I'm pulling my hair out....help!!!

[Guest]

Ok, according to Microsoft's help section, under Local Users and Groups "Best
Practices", and then "Why you should not run your computer as an
adminstrator", it is suggested (the following is copied and pasted from the
help file)

You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log off
and log back on as an administrator.

Ok, I've added my name to the "users" group which is a restricted group so I
don't inadvertantly screw things up, or allow trojans to screw things up if I
was logged onto the system as admin., but.......

The system is not acting any differently than before, only 1 account pops up
at logon, it is the same one, one with admin priv...etc...if I try to create
another account with my name, the system says, that account name already
exists....sheesh, what am I missing here?

I'm pulling my hair out here.....help please.

TIA

Lonnie

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Ok, according to Microsoft's help section, under Local Users and Groups "Best
Practices", and then "Why you should not run your computer as an
adminstrator", it is suggested (the following is copied and pasted from the
help file)

You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log off
and log back on as an administrator.

Ok, I've added my name to the "users" group which is a restricted group so I
don't inadvertantly screw things up, or allow trojans to screw things up if I
was logged onto the system as admin., but.......

The system is not acting any differently than before, only 1 account pops up
at logon, it is the same one, one with admin priv...etc...if I try to create
another account with my name, the system says, that account name already
exists....sheesh, what am I missing here?

I'm pulling my hair out here.....help please.

TIA

Lonnie

- Start a Command Prompt
- Type this command: net user
Can you see your name in this list?

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

Accounts have to have unique names. This is obvious one would hope.

N.B. There is little point having a user account that is a member of Users
if it already belongs to Administrators.

 

[Guest]

This is what I see when I do what you asked

Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1990-2001.

C:\DOCUME~1\LONNIE>net user

User accounts for \\LONNIES

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator ASPNET Guest
HelpAssistant Lonnie SUPPORT_388945a0
The command completed successfully.


C:\DOCUME~1\LONNIE>


What does this mean? I mean what does it tell you in accordance with my
question/problem?

TIA

Lonnie

 

[Guest]

Accounts have to have unique names. This is obvious one would hope.

What do they mean then by what they say in there help section that I quoted
in my original post? Please ... no more sarcasm huh! Just asking for help,
and trying to do what the makers of this OS is suggesting.

 

[Drew Tognola]

Lonnie,

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong but if you are the only User name on
your computer you must have full administrator rights to that computer. Only
if you add a second User would you be able to limit access to one of those
two User accounts. It wouldn't make much sense to limit a lone User name on
it's own computer.

Drew

Ok, according to Microsoft's help section, under Local Users and Groups
"Best
Practices", and then "Why you should not run your computer as an
adminstrator", it is suggested (the following is copied and pasted from the
help file)

You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log
off
and log back on as an administrator.

Ok, I've added my name to the "users" group which is a restricted group so I
don't inadvertantly screw things up, or allow trojans to screw things up if
I
was logged onto the system as admin., but.......

The system is not acting any differently than before, only 1 account pops up
at logon, it is the same one, one with admin priv...etc...if I try to create
another account with my name, the system says, that account name already
exists....sheesh, what am I missing here?

I'm pulling my hair out here.....help please.

TIA

Lonnie

 

[Drew Tognola]

Lonnie,

ps-Add another User account under a slightly different name and limit one of
those two User accounts. Shouldn't have a problem doing either.

Drew

Lonnie,

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong but if you are the only User name on
your computer you must have full administrator rights to that computer. Only
if you add a second User would you be able to limit access to one of those
two User accounts. It wouldn't make much sense to limit a lone User name on
it's own computer.

Drew

Ok, according to Microsoft's help section, under Local Users and Groups
"Best
Practices", and then "Why you should not run your computer as an
adminstrator", it is suggested (the following is copied and pasted from the
help file)

You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log
off
and log back on as an administrator.

Ok, I've added my name to the "users" group which is a restricted group so I
don't inadvertantly screw things up, or allow trojans to screw things up if
I
was logged onto the system as admin., but.......

The system is not acting any differently than before, only 1 account pops up
at logon, it is the same one, one with admin priv...etc...if I try to create
another account with my name, the system says, that account name already
exists....sheesh, what am I missing here?

I'm pulling my hair out here.....help please.

TIA

Lonnie

 

[Drew Tognola]

Lonnie,

ps-I misspoke on one thing. Once the second account is created it can be
limited. The original User account must have Administrator rights at all
times.

Drew

Lonnie,

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong but if you are the only User name on
your computer you must have full administrator rights to that computer. Only
if you add a second User would you be able to limit access to one of those
two User accounts. It wouldn't make much sense to limit a lone User name on
it's own computer.

Drew

Ok, according to Microsoft's help section, under Local Users and Groups
"Best
Practices", and then "Why you should not run your computer as an
adminstrator", it is suggested (the following is copied and pasted from the
help file)

You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log
off
and log back on as an administrator.

Ok, I've added my name to the "users" group which is a restricted group so I
don't inadvertantly screw things up, or allow trojans to screw things up if
I
was logged onto the system as admin., but.......

The system is not acting any differently than before, only 1 account pops up
at logon, it is the same one, one with admin priv...etc...if I try to create
another account with my name, the system says, that account name already
exists....sheesh, what am I missing here?

I'm pulling my hair out here.....help please.

TIA

Lonnie

 

[Guest]

I've done that already in the past, but doing this does not allow me to use
the runas command to run programs that I've installed as Lonnie and in the
admin group. Example: Spyware Doctor is a program that requires admin
rights not only to install but also to run/use on the system. If I run this
program using runas under another username (another created user other than
myself), then it does not function properly. How would I accomplish both
1)protecting my account by not being signed on as admin and 2)being able to
run programs such as spyware doctor and have them recognise me as the user
who installed it?

Thank you

Lonnie

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You wrote "if I try to create another account with my name, the
system says, that account name already exists....sheesh, what
am I missing here?"

The command I asked you to run gives you the answer: The
account "Lonnie" already exists, hence you cannot create it
a second time.

If you wish to create an "everyday" account for yourself, with
reduced privileges, then you must select a different account
name, e.g. "Lonnie1".

 

[Guest]

Somebody please tell me how to be able to run/use programs requiring admin,
when not logged on as admin. Using runas doesn't work with most programs,
programs such as spyware doctor.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

Somebody please tell me how to be able to run/use programs requiring
admin,
when not logged on as admin. Using runas doesn't work with most
programs,
programs such as spyware doctor.

---------------
If you are the only person using the computer I don't see why you need
more than one account. The MS help you quote takes an extremely
conservative approach.

Bill

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

At no time do the makers suggest creating accounts with the same name.

 

[Guest]

The reason for another account if for the very reason the help file said,
because MS recommends not using an admin account for general usage of your
computer seeing as how when you're logged on as admin, then if/when you
download a trojan mistakenly, or if someone hacks into your computer, they
don't have complete access to your computer with admin priv. My delima is
that when i'm logged in with a limited account, then most of my software,
software that keeps my system free from adware, and tracking cookies...etc.,
don't function properly because they manipulate the registry.

I've tried using runas, but the programs still don't function properly...so
I'm at a loss.


Lonnie

 

[Guest]

Hey, I took the suggestion by microsoft too literally ok. It did say add
yourself to another group, most of their darn suggestions (if you can ever
find any) are too darn general anyway and most people like me end up having
to use some guesswork. I'm just trying to get by this problem of running
programs which require admin priv without an admin account. I paid for some
programs that actively run in the background keeping tracking cookies off my
system...etc..but because some spyware can get into the registry, the program
requires admin priv. Is there a way to get around this?

A little less sarcasm would be nice as well not all of us can be as
smart as you MVP's. I've been getting a lot of this sarcasm lately, man oh
man, makes me wonder if coming here and asking questions is worth it.

Lonnie

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I cannot see any sarcasm at all in my reply. AFAIKS, it was factual
and to the point. If you feel that I was being sarcastic, please point
the offending phrase out to me so that I can mend my ways.

 

[Guest]

You might as well have been calling me a dumb ass <------- excuse my
french......your comments "sheeeeesh what am I missing here?" .. like
saying damn, anyone else think this person is a dumb ass but me. To top it
off, the question I asked is still not answered to a satisfactory
degree.....sheeeesh what am I missing here? Oh lets see.....maybe an
answer to my question.

Sorry I don't know what came over me there. Oh wait, maybe your example of
insensitivity and lack of user friendliness.

Whew...boy that felt good I'll try never to do that again, it's sooo
unfriendly.

Lonnie

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Sorry, my friend, the expression "sheeeeesh what am I missing here?"
was in your first post. They were your own words. If there was
any sarcasm then it was your own.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

If you have a firewall program, an anti-virus program, and an
anti-spyware program (or two) running you should not have to worry about
whether you are using an administrative account or not. In my opinion
the MS help recommendation you cite is overly conservative and
unnecessary.

Consider upgrading your OS to Windows XP with Service Pack 2, if you
haven't already done so.

Bill

The reason for another account if for the very reason the help file
said,
because MS recommends not using an admin account for general usage of
your
computer seeing as how when you're logged on as admin, then if/when you
download a trojan mistakenly, or if someone hacks into your computer,
they
don't have complete access to your computer with admin priv. My
delima is
that when i'm logged in with a limited account, then most of my
software,
software that keeps my system free from adware, and tracking
cookies...etc.,
don't function properly because they manipulate the registry.

I've tried using runas, but the programs still don't function
properly...so
I'm at a loss.


Lonnie

 

[Guest]

My God, just forget it ok. I'll try to figure it out on my own. When I said
those words I didn't say them in the same context as you did. What school
did you go to, you speakie engwish? your english teacher did a bang up
job with you I'll tell ya.

Oh well, I'll search somewhere else for my answer, as is usually the case.