Trouble with getting logged in as administrator

Hi, My wife was messing around with the computer and changed my account from
being the administrator to a limited user. She didnt' specify anyone new as
the administrator and now we are having problems with loading new programs or
using old ones. How do I reinstate myself as the administrator without using
an administrator account? Thanks

olsonjcrn wrote:
Hi, My wife was messing around with the computer and changed my
account from being the administrator to a limited user. She didnt'
specify anyone new as the administrator and now we are having
problems with loading new programs or using old ones. How do I
reinstate myself as the administrator without using an
administrator account?

You don't. That's sort of the point.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

olsonjcrn wrote:
Hi, My wife was messing around with the computer and changed my
account from being the administrator to a limited user. She didnt'
specify anyone new as the administrator and now we are having
problems with loading new programs or using old ones. How do I
reinstate myself as the administrator without using an
administrator account?

Shenan Stanley wrote:
You don't. That's sort of the point.

There is a built in and undeletable account by the username "administrator"
and depending on the version of Windows XP you have - you can get to it in a
couple of ways...

- CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the "Welcome" screen for the Pro and supersets...
- Safe Mode for Home...

Log in as the user "Administrator" - likely no password assigned (blank)...
Check your user account settings by:

Click on the start button -- select RUN -- type in:

control userpasswords 2

-- Click OK.

Change the accounts you need to (make them an administrator (or don't - up
to you), etc.

Reboot - log in as whatever accounts you made the changes to and do whatever
it is you need to do.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I have Windows XP professional. I tried the advice you gave and it didn't
seem to work. olsonjcrn

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

olsonjcrn wrote:
Hi, My wife was messing around with the computer and changed my
account from being the administrator to a limited user. She didnt'
specify anyone new as the administrator and now we are having
problems with loading new programs or using old ones. How do I
reinstate myself as the administrator without using an
administrator account?

Shenan Stanley wrote:
You don't. That's sort of the point.

There is a built in and undeletable account by the username "administrator"
and depending on the version of Windows XP you have - you can get to it in a
couple of ways...

- CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the "Welcome" screen for the Pro and supersets...
- Safe Mode for Home...

Log in as the user "Administrator" - likely no password assigned (blank)...
Check your user account settings by:

Click on the start button -- select RUN -- type in:

control userpasswords 2

-- Click OK.

Change the accounts you need to (make them an administrator (or don't - up
to you), etc.

Reboot - log in as whatever accounts you made the changes to and do whatever
it is you need to do.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

olsonjcrn wrote:

I have Windows XP professional. I tried the advice you gave and it didn't
seem to work. olsonjcrn

What happened when you tried? Crystal Ball(tm) isn't working this morning.
As Shenan said, you must log into the built-in Administrator account and
from there make your changes to the user accounts.

Also as Shenan said, reboot the machine and at the Welcome Screen do
Ctrl-Alt-Del twice to get the classic logon box. If you aren't using the
Welcome Screen to begin with, then in the classic logon box simply type
administrator for the user name and whatever password you assigned when you
set up Windows.

If you reset the built-in Administrator account's password and don't
remember the password, use NTpasswd to change the built-in Administrator
account's password to a blank.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Then go to the User Accounts applet in Control Panel and set passwords that
you will remember and make other desired changes. WRITE THE PASSWORDS DOWN
AND PUT THEM SOMEWHERE YOU WON'T LOSE THEM.

You might also want to create an additional administrative-level user
account as a backup for when your wife decides to "fool around" again.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!