Switzerland calling wrote:
I know this is probably going to sound like a ridiculous question...
I have 1 pc and am 1 user - simple.
I have recently set-up the whole pc again from scratch, so I know it (I
thought) inside out.
When I log on I log on as "me" (there is an option for a "Guest" which is
hidden) - that's it under "User Accounts". I have a password for that.
However... am I not also the Administrator? And, if I am, what is my
"Administrator password" please? I have never been asked to submit an
Administrator password so I didn't even know there was one! (Herein lies
the "dummy" bit).
I needed to "Run as" Administrator for the "Command prompt" option, and it
asked me for a password (I tried the password for "me" above/ leaving it
blank/ just a space), but it tells me "Logon failu unknown user name or
bad password".
What version of XP do you have - Home, Pro, or Media Center? Here is a
general explanation of user accounts.
XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is using
it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Vista, Unix, Linux,
Mac OSX - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the system. In
Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix world, it is
"root". This is a necessary account and is not normally used in everyday
work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator account nor would you
ever want to. In Vista, Mac OS X, and some Linux distros, the built-in
Administrator is disabled by default.
In XP Home the built-in Administrator account can only be accessed in Safe
Mode. In XP Pro/MCE you may be inadvertently running as Administrator if you
installed Windows and took that as your daily user account. If you did this,
make another administrative user account to be used only in an emergency
(when your own account is corrupted or otherwise inaccessible). Call it
"Tech" or "CompAdmin" or the like.
I don't know why you need to run cmd as Administrator unless you are working
from a Limited or Standard account. You only need to do this in Vista, not
XP. So you will need to explain what you are attempting to do here. If you
have XP Pro/MCE and didn't set a password for Administrator, there is none.
In XP Home setups you wouldn't have been asked for an Administrator password
so here again there is none.
Do not use the Guest account you see in the User Accounts applet in Control
Panel. The Guest account is a special system account, not one meant for when
you are feeling hospitable. It is disabled by default in Windows XP, Vista,
Linux, Unix, and OS X for a reason.
From TechNet:
"The Guest account is intended for users who require temporary access to the
system. However, if this account is enabled, a security risk may exist
because an unauthorized user could gain anonymous access to the system
through this account."
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...chNet.10).aspx
Hopefully that has given you a better understanding of the user account
structure. Post back with what version of XP you have, the Service Pack
level, and what you are trying to accomplish so we can help you solve that
particular problem.
Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ