Safe to delete password adminstrator account?

[Robert Montgomery]

I want the computer to start without being asked to choose which account
will be accessed, because the startup is unnecessarily slow.

Is it safe for me to delete my administrator's non-password account and
my partner's administrator password account?

I'm worried there could be a malfunction if I delete both of our accounts.

I'm using Windows XP on an LG computer.

Robert

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I want the computer to start without being asked to choose which
account will be accessed, because the startup is unnecessarily slow.

Is it safe for me to delete my administrator's non-password account
and my partner's administrator password account?

I'm worried there could be a malfunction if I delete both of our
accounts.
I'm using Windows XP on an LG computer.

Windows XP what? Home? Professional? x64 Professional? Media Center?
Tablet PC? other?

You cannot delete the built in administrator's account.

What you are wanting - although I think it is generally a bad idea - is
called an "automatic logon".

Automatic Logons:
------
Microsoft method:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231
(Essentially the same... but different place:
http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/13/ )


Microsoft Method 2:
TweakUI from:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


control userpasswords2 method:
1) Go to the Start Menu and the Run box.
2) Type in the following:

control userpasswords2

now click OK
3) In the new Windows that appears select the account you wish to make the
primary logon.
Now uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password..." box.
4) Hit Apply and a dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the selected
users password.
Click OK when you are done...
------

Hopefully that gets you where you are wanting to be.

It is a *good* thing in the user arena to:
1) Have strong passwords.
2) Have more than one administrator level account (with strong passwords).

 

[Ron Badour]

Shenan has answered your question; however, I would be looking at what makes
the start up slow and you will probably find a ton of programs being started
at boot.

Cut back on the number of programs starting at boot by checking the programs
for an option not to load. You might have to double click an icon in the
tray (others might require a right click) and then look for preferences or
options. If you cannot find an option, look for and remove the program
from the start up folder on the start menu or the registry run keys (use
regedit.exe):

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\Run
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­Run
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\­RunOnce
5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServices
6.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunServicesOnce
7.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion­\RunOnce\Setup

If tinkering in the registry is not your thing, you can use msconfig.exe,
startup tab, to disable programs. There might be some double entries in
msconfig--be careful not to disable parts of your anti virus program for
example. My personal rule of thumb is that if a program is not used about
95% of the time when I start a computer session, I do not load it at boot--I
start those programs when I have need for them.

If you disable an entry in msconfig or remove it from the start up point and
the program loads again after a reboot, that is an indication that you
missed an option on the program itself. If you don't know what an entry is,
use google.com or check here:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm Finally, after using
msconfig to disable a program from starting, you will receive a notice when
you reboot--just mark the box to not show the notice.
--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

 

[Robert Montgomery]

Windows XP what? Home? Professional? x64 Professional? Media Center?
Tablet PC? other?
Professional.

You cannot delete the built in administrator's account.

But it wasn't built in before; it was customized. Before my partner
customized separate accounts for me and her, the computer started
without asking which account I wanted to activate.

Robert

What you are wanting - although I think it is generally a bad idea - is
called an "automatic logon".

Why do you think it's bad? We're only using the computer now as a
back-up computer to use the Internet.

Robert

 

[Milt]

Robert,

I assume you are using Windows XP Home.

First, there's an "Administrator Account". It's normally hidden. It has
full access to the computer. And next there are "User Accounts" that have
full or limited privileges. Those are the accounts that you normally use. The
Administrator Account should be left alone. You normally use "User
Accounts". They have administrator or limited privileges. And there is a
"Guest Account" that has only very limited privileges that you can let
visitors use without you creating an account for them or granting them access
to your accounts.

If you have only one User Account, and the Guest Account, the computer
can start without you selecting a user. But if you have more than one User
Account, you will get a screen asking you to choose which account to start up.



Milt