Where did my administator go??

  • Thread starter Thread starter A1liner2
  • Start date Start date
A

A1liner2

I'd been using just the admin log in for a long time and finally added my
name and assigned me as an Admin too and also added the guest log-in.

The isssue is this - everything I have ever done is under the Administrator
and filed as such. Now that Admin doesn't show up on log in screen so I can't
access. What do I need to do to get this to open up again so I can get to my
stuff? Do I then keep it there and transfer to my Joe account too or ???

I'm baffled, frustrated and going crazy. I have a doc that has to get sent
off tomorrow and it's "hiding"
 
A1liner2 said:
I'd been using just the admin log in for a long time and finally added my
name and assigned me as an Admin too and also added the guest log-in.

The isssue is this - everything I have ever done is under the Administrator
and filed as such. Now that Admin doesn't show up on log in screen so I can't
access. What do I need to do to get this to open up again so I can get to my
stuff? Do I then keep it there and transfer to my Joe account too or ???

I'm baffled, frustrated and going crazy. I have a doc that has to get sent
off tomorrow and it's "hiding"
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly, you hit Ctr-Alt-Del at the login screen when no
one else is logged on and you will get a dialog that allows you to log
on as administrator.
 
A1liner2 said:
I'd been using just the admin log in for a long time and finally
added my name and assigned me as an Admin too and also added the
guest log-in.
The isssue is this - everything I have ever done is under the
Administrator and filed as such. Now that Admin doesn't show up on
log in screen so I can't access. What do I need to do to get this
to open up again so I can get to my stuff? Do I then keep it there
and transfer to my Joe account too or ???
I'm baffled, frustrated and going crazy. I have a doc that has to
get sent off tomorrow and it's "hiding"
Click to expand...

Jeff said:
If I remember correctly, you hit Ctr-Alt-Del at the login screen
when no one else is logged on and you will get a dialog that allows
you to log on as administrator.
Click to expand...

Twice in a row.
 
The account named 'Administrator' is still there
(but hidden once you created that second account).

If you want this account displayed on the Welcome screen along with
your new account then download and install TweakUI.
Power Toy's - Tweak UI from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Once you start TweakUI, click on the 'Login' option.
(which is located near the bottom of the list displayed on the left side)

Now in the 'Settings' box on the right side
check the 'Show "Administrator" on Welcome screen' box.
Next click the 'Apply' button and then 'OK' to exit TweakUI.
The next time you boot you should see the Administrator account.

More Detail on available features in TweakUI:
http://www.winxpsolution.com/Tweakuixppro.aspx

Also see:
Enable Administrator account on Welcome Screen
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_admin_ok.htm
 
I'd been using just the admin log in for a long time and finally added my
name and assigned me as an Admin too and also added the guest log-in.

The isssue is this - everything I have ever done is under the Administrator
and filed as such. Now that Admin doesn't show up on log in screen so I can't
access. What do I need to do to get this to open up again so I can get tomy
stuff? Do I then keep it there and transfer to my Joe account too or ???

I'm baffled, frustrated and going crazy. I have a doc that has to get sent
off tomorrow and it's "hiding"
Click to expand...

You first sentence indicates you may need to do some reading about
maintaining security on this system.

I think most people will contend that it is not a good idea to be
using the Administrator account for anything except solving problems
with your regular account which would have been created soon after a
new installation.

You can give your new account Administrator privileges, but using
Administrator for every day use makes me cringe. If your day to day
use somehow breaks your Administrator user account, you may be in big
trouble. If your day to day user breaks your personal account, you
will need the Administrator account to fix it.

The Guest login is installed disabled by default, but maybe you mean
you created another user for guests to use, that is not the built in
Guest account. I don't even know why it exists in the first place.

All this is up to you, so if you don't have the XP Recovery Console
built in to your system you might want to add it.

If you don't have a bootable XP CD with all your Service Packs, you
might want to find them and keep them in a safe place.

If you continue using the Administrator account and have added a
password to it (which has none by default) you better keep that
password in a safe place as well.

Jose
 
Hit Ctrl+Alt+Del twice to get to the logon screen. If you are running
XP Home you will have to logon to Safe Mode.

John
 
A1liner2 said:
I'd been using just the admin log in for a long time and finally added my
name and assigned me as an Admin too and also added the guest log-in.

The isssue is this - everything I have ever done is under the Administrator
and filed as such. Now that Admin doesn't show up on log in screen so I can't
access. What do I need to do to get this to open up again so I can get to my
stuff? Do I then keep it there and transfer to my Joe account too or ???

I'm baffled, frustrated and going crazy. I have a doc that has to get sent
off tomorrow and it's "hiding"
Click to expand...



You'd been using the built-in Administrator account for daily use?
This was very unwise. As you've discovered, once any additional user
accounts have been created, the built-in Administrator account will no
longer be displayed on the Welcome Screen. This is a default security
feature.

The built-in Administrator account was never 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).

By design, the only way to log into the Administrator account of
WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing
CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login
dialog box.

A wiser course of action would be to create another user account
for your daily use, and copy desired the files and settings from the
Administrator account to this newly created user profile.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
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