I'm a bit confused.

I've just clean installed WinXP pro and dutifully typed in an
administrator's password during setup (and actually made a note of it)!

I'm now at the 'setting up user's accounts stage'. I've decided to have
just one user account for a family of two, a limited account allowing both
members to have access to all the installed apps and data files (as happens
on our old ME machine, a visible guest account for friends and relations and
leave the administartor account for things essentially administrative.

I've tried changing the family user account to limited but am informed that
at least one account must have admin rights.

So where is the password protected administrators account I thought I'd
created during setup? Or had I only created a password at that stage? Do I
have to create a new Administrator's account with the password chosen during
setup or is there a useable admin account hidden somewhere (in which case
I'd like it to be shown along with the other accounts at the login stage.

Incidentally, is it possible to enable/disable the password for a limited
user account at will? I'm thinking of not making the family user account
password protected other than at times when the guest account might be used
or when the house is empty.

Regards,

Ros

Hi Ros,

It should be listed if you haven't created another account with admin
privileges. Either way:

On Pro Edition, from the Welcome Screen, press ctrl-Alt-Delete Twice.

Tip:

TweakUI/Logon/Show Administrator on the Welcome Screen
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p.../powertoys.asp

Or...

Enable/Disable Administrator on Welcome Screen (Line 5)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Note:

If you have disabled the built in administrator account, booting into
Safe Mode will automatically enable it again (temporarily, for that
Safe Mode session).

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com


"R&J W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm a bit confused.
>
> I've just clean installed WinXP pro and dutifully typed in an
> administrator's password during setup (and actually made a note of it)!
>
> I'm now at the 'setting up user's accounts stage'. I've decided to have
> just one user account for a family of two, a limited account allowing both
> members to have access to all the installed apps and data files (as
> happens
> on our old ME machine, a visible guest account for friends and relations
> and
> leave the administartor account for things essentially administrative.
>
> I've tried changing the family user account to limited but am informed
> that
> at least one account must have admin rights.
>
> So where is the password protected administrators account I thought I'd
> created during setup? Or had I only created a password at that stage? Do
> I
> have to create a new Administrator's account with the password chosen
> during
> setup or is there a useable admin account hidden somewhere (in which case
> I'd like it to be shown along with the other accounts at the login stage.
>
> Incidentally, is it possible to enable/disable the password for a limited
> user account at will? I'm thinking of not making the family user account
> password protected other than at times when the guest account might be
> used
> or when the house is empty.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ros
>
>

R&J W wrote:

> I'm a bit confused.
>
> I've just clean installed WinXP pro and dutifully typed in an
> administrator's password during setup (and actually made a note of it)!
>
> I'm now at the 'setting up user's accounts stage'. I've decided to have
> just one user account for a family of two, a limited account allowing both
> members to have access to all the installed apps and data files (as happens
> on our old ME machine, a visible guest account for friends and relations and
> leave the administartor account for things essentially administrative.
>
> I've tried changing the family user account to limited but am informed that
> at least one account must have admin rights.
>
> So where is the password protected administrators account I thought I'd
> created during setup? Or had I only created a password at that stage? Do I
> have to create a new Administrator's account with the password chosen during
> setup or is there a useable admin account hidden somewhere (in which case
> I'd like it to be shown along with the other accounts at the login stage.
>
> Incidentally, is it possible to enable/disable the password for a limited
> user account at will? I'm thinking of not making the family user account
> password protected other than at times when the guest account might be used
> or when the house is empty.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ros
>
>

For the account your guest's will use, make that a limited account as
well. Don't use the built in guest account - disable that one.

Well, this is why I'm confused!

Pressing 'ctrl-alt-delete' twice brings up the 'family user account AND it
has admin privileges (though I didn't nominate it for admin privileges when
creating it. The passworded 'Administrator' account, ie the one I chose a
password for during setup, doesn't come up at all.

It's when I try to change the family account user from having admin
privileges that I get the message 'You must assign another user on this
computer with a computer admin account before you can change this user's
account type. This ensures that there is always at least one user with a
comp admin acct on this computer.'

Instead of this message, I had expected to see an Admin account appear with
the password I chose during setup. And that's the question. Where is that
account? Was the password properly saved during setup or has something gone
pearshaped, temporarily or permanently?

What's suspect about the guest account by-the-way - and can I en/disable
passwords on the fly?

(Now the cat's been sick and the printer's run out of ink.) It's just one
of those dasy*~¬+*

R&J W wrote:

> Well, this is why I'm confused!
>
> Pressing 'ctrl-alt-delete' twice brings up the 'family user account AND it
> has admin privileges (though I didn't nominate it for admin privileges when
> creating it. The passworded 'Administrator' account, ie the one I chose a
> password for during setup, doesn't come up at all.
>
> It's when I try to change the family account user from having admin
> privileges that I get the message 'You must assign another user on this
> computer with a computer admin account before you can change this user's
> account type. This ensures that there is always at least one user with a
> comp admin acct on this computer.'
>
> Instead of this message, I had expected to see an Admin account appear with
> the password I chose during setup. And that's the question. Where is that
> account? Was the password properly saved during setup or has something gone
> pearshaped, temporarily or permanently?
>
> What's suspect about the guest account by-the-way - and can I en/disable
> passwords on the fly?
>
> (Now the cat's been sick and the printer's run out of ink.) It's just one
> of those dasy*~¬+*

Did you type in "administrator" without the quotes, and then the
password when logging in?

The guest account, AFAIK, has admin privileges, so your guests can do
whatever they want to mess up your system - create another limited user
account for them to use.

Hi Rock,

The Guest Account is set aside as special, per se. But does "not" have
Admin attributes.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;300489
--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com


"Rock" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> R&J W wrote:
>
>> Well, this is why I'm confused!
>>
>> Pressing 'ctrl-alt-delete' twice brings up the 'family user account AND
>> it
>> has admin privileges (though I didn't nominate it for admin privileges
>> when
>> creating it. The passworded 'Administrator' account, ie the one I chose
>> a
>> password for during setup, doesn't come up at all.
>>
>> It's when I try to change the family account user from having admin
>> privileges that I get the message 'You must assign another user on this
>> computer with a computer admin account before you can change this user's
>> account type. This ensures that there is always at least one user with a
>> comp admin acct on this computer.'
>>
>> Instead of this message, I had expected to see an Admin account appear
>> with
>> the password I chose during setup. And that's the question. Where is
>> that
>> account? Was the password properly saved during setup or has something
>> gone
>> pearshaped, temporarily or permanently?
>>
>> What's suspect about the guest account by-the-way - and can I en/disable
>> passwords on the fly?
>>
>> (Now the cat's been sick and the printer's run out of ink.) It's just
>> one
>> of those dasy*~¬+*
>
> Did you type in "administrator" without the quotes, and then the password
> when logging in?
>
> The guest account, AFAIK, has admin privileges, so your guests can do
> whatever they want to mess up your system - create another limited user
> account for them to use.
>

On Tue, 3 May 2005 13:02:00 +1000, "R&J W" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>I'm a bit confused.
>
>I've just clean installed WinXP pro and dutifully typed in an
>administrator's password during setup (and actually made a note of it)!
This account is used if you ever need to use Recovery console, to
repair/reinstall files from the WinXP CD.
Start the PC from the WinXP CD
When the "Welcome to setup" screen appears you press R
You then type the number which corresponds to the copy of Windows that
needs repairing.
It is at this point you would be asked for your password.

Mike H

Thanks Mike (and regards to everyone).

So if I understand this properly I need to create a separate Administrator's
account with a new password for installing apps etc. Then I can change the
'family' account to a limited account for day to day use and keep a guest
account for others?

Can I disable a password on the 'family' account whenever I want to?

Ray

On Tue, 03 May 2005 09:27:54 GMT, "RoS" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Thanks Mike (and regards to everyone).
>
>So if I understand this properly I need to create a separate Administrator's
>account with a new password for installing apps etc. Then I can change the
>'family' account to a limited account for day to day use and keep a guest
>account for others?
Yes indeedy
>
>Can I disable a password on the 'family' account whenever I want to?
>
>Ray
>
If you are using the Welcome screen to log on just log on, then Start
and then click on the picture you have chosen to identify your account.
This will allow to you change your picture (if you want to) but click on
one anyway as this then brings up the change user accounts list where
you can change types, passwords etc., to your heart's content.
If not using the Welcome screen you can do the same from Control
Panel/User accounts/change an account.
Regards
MH
>

"Kelly" wrote in microsoft.public.windowsxp.general:
>If you have disabled the built in administrator account, booting into
>Safe Mode will automatically enable it again (temporarily, for that
>Safe Mode session).

Thanks! That's what I was wondering about myself. I have the built-
in Admin account and a separate admin account that I actually use
(plus a limited account, of course).

Just last night I read advice in Steve Sinchak's HACKING WINDOWS XP
to disable the built-in account _and_ rename it. I was planning to
ask today whether that made sense, but I guess I have my answer.
:-)

--

Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/