Trouble with Login Users?

[dmorales@buyitpc.com]

I had a good one, this Compaq computer has Windows XP on
it, and the customer was logging on as
an "Administrator", created a new user and the computer
will not allow the "Administrator" to appear again, only
when we reboot in "SafeMode".

I am confused as to why this is happening. The user
editing in the control panel doesn't work anymore. Is
this a sign of a virus, or is Windows corrupted that
maybe it needs to be re-installed or perhaps formatted?

D.M.

[*Vanguard*]

" said in
:
> I had a good one, this Compaq computer has Windows XP on
> it, and the customer was logging on as
> an "Administrator", created a new user and the computer
> will not allow the "Administrator" to appear again, only
> when we reboot in "SafeMode".
>
> I am confused as to why this is happening. The user
> editing in the control panel doesn't work anymore. Is
> this a sign of a virus, or is Windows corrupted that
> maybe it needs to be re-installed or perhaps formatted?
>
> D.M.

Users are NOT supposed to use the Administrator account as their
personal account. So many newbie users never figured that out and would
keep using it as their own and only account. When the profile got
corrupted, they had no administrator-level account to repair their
system, like having one and only one master key to every lock in your
house and then losing it.

So Microsoft decided to hide the Administrator account in the Welcome
screen after the user creates another admin-level account which becomes
their primary login account (for the administrator). Since you mention
that Administrator is available in Safe mode, might you be using the
"Home" version of Windows XP? I hear that's the only way to get at the
Administrator account. If you have the "Pro" version of Windows XP then
just hit Ctrl+Alt+Del twice to get the classic login screen where you
can then enter the username and password as you did under Windows NT and
Windows 2000.

Personally I think the Welcome screen was a stupid idea. If you are in
a workgroup, and using the install-time defaults, you get the Welcome
screen. If you are on a domain, you don't get the Welcome screen and
instead get the classic login screen. It's stupid to require 2
different interfaces for login. If you are on a workgroup and don't
want the Welcome Screen, you can get rid of it. See the following KB
article.

HOW TO: Change the Logon Window and the Shutdown Preferences in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=291559


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[dmorales@buyitpc.com]

Thanks, it sort of makes sense I beleive, well I will try
to get it to log on, for it has some important ".pst"
files with contact information on it. I need to configure
his outlook account again and retrieve his e-mails. It
actually all started because his PDA would not sync up
with his desktop. I wrote down your suggestions I will
attempt at it first to see if this works, if so we are
off and running. If not, I will have to make some calls
and learn something new.

Again, thanks!

D.M.
>-----Original Message-----
" said in
:
>> I had a good one, this Compaq computer has Windows XP
on
>> it, and the customer was logging on as
>> an "Administrator", created a new user and the computer
>> will not allow the "Administrator" to appear again,
only
>> when we reboot in "SafeMode".
>>
>> I am confused as to why this is happening. The user
>> editing in the control panel doesn't work anymore. Is
>> this a sign of a virus, or is Windows corrupted that
>> maybe it needs to be re-installed or perhaps formatted?
>>
>> D.M.
>
>Users are NOT supposed to use the Administrator account
as their
>personal account. So many newbie users never figured
that out and would
>keep using it as their own and only account. When the
profile got
>corrupted, they had no administrator-level account to
repair their
>system, like having one and only one master key to every
lock in your
>house and then losing it.
>
>So Microsoft decided to hide the Administrator account
in the Welcome
>screen after the user creates another admin-level
account which becomes
>their primary login account (for the administrator).
Since you mention
>that Administrator is available in Safe mode, might you
be using the
>"Home" version of Windows XP? I hear that's the only
way to get at the
>Administrator account. If you have the "Pro" version of
Windows XP then
>just hit Ctrl+Alt+Del twice to get the classic login
screen where you
>can then enter the username and password as you did
under Windows NT and
>Windows 2000.
>
>Personally I think the Welcome screen was a stupid
idea. If you are in
>a workgroup, and using the install-time defaults, you
get the Welcome
>screen. If you are on a domain, you don't get the
Welcome screen and
>instead get the classic login screen. It's stupid to
require 2
>different interfaces for login. If you are on a
workgroup and don't
>want the Welcome Screen, you can get rid of it. See the
following KB
>article.
>
>HOW TO: Change the Logon Window and the Shutdown
Preferences in Windows
>XP
>http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=291559
>
>
>--
>__________________________________________________ _______
_______________
>***** Post replies to newsgroup. Share with others.
For e-mail:
>- Change domain from ".invalid" to ".com".
>- Append "=NEWS=" passcode string to Subject line.
>__________________________________________________ _______
_______________
>
>.
>