news:%23lBw4$ZvHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Hello,
>> I am trying to find out under what circuimstances ntuser.dat
>> registry file will not be time stamped, even when user login into Windows
>> daily and performs regular tasks such as running programs.
>> I have checked on my 3 computers running Win XP and soon after I start
>> Windows, few minutes later, ntuser.dat will update time stamp to the
>> current date.
>> However, over last few years I had few situations, when the persons using
>> Windows XP had their usernt.dat file time stamp not updated for 500 or
>> more days!
>> How is that possible?
>> Jack
>>
>
> You're probably looking in the wrong profile folder.
>

You should have a look here to make sure you're looking at
the right profile folder:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist\
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-4233798886-620521722-3728218106-1004

"Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
news:uJBSzCbvHHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> No.
> It is not me who is looking, but my code.
> And my code is looking at ntuser.dat located in the current user profile.
> "C:\Documents and Settings\<current user name>\ntuser.dat"
> <Current User Name> is determined by API call.
> It works 99.5% of the time but .remaining 05% is the reason I would like
> to find the answer.
> Jack
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can RemoveThis @fly.com> wrote in message
> news:OkFOkFavHHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
>> news:%23lBw4$ZvHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> Hello,
>>> I am trying to find out under what circuimstances ntuser.dat
>>> registry file will not be time stamped, even when user login into
>>> Windows daily and performs regular tasks such as running programs.
>>> I have checked on my 3 computers running Win XP and soon after I start
>>> Windows, few minutes later, ntuser.dat will update time stamp to the
>>> current date.
>>> However, over last few years I had few situations, when the persons
>>> using Windows XP had their usernt.dat file time stamp not updated for
>>> 500 or more days!
>>> How is that possible?
>>> Jack
>>>
>>
>> You're probably looking in the wrong profile folder.
>>
>
>

The API call I use is:
GetUserName()
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms724432.aspx

This is a recommended method by Microsoft to obtain the current user name.
Jack

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
news:OORKcGbvHHA.536@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> You should have a look here to make sure you're looking at
> the right profile folder:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist\
> \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-4233798886-620521722-3728218106-1004
>
> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
> news:uJBSzCbvHHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> No.
>> It is not me who is looking, but my code.
>> And my code is looking at ntuser.dat located in the current user profile.
>> "C:\Documents and Settings\<current user name>\ntuser.dat"
>> <Current User Name> is determined by API call.
>> It works 99.5% of the time but .remaining 05% is the reason I would like
>> to find the answer.
>> Jack
>>
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.TakeThisOut@fly.com> wrote in message
>> news:OkFOkFavHHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
>>> news:%23lBw4$ZvHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I am trying to find out under what circuimstances ntuser.dat
>>>> registry file will not be time stamped, even when user login into
>>>> Windows daily and performs regular tasks such as running programs.
>>>> I have checked on my 3 computers running Win XP and soon after I start
>>>> Windows, few minutes later, ntuser.dat will update time stamp to the
>>>> current date.
>>>> However, over last few years I had few situations, when the persons
>>>> using Windows XP had their usernt.dat file time stamp not updated for
>>>> 500 or more days!
>>>> How is that possible?
>>>> Jack
>>>>
>>>
>>> You're probably looking in the wrong profile folder.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Also, by the exchanging emails with the user I confirmed that the user name
is correct.
There must be something else causing that.
Jack

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.DeleteThis@fly.com> wrote in message
news:OORKcGbvHHA.536@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> You should have a look here to make sure you're looking at
> the right profile folder:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist\
> \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-4233798886-620521722-3728218106-1004
>
> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
> news:uJBSzCbvHHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> No.
>> It is not me who is looking, but my code.
>> And my code is looking at ntuser.dat located in the current user profile.
>> "C:\Documents and Settings\<current user name>\ntuser.dat"
>> <Current User Name> is determined by API call.
>> It works 99.5% of the time but .remaining 05% is the reason I would like
>> to find the answer.
>> Jack
>>
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.DeleteThis@fly.com> wrote in message
>> news:OkFOkFavHHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
>>> news:%23lBw4$ZvHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I am trying to find out under what circuimstances ntuser.dat
>>>> registry file will not be time stamped, even when user login into
>>>> Windows daily and performs regular tasks such as running programs.
>>>> I have checked on my 3 computers running Win XP and soon after I start
>>>> Windows, few minutes later, ntuser.dat will update time stamp to the
>>>> current date.
>>>> However, over last few years I had few situations, when the persons
>>>> using Windows XP had their usernt.dat file time stamp not updated for
>>>> 500 or more days!
>>>> How is that possible?
>>>> Jack
>>>>
>>>
>>> You're probably looking in the wrong profile folder.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

I have tried that key.
On my computer the value is:
\Device\HarddiskVolume1\Documents and Settings\Jacek\ntuser.dat
How to translate that path to the generally accepted format?
Jack

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.RemoveThis@fly.com> wrote in message
news:OORKcGbvHHA.536@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> You should have a look here to make sure you're looking at
> the right profile folder:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist\
> \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-4233798886-620521722-3728218106-1004
>
> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
> news:uJBSzCbvHHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> No.
>> It is not me who is looking, but my code.
>> And my code is looking at ntuser.dat located in the current user profile.
>> "C:\Documents and Settings\<current user name>\ntuser.dat"
>> <Current User Name> is determined by API call.
>> It works 99.5% of the time but .remaining 05% is the reason I would like
>> to find the answer.
>> Jack
>>
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.RemoveThis@fly.com> wrote in message
>> news:OkFOkFavHHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> "Jack" <replyto@it> wrote in message
>>> news:%23lBw4$ZvHHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I am trying to find out under what circuimstances ntuser.dat
>>>> registry file will not be time stamped, even when user login into
>>>> Windows daily and performs regular tasks such as running programs.
>>>> I have checked on my 3 computers running Win XP and soon after I start
>>>> Windows, few minutes later, ntuser.dat will update time stamp to the
>>>> current date.
>>>> However, over last few years I had few situations, when the persons
>>>> using Windows XP had their usernt.dat file time stamp not updated for
>>>> 500 or more days!
>>>> How is that possible?
>>>> Jack
>>>>
>>>
>>> You're probably looking in the wrong profile folder.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Jack wrote:

> The API call I use is:
> GetUserName()
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms724432.aspx
>
> This is a recommended method by Microsoft to obtain the current user name.


That is the recommended way to get the current user name but NOT the
recommended way to get the current user profile path. Please note that
there is no guarantee that the the current user path is C:\Documents and
Settings\<current user name>, if for example the ntuser.dat in the user
profile is damaged in some way and cannot be loaded when the user logs
on the user will get a new profile with a new path. Same goes if there
is already another directory present with the name C:\Documents and
Settings\<current user name> when the user logs on for the first time.

Either do like "Pegasus" said, look at the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist registry
key for loaded hive files or use the GetUserProfileDirectory() API.

--
Olof Lagerkvist
ICQ: 724451
Web: http://here.is/olof