Locked myself out of XP ..

[LonMcD]

Hi,

I recently bought a new computer with XP Pro [Service Pack 2] and of
course started off with an administrator account. After having moved
files and programs onto my new system I wanted to create a user account
for my wife, but was told that I had to create an administrator account
first. Did not understand why, but Microsoft is not always logicial,
so I did. I created an account that I did not intend to use, just to
make Microsoft happy. The account name "Administrator again" was used
as the password, just to keep it simple. Afterwards I could create a
restricted users account for my wife, which is what I am using now.

When I restarted the computer my original administrator account was no
longer there! Instead, I could only choose the "new one", however when
I did so I found that the password box would only contain 10 or 11
letters, and the full password could not be typed in. No matter what I
tried I kept getting "wrong password".

I really do not want to be forced to re-install windows and 20GB of
programs and files just because of this.

Does anyone know a way to get in as administrator and fix the problem?

Help greatly appreciated.

 

[Jim Macklin]

Cold boot, press F8 before Windows loads, boot to safe mode.
The default administrator account will now be visible.
Logon and carefully select admin account you created and
rename it (do this on the control panel/users page). If you
didn't create a password for the default administrator
account, just tab over the field and press enter.

It is recommended that you create a password disk to
recovery from such things as forgetting passwords.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm



| Hi,
|
| I recently bought a new computer with XP Pro [Service Pack
2] and of
| course started off with an administrator account. After
having moved
| files and programs onto my new system I wanted to create a
user account
| for my wife, but was told that I had to create an
administrator account
| first. Did not understand why, but Microsoft is not
always logicial,
| so I did. I created an account that I did not intend to
use, just to
| make Microsoft happy. The account name "Administrator
again" was used
| as the password, just to keep it simple. Afterwards I
could create a
| restricted users account for my wife, which is what I am
using now.
|
| When I restarted the computer my original administrator
account was no
| longer there! Instead, I could only choose the "new one",
however when
| I did so I found that the password box would only contain
10 or 11
| letters, and the full password could not be typed in. No
matter what I
| tried I kept getting "wrong password".
|
| I really do not want to be forced to re-install windows
and 20GB of
| programs and files just because of this.
|
| Does anyone know a way to get in as administrator and fix
the problem?
|
| Help greatly appreciated.
|

 

[Bert Kinney]

This would indicate that a user account was never created, and the
normally hidden account named Administrator was being used as a day to
day account. In this case when a new account is created the account
named Administrator is hidden, as it should be, except for in Safe Mode.
What you should do now is create a new Admin account and name it what
you like. Then start the new Admin account and move the data stored in
the hidden account to the newly created account.
You may need to use Safe Mode, log on as Administrator account and 'Take
Ownership' of the files.
How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421
To boot into Safe Mode, Restart the system, hitting F8 as BIOS info goes
to black to get the Menu and select Save Mode.
How to copy data from one user profile to a new profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151

 

[Rock]

Hi,

I recently bought a new computer with XP Pro [Service Pack 2] and of
course started off with an administrator account. After having moved
files and programs onto my new system I wanted to create a user account
for my wife, but was told that I had to create an administrator account
first. Did not understand why, but Microsoft is not always logicial,
so I did. I created an account that I did not intend to use, just to
make Microsoft happy. The account name "Administrator again" was used
as the password, just to keep it simple. Afterwards I could create a
restricted users account for my wife, which is what I am using now.

When I restarted the computer my original administrator account was no
longer there! Instead, I could only choose the "new one", however when
I did so I found that the password box would only contain 10 or 11
letters, and the full password could not be typed in. No matter what I
tried I kept getting "wrong password".

I really do not want to be forced to re-install windows and 20GB of
programs and files just because of this.

Does anyone know a way to get in as administrator and fix the problem?

Help greatly appreciated.

In addition to the other replies you should not use the built in
"Administrator" account for day to day activities. Keep that as a
backup if something corrupts the working account. Create a second
account with administrator privileges and use that one for everyday
activities.

Once a second account is created the "Administrator" account is hidden
for security reasons. To login to it in Pro at the welcome screen press
ctrl-alt-del twice to bring up the login dialog box. Type administrator
for the account and the given password.

You can use this edit to display the Administrator account on the
welcome screen if you really want it:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
Line 5: Enable/Disable Administrator on Welcome Screen

See the top of the page for info on running the edit.

 

[Quaoar]

Cold boot, press F8 before Windows loads, boot to safe mode.
The default administrator account will now be visible.
Logon and carefully select admin account you created and
rename it (do this on the control panel/users page). If you
didn't create a password for the default administrator
account, just tab over the field and press enter.

It is recommended that you create a password disk to
recovery from such things as forgetting passwords.

Hi,

I recently bought a new computer with XP Pro [Service Pack 2] and of
course started off with an administrator account. After having moved
files and programs onto my new system I wanted to create a user
account for my wife, but was told that I had to create an
administrator account first. Did not understand why, but Microsoft
is not always logicial, so I did. I created an account that I did
not intend to use, just to make Microsoft happy. The account name
"Administrator again" was used as the password, just to keep it
simple. Afterwards I could create a restricted users account for my
wife, which is what I am using now.

When I restarted the computer my original administrator account was
no longer there! Instead, I could only choose the "new one", however
when I did so I found that the password box would only contain 10 or
11 letters, and the full password could not be typed in. No matter
what I tried I kept getting "wrong password".

I really do not want to be forced to re-install windows and 20GB of
programs and files just because of this.

Does anyone know a way to get in as administrator and fix the
problem?

Help greatly appreciated.

I have several (8) WinXP computers. Never have I seen, read about, or
been prompted to create a "password disk". If this were a prime feature
of XP, I would expect that 1) I would have been prompted to create such
a disk on first install, 2) have read about a password disk on this or
on other WinXP newsgroups, or 3) have had a problem that resolves itself
with a Google on "password disk", if I had the prescience of mind to
invent the term myself.

So, Googling for "windows xp password disk" I find
http://www.google.com/search?source...LG:2005-38,GGLG:en&q=Windows+xp+password+disk

that refers to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305478/

So, in fact a password reset disk is possible to create, given the fact
that the user has *prior* knowledge that a password disk can be created.
Since there is no user information possible to ferret out without prior
knowledge of an XP password disk, and since the method of creating a
password disk is far from intuitive, and in fact requires prior
knowledge of the existence of a procedure to create a password disk, you
suggestion is totally irrelevant. Informative, but irrelevant.

If the "password disk" is a security feature of WinXP, I and all other
users demand that Microsoft reveal during the installation of XP or
during the installation of a user account 1) the existence of a password
disk creation procedure 2) the reason that the user should have the
presence of mind to create a password disk or 3) ask that the user
insert a blank disk to create such a disk without an option to cancel.

Your response is entirely representative of the reason that Microsoft
will be an asterisk in a footnote to the chapter "Development of the
Modern Computer Operating System".

Q

Your response, given the fact the most computers have abandoned the
floppy disk, your suggestion, without the procedure required to create a
"password disk" is completely irrelevent.

Q

 

[LonMcD]

I am impressed by the extent of my ignorance and by the amount of help
I have been given in short time by so many willing people. Many thank
to you all. With a little luck I should be up and running again, and I
will be more careful in the future!

Regards,

Lon
Mumbai, India

 

[LonMcD]

BTW....

Quaoar, enjoyed your posting!

Agree completely!

Wonder how many other "goodies" Microsoft has hidden from us...

 

[NobodyMan]

Cold boot, press F8 before Windows loads, boot to safe mode.
The default administrator account will now be visible.
Logon and carefully select admin account you created and
rename it (do this on the control panel/users page). If you
didn't create a password for the default administrator
account, just tab over the field and press enter.

It is recommended that you create a password disk to
recovery from such things as forgetting passwords.

Why go through all that? At the welcome screen, just hit Ctrl-Alt-Del
twice, and the logon box will appear. In that, enter Administrator as
the user and whatever password is assigned to that account. Voila,
you are logged onto the original Administrator account and you don't
have any of the restrictions of Safe Mode.