Windows XP forum: How To Restore Administrator???

Any further back restore options? Run file checker??

via email since he's at work now. When he tries the suggested fix(es), I'll let you know which one, if either, worked. I appreciate the find.

TONI

This sounds exactly like what some of the persons in my work group will figure out how to do........

Once you have created regular user accounts, the default Administrator account vanishes from the Welcome screen (what you see when the computer starts up). Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the standard logon dialog. You can log on as Administrator from here. To switch among accounts, just click the Log Off button on the Start menu. You'll then see the Log Off Windows dialog box. Click the Switch User button, and you'll be taken to the Welcome screen where you can select and log on to other accounts.

There is a tweak program that you can use to force the Administrator Account to show on the Welcome Screen.
http://thegoldenear.org/tweak/
Another is at http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1165/

Of course Microsoft's own TweakUI will do the trick too with a simple check in the "Show Administrator on Welcome Screen"
Powertoys.asp
TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe

And since all these tweak applets are just editing the registry, you could do it yourself as follows:

Open REGEDIT

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

Add the DWORD value 'Administrator' with a value of '1'

You are done.