By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
entirely different direction.

"William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...

> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
> entirely different direction.

Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
not provide a user name for such access.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Hi there William,
Just though of another item of possible
interest to you.

Namely Microsoft's TweakUI.exe (for XP) !!

It has a section called "Logon" and under it, an option to checkmark a box
called :

"Show "Administrator" on Welcome screen"

(At least, it shows up that way in my XP Pro but it's well worth the
trouble of downloading the tiny file)

You can obtain the small installation file (146kb) by clicking the link
below :

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ertoySetup.exe

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
> entirely different direction.

Don Phillipson wrote:
> "William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
>> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
>> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
>> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
>> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
>> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
>> entirely different direction.
>
> Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
> login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
> an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
> not provide a user name for such access.
>
What you seem to be saying is that I can *create* a new account (e.g.,
'Administrator') by indicating that name in the login box. I hadn't
tried that.

No - certainly, a profile *must* exist before you can logon to it!

I have never heard said what Mr Phillipson mentioned, but believe he was
saying that if you leave the login box blank it would then defer to the
"Administrator" account - or so it seemed to me anyway....

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:id2ubr$76s$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Don Phillipson wrote:
>> "William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
>>> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
>>> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
>>> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been
>>> unable
>>> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
>>> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
>>> entirely different direction.
>>
>> Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
>> login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
>> an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
>> not provide a user name for such access.
>>
> What you seem to be saying is that I can *create* a new account (e.g.,
> 'Administrator') by indicating that name in the login box. I hadn't tried
> that.

"William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:id2ubr$76s$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Don Phillipson wrote:
>> "William Lurie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
>>> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
>>> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
>>> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
>>> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
>>> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
>>> entirely different direction.
>>
>> Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
>> login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
>> an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
>> not provide a user name for such access.
>>
> What you seem to be saying is that I can *create* a new account (e.g.,
> 'Administrator') by indicating that name in the login box. I hadn't tried
> that.

Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt does not create a new account.
It loads the (hidden) account for user "Administrator" created when
the OS was installed; i.e. it has always been there.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On 11/30/2010 1:40 PM, Don Phillipson wrote:
> "William Lurie"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:id2ubr$76s$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Don Phillipson wrote:
>>> "William Lurie"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>
>>>> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to change
>>>> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
>>>> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with XP/Pro,
>>>> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been unable
>>>> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
>>>> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in an
>>>> entirely different direction.
>>>
>>> Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
>>> login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
>>> an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
>>> not provide a user name for such access.
>>>
>> What you seem to be saying is that I can *create* a new account (e.g.,
>> 'Administrator') by indicating that name in the login box. I hadn't tried
>> that.
>
> Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt does not create a new account.
> It loads the (hidden) account for user "Administrator" created when
> the OS was installed; i.e. it has always been there.

When you are at the Windows XP style Welcome screen hitting
Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice brings up the classic logon screen where you can
enter *any* username and password, it does not load any account as such.
The name of the last user who was logged on may be showing in the
username field if the option to show the last logged user on is enabled
in the registry. Also note that this does not work on XP Home, to login
with the Administrator account on XP Home you have to logon in Safe Mode.

John

"Don Phillipson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt does not create a new account.
> It loads the (hidden) account for user "Administrator" created when
> the OS was installed; i.e. it has always been there.

On one of my PCs which I bought pre-setup because at that stage I knew
nothing about Windows, the id defined for me to use is an admin one and of
course I know its password.

But I have no idea what the Administrator id's password is, and wouldn't
like someone else to be able to use this double Ctrl-Alt-Del method to get
to an Administrator login, in case the password it has is a stupid one like
'admin' or 'secret'...

Can I use my own admin id to reset the Administrator's password to a value I
will know?


Also, does anyone know what restrictions Windows sets on password values -
can they be any length and include spaces and special characters?


--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to (E-Mail Removed) replacing "aaa" by "284".

This is what we are trying to determine - whether there's a workaround to
starting Administrator account normally (i.e. *not* in safe-mode).

The documentation would have us believe that the Recovery Console's "set"
command is unavailable in XP Home edition, but with the addition of two
registry entries *is* perfectly useable.

So, if the commonly understood information about the limitations of XP Home
vs. XP Pro is erroneous on one occasion, why not more than once?.......

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"John John - MVP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%zdJo.493$(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 11/30/2010 1:40 PM, Don Phillipson wrote:
>> "William Lurie"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:id2ubr$76s$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Don Phillipson wrote:
>>>> "William Lurie"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:id0s59$ri9$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>
>>>>> By adding and validating a Key in Registry, we have been able to
>>>>> change
>>>>> the Welcome Screen during Start-up so that it halts there, and allows
>>>>> one to enter a User Name. I seem to recall from years ago, with
>>>>> XP/Pro,
>>>>> that the option for an Administrator account there, but I've been
>>>>> unable
>>>>> to do so with XP/Home. Is it that it cannot be done, or that I'm not
>>>>> doing it right? We are aware of F8 and Safe Mode, but that leads in
>>>>> an
>>>>> entirely different direction.
>>>>
>>>> Were this true (not checked) provision to add an Admin account at
>>>> login seems redundant -- since the OS enables any reboot to start
>>>> an Admin account (by Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt we need
>>>> not provide a user name for such access.
>>>>
>>> What you seem to be saying is that I can *create* a new account (e.g.,
>>> 'Administrator') by indicating that name in the login box. I hadn't
>>> tried
>>> that.
>>
>> Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt does not create a new account.
>> It loads the (hidden) account for user "Administrator" created when
>> the OS was installed; i.e. it has always been there.
>
> When you are at the Windows XP style Welcome screen hitting
> Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice brings up the classic logon screen where you can
> enter *any* username and password, it does not load any account as such.
> The name of the last user who was logged on may be showing in the
> username field if the option to show the last logged user on is enabled
> in the registry. Also note that this does not work on XP Home, to login
> with the Administrator account on XP Home you have to logon in Safe Mode.
>
> John

Yes indeed you can, and you're right - it is a security loophole for the
home computer (company networked PCs always have their Admin accounts set
up properly and with password).

Type CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 either at the Command Prompt or into the
"Run" box, and you can use the "Reset Administrator password" button to set
the Admin password.....

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Jeremy Nicoll - news posts" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Don Phillipson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Ctl-Alt-Del twice at login prompt does not create a new account.
>> It loads the (hidden) account for user "Administrator" created when
>> the OS was installed; i.e. it has always been there.
>
> On one of my PCs which I bought pre-setup because at that stage I knew
> nothing about Windows, the id defined for me to use is an admin one and
> of
> course I know its password.
>
> But I have no idea what the Administrator id's password is, and wouldn't
> like someone else to be able to use this double Ctrl-Alt-Del method to
> get
> to an Administrator login, in case the password it has is a stupid one
> like
> 'admin' or 'secret'...
>
> Can I use my own admin id to reset the Administrator's password to a
> value I
> will know?
>
>
> Also, does anyone know what restrictions Windows sets on password
> values -
> can they be any length and include spaces and special characters?
>
>
> --
> Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.
>
> Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
> to (E-Mail Removed) replacing "aaa" by "284".