Active Directory Domain Services changed user accounts.

[Carstairs]

On my Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, the AD DS I installed hid the user accounts in someway and I can't log in to them. The files are still there and reg. files say where the files are but the login is gone.

[drivenbywhat]

There may be a filter in place. Look for a "funnel" icon & see if it's on. If not your accounts are probably deleted.

[michaewlewis]

Try hitting refresh. If that doesn't work, do a search to find the accounts and locate them that way.
If you can't log in to them, they may have been deleted. Do you have backups?

[Carstairs]

Neither of these work as it is a problem within Windows itself. i did not make a backup which i have learned the hard way is super important to do.

When ever I try to recreate the accounts, it makes the folder but adds the computer name next to it. (Ex: John.travelcomputer)

[Carstairs]

I do believe that it is somewhere in the Registry or SAM file or both that the problem exists. The SAM file does not contain the login for the other accounts so I believe this to also be part of the problem.

[drivenbywhat]

If you made your server into a DC it gets rid of local accounts.

[Carstairs]

do you know how to bring them back, or is that not possible.

[Robert Tabiano]

so i just have to bring it back to where i purchased it?

[michaewlewis]

do you know how to bring them back, or is that not possible.

Sure, remove Active Directory. When you install Active Directory, it disables all of the local accounts by design. Pretty sure there's no way around it. But you should still be able to create domain accounts and use those to log in.

so i just have to bring it back to where i purchased it?

What?

[drivenbywhat]

Not sure if removing AD will bring back the local accounts he created. It will bring back the default local accounts.

Like michaelwlewis said, you can just create the accounts again but this time as domain accounts.