use login password or not?

[epack]

Got a brand new XP machine at home, and currently do not have any login
passwords set on my usual user account. I'm not using Administrator,
but I set up another one that is an admin. The machine automatically
logs in with my user account, and all I see in the CP is that one and
guest. Actually I don't see Administrator anywhere, which I don't quite
understand--do I have to do something to enable that? I get no welcome
screen, either, even tho that is checked in the user account dialog. Is
this because there's only one user account?

I only have the one machine, which is not networked, and don't have any
kids at home, anything like that, although I am on DSL, but very well
protected with ZoneAlarm Security Suite etc etc. Question is, do I
really need to set a login password on my user account? Or on
Administrator for that matter? I'm not against doing it, I'm just
wondering if I need to with my particular setup.

TIA

elaine

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

You don't *have* to use a logon, it's optional and totally up to you. By the
way, the default administrator account uses the hidden attribute, so unless
you change your folder view options accordingly you will not be able to see
it in the folder structure (but trust me, it still exists).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[epack]

Yes, I did eventually find it by running "control userpasswords2" which
gave me the user account dialogs I'm more familiar with. I also saw it
when I looked in the Manage My Computer dialogs. I knew it was there
just wasn't seeing it. The machine runs XP Pro, but a lot of it is set
up in a "home-ish" sort of way, and I wasn't seeing the normal screens
I do at work, which was a bit confusing.

I know I don't HAVE to use a logon, but I also don't want to leave
myself open for problems, either. This came up, btw, when i was trying
to schedule a .bat to run my Acronis TrueImage backups, and it failed
because it said it needed the login credentials. Well duh, there aren't
any If I DO set up a special account with a password, just for this
task, will this mean that I will have to set a password for the others
as well? Or maybe i should just go ahead and do that, but set mine to
be the autologin one? I guess i can always just logoff If I need to get
to another one, right?

While I think of it, is there anyway to get the stupid "home-ish" user
account dialog (and others) to always look like the one I got by
running the command above? Tthis flavor of XP Pro just doesn't look a
lot like the flavor of XP Pro I have at work--that one is far less
"cartoonish", ya know? and I'm not sure why. Both machines are Dell's
and about the same age (coupla months).

Thanks!

elaine

 

[Guest]

Yes, I did eventually find it by running "control userpasswords2" which
gave me the user account dialogs I'm more familiar with. I also saw it
when I looked in the Manage My Computer dialogs. I knew it was there
just wasn't seeing it. The machine runs XP Pro, but a lot of it is set
up in a "home-ish" sort of way, and I wasn't seeing the normal screens
I do at work, which was a bit confusing.

I know I don't HAVE to use a logon, but I also don't want to leave
myself open for problems, either. This came up, btw, when i was trying
to schedule a .bat to run my Acronis TrueImage backups, and it failed
because it said it needed the login credentials. Well duh, there aren't
any If I DO set up a special account with a password, just for this
task, will this mean that I will have to set a password for the others
as well? Or maybe i should just go ahead and do that, but set mine to
be the autologin one? I guess i can always just logoff If I need to get
to another one, right?

While I think of it, is there anyway to get the stupid "home-ish" user
account dialog (and others) to always look like the one I got by
running the command above? Tthis flavor of XP Pro just doesn't look a
lot like the flavor of XP Pro I have at work--that one is far less
"cartoonish", ya know? and I'm not sure why. Both machines are Dell's
and about the same age (coupla months).

Thanks!

elaine

you can set xp to look more similair to win98 (gray start menu, normal
sized icons) by going to the performance tab under system/control panel
and select 'adjust for best performance'.

Flamer.

 

[Guest]

oh and by the way, once your at the xp login screen you can press
ctrl+alt+del twice to bring up an nt style prompt where you can login
as administrator.

Flamer.

 

[epack]

Thanks, Flamer. I am aware of that--not sure I want it to look like
win98 as I came here from 2K pro, but your point is well taken. I'll
nose around there and see if there's anything else I can change.

elaine

 

[epack]

oh and by the way, once your at the xp login screen you can press
ctrl+alt+del twice to bring up an nt style prompt where you can login
as administrator.

Flamer.

Ah, THAT I didn't know--thanks!! OTOH, I don't get an xp login screen


elaine

 

[epack]

Figgered out how to add the user command below into my CP. Makes me a
much happier camper Found it here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm and it worked very
nicely.

Still need to know if I can set just ONE password and leave the others
alone.

elaine