On 22/09/14 17:04, Good Guy wrote:
On 22/09/2014 07:05, Roderick Stewart wrote:
On Mon, 22 Sep 2014 03:32:19 +0100, Good
wrote:

The point is that if you have an administrator account,
why do you not password protect it? Don't you think it is
stupid to keep that account open? Administrator account
aka the first account ever created on any new windows XP,
Windows 7 or Windows8 system, is always an administrator
account or a member of Admin group. Why do you
keep it open? Explain to us
I think the OP was referring to a "hidden" admin account, which many
users wouldn't know about, or even expect.

Rod.
Even if they knew about it, it is impossible to activate it without an
Administrator account!!

Rubbish

The administrator account that can activate a
hidden Admin account is the first user account you create when you
install Windows for the first time.

Rubbish

This first account SHOULD ALWAYS be
password protected. If you don't then you can't blame anybody except
yourself or whoever helped you to install Windows.

Listen, I have no axe to grind WRT Windows, really.
Do you run VirtualBox or vmware or whatever? if you do try this.

Install Windows 8.1

At the right time in the install process create the required admin user
and assign a password.

On completion you should be taken straight to the Metro interface, if
not log into your password protected 'created during install admin account'.

You are now logged in as an admin.

I think we can agree on this.

Now to test this out you need to convert your
'created during install Administrator account'
to a standard non-admin account.

You can't just convert it as if you try you get a message saying you
can't as there would then be no Administrator account on the system
so you have to temporarily enable the hidden unprotected admin account

Get an elevated command prompt
issue net user Administrator /active:yes
leave the command prompt open
You are still logged in to the 'created during install Administrator
account' but now you can change your 'created during install
Administrator account' to a standard non admin one.

go back to the command prompt
issue net user Administrator /active:no
log out.

When you log in again you have a single, standard, non-user log in icon
to check that all OK, log into your now non admin user account.
Try to get an elevated command prompt, you can't you are not an admin.
log out.

Do we now agree that we have a system in front of us with a single
available non-admin account and nothing else?

This is the situation we need. I've explained why several times before
but for the last time.

==================== We need this situation because ================
We help people with learning difficulties, mental illness, the
dispossessed, recovering addicts, recently released prisoners, the
elderly and confused, the homeless and so on. Actually we don't even
want a password on the standard account as it's a challenge for some
people just to get to where we are, the last thing they need is to be
unable to get to their email because nobody knows the password.
================================ end ================================

Good, now click the power button.
hold down shift and select restart.

navigate the maze and select 4 to boot into safe mode.

Do we agree that we are now logged in in safe mode with a standard non
admin account?

Good.

Now, select elevated command prompt.
A dialog pops up asking you to enter the Administrator password for the
hidden admin account, only thing is *there isn't one* so just click yes.
Bingo, even though you are still logged in as a non-admin standard user
you have a 'Admin powered command prompt'

Let's see if we agree.

We are now logged in as a standard non-admin user yet here we are
presented with an 'Admin powered command prompt' I don't know about you
but this concerns me somewhat (to say the least)

Now you have any number of options.

What I did was

Select elevated command prompt
click yes whan asked to enter Administrator password (remember, it
doesn't have one)

To activate(make visible to log in) the hidden account
issue net user Administrator /active:yes

The next command is just a bit of flummery, if I don't do this I'm still
in safe mode when I restart

From your 'logged in as standard user but with an Admin powered command
promp' command prompt issue

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

sign out
shut down

start up
You now have two log in icons, one for your original, converted from
admin standard user account and one for a (still) unprotected
Administrator account.

QED

Even top brands systems from DELL or HP which comes with Windows
pre-installed should be password protected when you set them up for the
first time. DELL expects you to insert a password and I know this
because I buy DELL machines quite a lot.

I just fdisk my new laptops so I couldn't say
But the charity got theirs from a large reputable supplier configured as
above.

Go figure.

--
Not confused, just ... bewildered