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I'm unable to create an account named 'con' in Windows 7. I can create the account but each time I login, I see a notification that I'm working under a temporary profile and my files are wiped off after logging off. Any Advice/Suggestions on How to Fix?

This post gave me a hint but is not focused on user accounts but files and folders.

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    Possible duplicate of Unable to rename a folder or a file as 'con', Creating a folder named “CON” in Windows ...
    – Karan
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 6:49
  • @Karan: Why would restrictions on folder or file names affect user account names?
    – Peter Mortensen
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 16:54
  • @PeterMortensen: Don't user profile folders get created based on account names?
    – Karan
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 18:53
  • It's related, but not quite a duplicate. Not voting to close.
    – bwDraco
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 2:08
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    This brings me back to Win 9x ... Start -> Run -> "\con\con" -> Enter -> BSOD
    – Alex
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 10:53

4 Answers 4

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CON is a reserved word for Windows as it's the name of a device (console). Use something else.

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    Did you read the linked article?
    – Karan
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 6:48
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    It's obvious really. Whether you attempt to create a folder named CON directly or try and trick Windows into creating one by using it as the user name, the problem remains the same.
    – Karan
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 7:11
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    You could create a user with some alternate name, like Con01, then rename it to Con. The home folder doesn't typically move, so it should stick (e.g. it will display on the Welcome Screen as Con, but actually be housed in C:\Users\Con01). Still, I'd probably avoid trying to trick out Windows that way. The same rules also apply to COM1-4 and other reserved "device names."
    – phyrfox
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 1:03
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    @phyrfox: Yes, the OP has apparently used that trick already if you read his answer. I would not recommend it but it's not my PC, so...
    – Karan
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 1:05
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    @Karan it's not obvious to the OP or they wouldn't ask for clarification.
    – user64742
    Commented Nov 4, 2018 at 0:54
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Here's the answer to my own question. 'con' is a reserved keyword under Windows. So, when I try to create an account named con, the respective document directories fail to be created and hence when I login, all my data is stored in temp, which is wiped on logging out.

To fix this, I deleted the current account named 'con' and created an account named 'con0'. This successfully made an account named con0 with its respective document directories as con0. Then I changed the Account Name to 'con' which made windows to associate the 'con0' user folder to con User Account.

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    Ingenious. A little risky, perhaps - you might run into other problems later on, for the same reason - but ingenious. :-)
    – Harry Johnston
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 7:13
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    Past experience just shows that using reserved words can have bad consequences. You will find out over time where the issues lie. Either take the advice or not as you choose.
    – Fiasco Labs
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 18:28
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    for example: any program that may create a folder or file (for settings, for example) named with your username will break. I don't know of any program like this (usually they instead store it underneath your home dir), but they could exist.
    – Olivier Dulac
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 11:57
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When you create a user, Windows also creates a home folder for that user. Traditionally that home folder is named same as the user. So the process of creating the CON user expected to fail when creating their home folder because that name is not allowed in the file system.

Also note, that Windows' filesystem is case insensitive, so "con" and "Con" have the same issue.

I am not sure if you can create another user name and then rename the user, because there are potentially other places that will conflict with the name. The general advice is to stay away from the reserved words - the benefit is most likely not worth the fight.

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    The file system is actually case insensitive, with certain caveats.
    – Karan
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 20:38
  • Thanks for the edits. Never again I will answer on the phone - screen too little to notice problems. I have also missed Sharad's self-answer there.
    – Vlad Didenko
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 0:04
  • There have been known security exploits taking advantage of such irregularities in the past, so the OS probably will go to great lengths to keep you from using these names.
    – rackandboneman
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 0:06
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This has been answered, but yes it is a reserved device. When people were weaning themselves off CP/M and picking up DOS, most manuals described creating a file in this way... (close to the front, too).

copy con file.txt
...
...
^Z

(Some people are still doing this, it is like a VMS CREATE).

So that this will work, CON is reserved.

Others are COM1 COM2 COM3 COM4 PRN AUX LPT1

There are numerous KB articles and TechNet information pages concerning this, so it is odd that the question would come here.

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  • I can't think of a better way in DOS 1.0, unless you wanted to use EDLIN (and who ever wanted to use EDLIN?)
    – hobbs
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 4:47
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    Well not me, but I thought debug was cool and I missed it when it left. But I remember how great it was to have a ring bound manual come with the OS.
    – mckenzm
    Commented May 18, 2015 at 6:59

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