Confused over Administrator User

[Vince]

I've read that if there is a User profile other than Administrator
existing, then the Administrator user will not show at the signon
screen _unless in Safe Mode_.

I am using WinXPpro SP2. My memory does not serve me well enough, but
I now have: Admin, Another Username, and Guest showing at the signon
screen when in Normal mode. I might have changed the first User
account five times since getting this PC in January,; it presently
shows as Admin and I have assigned a password to it.

How can I prove that the "Admin" user actually is or is not the
Windows XP administrator account ? Need to clarify this issue before
going through with copying data files from the existing "Admin" user
profile to another profile for my daily routine usage.


Perhaps I need to go into Safe Mode and search for an ADMINISTRATOR
user profile there ?

Thanks.

 

[Mak]

I've read that if there is a User profile other than Administrator
existing, then the Administrator user will not show at the signon
screen _unless in Safe Mode_.

This only applies to XP Home.

To check accounts use the following command from Start - Run:
"control userpasswords2" without quotation marks.

 

[GTS]

The default administrator account is named Administrator, not Admin. It is
possible, though inadvisable, to rename this. To see what accounts really
exist (and whether the original Administrator account was renamed) open
Users Accounts from Control Panel and see what users are shown. Note that
renaming a user does not rename the user directory under Documents and
Settings. You might also see what is shown there (e.g. is there both an
Administrator and Admin folder?).

 

[Clark]

At the logon screen, hit CTRL-ALTN and DEL DEL. Don't confuse this with
CTRL-ALTN and Del

It should show the old type sign in page and enter administrator and a
password. If you did not set one up, try it without a password.

Clark

 

[Sharon F]

I've read that if there is a User profile other than Administrator
existing, then the Administrator user will not show at the signon
screen _unless in Safe Mode_.

I am using WinXPpro SP2. My memory does not serve me well enough, but
I now have: Admin, Another Username, and Guest showing at the signon
screen when in Normal mode. I might have changed the first User
account five times since getting this PC in January,; it presently
shows as Admin and I have assigned a password to it.

How can I prove that the "Admin" user actually is or is not the
Windows XP administrator account ? Need to clarify this issue before
going through with copying data files from the existing "Admin" user
profile to another profile for my daily routine usage.


Perhaps I need to go into Safe Mode and search for an ADMINISTRATOR
user profile there ?

Thanks.

When XP is installed a default account in the administrator group is
created. The name of that account is Administrator. When another account
*within the administrator group* is created, the one named Administrator
drops off of the welcome screen. It is recommended to allow this to happen
and to keep that account in reserve for troubleshooting purposes.

To find out if you're still using that original Administrator account or
not, open Computer Management in Administrative Tools. In the left hand
column, navigate to Local Users and Groups> Users. Click on Users and look
in the right hand pane.

If you are not using the default Administrator account as your own, you
will see at least the following accounts:
Administrator
Admin
Another Username
Guest

If on the other hand you see:
Admin
Another Username
Guest

Then you are still using the original Administrator account. It still
appears on the welcome screen because no other account in the
administrative group was created. (You have no spare administrative
account for troubleshooting purposes.)

Since you have XP Pro, the bit about booting to Safe Mode to log on with
the built-in Administrator account does not apply to your system.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

The default administrator account is named Administrator, not Admin. It is
possible, though inadvisable, to rename this.

"Inadvisable," why? For many years now, one of the standard and most
basic of security measures taken by any organization with a competent IT
department is to rename the built-in Administrator account. I've never
worked anywhere where this practice has not been followed, starting from
the days of WinNT.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Phillips]

Run/regedit... navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList] and create a new Dword
"Administrator" - without quotation marks. Then, change the default value
from 0 to 1 - i.e., right-click on the newly created Adminisrtator DWord,
click Modify, and in the value dialog box that opens change the value from 0
to 1. Close regedit and reboot.
Your Administrator account will be available together with your other
account(s). You will need tha password that you created at XP install - if
any.
To hide Administrator simply modify the value 1 back to 0 in the above
mentioned registry key.
Michael

 

[GTS]

"Inadvisable," why? For many years now, one of the standard and most
basic of security measures taken by any organization with a competent IT
department is to rename the built-in Administrator account. I've never
worked anywhere where this practice has not been followed, starting from
the days of WinNT.

Good point. I was thinking of the many home user cases I've seen where
users have renamed the Administrator account and are using it as their
personal login (and it's the only account on the machine) as contrasted to
creating a new user when setting up the computer. Creating a user account
AD renaming the Administrator for security purposes is definitely the way to
go. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

GTS wrote:

Good point. I was thinking of the many home user cases I've seen where
users have renamed the Administrator account and are using it as their
personal login (and it's the only account on the machine) as contrasted to
creating a new user when setting up the computer.

Ah... I've encountered plenty of people unwisely using the
Administrator account for daily use, but none that had also renamed it.
I see what you were driving at, now.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Vince]

When XP is installed a default account in the administrator group is
created. The name of that account is Administrator. When another account
*within the administrator group* is created, the one named Administrator
drops off of the welcome screen. It is recommended to allow this to happen
and to keep that account in reserve for troubleshooting purposes.

To find out if you're still using that original Administrator account or
not, open Computer Management in Administrative Tools. In the left hand
column, navigate to Local Users and Groups> Users. Click on Users and look
in the right hand pane.

If you are not using the default Administrator account as your own, you
will see at least the following accounts:
Administrator
Admin
Another Username
Guest

If on the other hand you see:
Admin
Another Username
Guest

Then you are still using the original Administrator account. It still
appears on the welcome screen because no other account in the
administrative group was created. (You have no spare administrative
account for troubleshooting purposes.)

Since you have XP Pro, the bit about booting to Safe Mode to log on with
the built-in Administrator account does not apply to your system.

Hello Sharon:

It is possible that I am beginning to understand, or continuing to
become even more confused ---

I wish that I knew the default user name at time of installation that
showed at the sign on screen: was it "ADMIN", "Admin", or
"Administrator" ???


I added an additional user this morning: "WA2RSX". Then I printed and
followed your instructions.

When viewing the Local Users and groups> Users right hand pane, I see
column headings: Name/Full Name/Description. I also took a peek at
the Properties- "Member of" for each user account:

Name Full Name Description (Member of)

Administrator -blank Builtin account for ..(Administrators)

Grand Grand -blank (Administrators
Users)

Guest -blank Builtin account for ...(Guest)

Vince-WA2RSX ADMIN -blank (Administrators)

WA2RSX WA2RSX -blank (Users)


There are several other user acconts listed, but I am certain that I
never generated or logged on with any of those others.


At this point, there are three user account names that are members in
the Administrators group.

The "Vince-WA2RSX" account does not show in the listing of Users at
the sign on Welcome screen. (It is also a name that I recall
generating early on, when first getting this PC in January, possibly
as a substitute for the default name of ADMIN????).

So, based on the above information, I think that it is the
Vince-WA2RSX account that is/was the default administrator account
name, since that is the one account that does not show at the sign on
Welcome screen? Do you agree?
If that is the case, then I should then apply a secure password for
that user?? Do you agree?

How can I prove my suspicions?


I am presently logged on as user: ADMIN (as spelled at the sign on
Welcome screen). When viewing an expanded directory tree of My
Computer, separate folders exist for:

Grand's Documents
Guest's Documents
ADMIN's Documents (reflects daily usage since January)
and
WA2RSX's Documents.

.....None for Vince-WA2RSX's Documents at this tree level....

However, when I expand Local Drive C: and then expand Documents and
Settings, I see folders associated by names as:

Adminstrator
All users
GRAND
Guest
Vince-WA2RSX (reflects daily usage since January)
WA2RSX

Does each member of the Administrators group have equal authority ?

My suspicion at this point is that Vince-WA2RSX is associated with the
user account named ADMIN that I have been logging on with.

Thanks again.

 

[Vince]

When XP is installed a default account in the administrator group is
created. The name of that account is Administrator. When another account
*within the administrator group* is created, the one named Administrator
drops off of the welcome screen. It is recommended to allow this to happen
and to keep that account in reserve for troubleshooting purposes.

To find out if you're still using that original Administrator account or
not, open Computer Management in Administrative Tools. In the left hand
column, navigate to Local Users and Groups> Users. Click on Users and look
in the right hand pane.

After doing what you suggested above, I see a named account showing as
"Vince-WA2RSX". That name rings a bell for my memory. It was
probably the first renamed user account. The "Full Name" column shows
ADMIN whereas the "Name" column shows Vince-WA2RSX.

When the Local Disk C:/Document and Settings folder is expanded, the
directory tree includes a Vince-WA2RSX folder. It is this folder that
my daily operations, since getting this PC in January, are reflected
into. In addition, folders associated with the named accounts:
Administrator, Another Username, and Guest exist in the directory
tree.

If you are not using the default Administrator account as your own, you
will see at least the following accounts:
Administrator
Admin
Another Username
Guest

If on the other hand you see:
Admin
Another Username
Guest

Then you are still using the original Administrator account. It still
appears on the welcome screen because no other account in the
administrative group was created. (You have no spare administrative
account for troubleshooting purposes.)

I now have three users that are members of the Administrators group.

 

[Sharon F]

Hello Sharon:

It is possible that I am beginning to understand, or continuing to
become even more confused ---

I wish that I knew the default user name at time of installation that
showed at the sign on screen: was it "ADMIN", "Admin", or
"Administrator" ???


I added an additional user this morning: "WA2RSX". Then I printed and
followed your instructions.

When viewing the Local Users and groups> Users right hand pane, I see
column headings: Name/Full Name/Description. I also took a peek at
the Properties- "Member of" for each user account:

Name Full Name Description (Member of)

Administrator -blank Builtin account for ..(Administrators)

Grand Grand -blank (Administrators
Users)

Guest -blank Builtin account for ...(Guest)

Vince-WA2RSX ADMIN -blank (Administrators)

WA2RSX WA2RSX -blank (Users)


There are several other user acconts listed, but I am certain that I
never generated or logged on with any of those others.


At this point, there are three user account names that are members in
the Administrators group.

The "Vince-WA2RSX" account does not show in the listing of Users at
the sign on Welcome screen. (It is also a name that I recall
generating early on, when first getting this PC in January, possibly
as a substitute for the default name of ADMIN????).

So, based on the above information, I think that it is the
Vince-WA2RSX account that is/was the default administrator account
name, since that is the one account that does not show at the sign on
Welcome screen? Do you agree?
If that is the case, then I should then apply a secure password for
that user?? Do you agree?

How can I prove my suspicions?


I am presently logged on as user: ADMIN (as spelled at the sign on
Welcome screen). When viewing an expanded directory tree of My
Computer, separate folders exist for:

Grand's Documents
Guest's Documents
ADMIN's Documents (reflects daily usage since January)
and
WA2RSX's Documents.

....None for Vince-WA2RSX's Documents at this tree level....

However, when I expand Local Drive C: and then expand Documents and
Settings, I see folders associated by names as:

Adminstrator
All users
GRAND
Guest
Vince-WA2RSX (reflects daily usage since January)
WA2RSX

Does each member of the Administrators group have equal authority ?

My suspicion at this point is that Vince-WA2RSX is associated with the
user account named ADMIN that I have been logging on with.

Thanks again.

Admin isn't used by XP at all. Going by other details you've posted,
someone renamed an account to Admin.

Remember that renaming an account only changes the "friendly" name of the
user account. It does not change the name of that user's folders.

Maybe the following will help you to match up your user names and their
folders:

While logged on to an account, click Start> Run and type in
%userprofile%
Windows Explorer will open and will be displaying the folders belonging to
that user.

As far as putting passwords on accounts, my vote goes to "yes." Especially
accounts belonging to the administrator group since they have full rein in
accessing and configuring the entire system.