Administrators Password

[Guest]

Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.

 

[Ron Martell]

Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.

The default password for the built-in Administrator account is blank
(= no password just press the Enter key).

If that doesn't work boot the computer using any user account that has
Administrator privileges, open a Command Prompt window and enter the
following command:

NET USER ADMINISTRATOR <new password>

Then you can boot into Recovery Console and whatever you entered as
<new password> will work.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Guest]

The password you need is for the Administrator account, not a person with
administrative privileges.

MD

 

[Guest]

I'm using the Recovery Console off of a bootable XP CD thing because I can't
get access to Windows. I take it that there's no easy way to change/recover
the administrator password without actually being in Windows?

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

Did you TRY pressing <Enter> with a blank password field?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

This happens in systems that are installed with sysprep, the solution is to
use the bootable floppy set. You will find instructions here:
http://rickrogers.org/fixes.htm

The Recovery Console is looking for *the* administrator account password,
not "any" administrator account password. Generally, unless you specifically
set one, this is <blank> and in systems installed with sysprep this causes
an error when you simply hit <enter> when there is a blank password.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.

Well.... It certainly shouldn't be, but sometimes is, if the
computer user is unaware of computer security fundamentals, and uses the
built-in Administrator account for daily use.

The password being requested is that of the built-in
_Administrator_ account, not the password for any other administrative
user accounts that the computer's owner may have created. Unless the
owner deliberately set the Administrator's password via the Management
Console (_not_ the Control Panel), it's probably still blank. WinXP
Pro asks the installer to set the Administrator's password during
installation, but WinXP Home doesn't.

The built-in Administrator account was really intended to be used
for day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to rename
the account, set a strong password on it, and use it only to create
another account for regular use, reserving the Administrator account as
a "back door" in case something corrupts your regular account(s).


--

Bruce Chambers

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