XP admin account

[Linda]

I am working with XP Home and need to delete a printer and re-install it
with different drivers. There are 4 accounts on the computer - none of
which have administrator rights - all are limited accounts.
I did not install the OS - checked MS Knowledge Base and found a reference
to booting into safe mode that was rather vague. Is this where the
administrator account is hiding out or is it possible that someone deleted
it? Can't figure out how as they are all limited users.
Where can I find the administrator account? Never mind about the password
that they will probably not remember - that is beyond even such a group as
this - time for a mind reader and maybe, if I am really lucky the password
will be blank. Yeah sure ... about that bridge.. I mean password.
Oh well - any hints for the access to the logon for the admin account
appreciated.
Linda

[Jupiter Jones]

Linda;
Reboot to Safe Mode.
During boot, tap F8 about once a second, at menu, select Safe Mode.
Then select Administrator, leave password blank (hopefully there is no
password).
Then you can go to User Accounts in Control Panel and either create
another account with Administrator access or change one or more of
the others from Limited to Administrator.
It is generally a good idea to not use an Administrator for routine
functions, so plan accordingly.

If password prevents using Safe Mode Administrator:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;321305
Or
Reboot to Safe Mode, select Administrator, leave password blank.
Then go to User Accounts in Control Panel.
Select the user and change the password.
If you are using Windows XP Pro and have encrypted data, you may
permanently lose access to the encrypted data.

Here are other options:
http://www.wininternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/index.asp
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/product.cfm?id=265&affid=wxpnews

After this is resolved, take precautions to not lose the password.

--
Jupiter Jones
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Linda" > wrote in message
...
> I am working with XP Home and need to delete a printer and
re-install it
> with different drivers. There are 4 accounts on the computer - none
of
> which have administrator rights - all are limited accounts.
> I did not install the OS - checked MS Knowledge Base and found a
reference
> to booting into safe mode that was rather vague. Is this where the
> administrator account is hiding out or is it possible that someone
deleted
> it? Can't figure out how as they are all limited users.
> Where can I find the administrator account? Never mind about the
password
> that they will probably not remember - that is beyond even such a
group as
> this - time for a mind reader and maybe, if I am really lucky the
password
> will be blank. Yeah sure ... about that bridge.. I mean password.
> Oh well - any hints for the access to the logon for the admin
account
> appreciated.
> Linda
>
>

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

Hi Linda,

There may be many administrative accounts, but there will=20
always be at least one, which is originally named Administrator.
In Home, this account is usable in an F8 Safe Mode boot (just=20
press F8 during the initial bootup sequence.
Using this account you can define another admin account=20
that will be usable in a normal boot (assuming you do have=20
a blank password on Administrator).

--=20
Roger=20

"Linda" > wrote in message =
...
> I am working with XP Home and need to delete a printer and re-install =
it
> with different drivers. There are 4 accounts on the computer - none =
of
> which have administrator rights - all are limited accounts.
> I did not install the OS - checked MS Knowledge Base and found a =
reference
> to booting into safe mode that was rather vague. Is this where the
> administrator account is hiding out or is it possible that someone =
deleted
> it? Can't figure out how as they are all limited users.
> Where can I find the administrator account? Never mind about the =
password
> that they will probably not remember - that is beyond even such a =
group as
> this - time for a mind reader and maybe, if I am really lucky the =
password
> will be blank. Yeah sure ... about that bridge.. I mean password.
> Oh well - any hints for the access to the logon for the admin account
> appreciated.
> Linda
>=20
>

[Linda]

Thanks,
Got to safe mode - found the initial administrator account (blank password)
changed one of the other accounts to admin rights - rebooted normally and
created a new admin account so that I could change printer drivers. I never
know that they hid it that way. Now I know and will remember.
Thanks to all that helped.
Linda
"Linda" > wrote in message
...
> I am working with XP Home and need to delete a printer and re-install it
> with different drivers. There are 4 accounts on the computer - none of
> which have administrator rights - all are limited accounts.
> I did not install the OS - checked MS Knowledge Base and found a reference
> to booting into safe mode that was rather vague. Is this where the
> administrator account is hiding out or is it possible that someone deleted
> it? Can't figure out how as they are all limited users.
> Where can I find the administrator account? Never mind about the password
> that they will probably not remember - that is beyond even such a group as
> this - time for a mind reader and maybe, if I am really lucky the password
> will be blank. Yeah sure ... about that bridge.. I mean password.
> Oh well - any hints for the access to the logon for the admin account
> appreciated.
> Linda
>
>