XP Home Administrator Account

[Guest]

got a new HP Pavilion PC preloaded with XP Home. Only one account on it, and
this has admin rights. I suspect that an Administrator account exists,
because I can't create one... nor can I log in as it must have password set
and I don't know what it is. I suppose the only way to find out what this is
is to go back to the retailer/maufacturer who installed it?

Also, this original preloaded account I have now downgraded to limited, and
create other accoutns with Admin rights... but these new accounts with admin
rights can not open all the files... ie those that belong to the original
user.. the one wiht admin rights that I've now downgraded.

Is this normal for XP Home? Is there a resource somwhere that explains all
this?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

If you are able to create new account with admin rights, you can edit or
remove the pre-installed acount.

 

[Guest]

Dear Im - you might be right... but it doesn't seem so. I'm familiar with XP
Pro and Win2k and in both of these I can do as you say... but there is no
Administrator account shown in the Users applet. But if I try and log in as
administrator with no password I get a box that says "account restrictions
are preventing log on " or somethign like that, whilst if I try a password
(and bear in mind I don't know it) I get the more standard "the system could
not log you on".

There's clearly more to this....

 

[Larry Samuels]

The Administrator account is hidden and locked in XP Home. It is only
accessible in Safe Mode.

--
Larry Samuels MS-MVP (Windows-Shell/User)
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm

 

[Guest]

Larry - thanks for this - that would explain it. Where, in the documentation
I've easily got access too, is this explained? Am I looking in the wrong
places?

As a side issue, is there an update route from XP Home to Professional?
Home came bundled with PC... but it's not right for my home network.

Thanks again for your help.

M

 

[Larry Samuels]

Sorry--I am working from home today so I don't have access to a pc running
XP Home to look up the documentation.

The upgrade from Home to Pro is the easiest of the upgrade paths since they
are based off the same code. Simply purchase an XP pro upgrade disk, back up
any critical data (just in case something goes splat), disable any AV
running, then perform the upgrade from within windows.


--
Larry Samuels MS-MVP (Windows-Shell/User)
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

got a new HP Pavilion PC preloaded with XP Home. Only one account on it, and
this has admin rights. I suspect that an Administrator account exists,
because I can't create one...

Once any additional user accounts have been created, the Administrator
account will no longer be displayed on the Welcome Screen. This is a
default security feature. By design, the only way to log into the
Administrator account of WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe Mode.

nor can I log in as it must have password set
and I don't know what it is. I suppose the only way to find out what this is
is to go back to the retailer/maufacturer who installed it?

If you haven't sent a password on the account, then it should still be
blank; there is no default password.

Also, this original preloaded account I have now downgraded to limited, and
create other accoutns with Admin rights... but these new accounts with admin
rights can not open all the files... ie those that belong to the original
user.. the one wiht admin rights that I've now downgraded.

As far as the OS is concerned, you're most not the same person who
created those data files; ergo, you shouldn't blindly be granted access
to them. You'll need to re-create your privileges to the files by
taking "ownership" of them.

HOW TO Take Ownership of a File or Folder in WinXP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q308421

Is this normal for XP Home?

Perfectly.


Is there a resource somwhere that explains all
this?

Click Start > Help and Support, to get started. And then:

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

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418


--

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

 

[Guest]

I have a similar problem, I made a file a shared file, when done I was
prompted to reboot, when the computer booted back up, the box to log you on
came up (the one I usually just press ok with no password), I pressed ok and
it said I needed a password. I tried several, but none worked so I rebooted
again, now the computer will only boot up from the CD and it still wants a
password, which I don't know.