Windows XP forum: XP and "I'm the only user" issues.

This is a source of frequent frustration. Windows XP
is supposed to be for the novice user because it's so
simple to use. But then, if there is a problem, an
unusually high level of proficiency is assumed in order to
even understand the description of the actions needed
for repair.

~Dave

Administrator account is for someone who manage the PC, who can do anything to the PC.
So, for some security and saving the user from trouble, the expert suggestion is NOT to use it for day to day work.

For the renamed administrator account, you can renamed it back to administrator.. and then create a new user with administrator account level and one with a limited user account for your daily use.

Incase you want to install something, you just logoff and logon using a USER with administrator account. OR you can use the 'run as' command.

Have a nice weekend..

Do as Gakada suggested and rename the Main Account back to Administrator and set a password for it.
All this can be done in User Accounts.

If you are the only user create a new user profile and it's up to you if you want to give it Computer Administrator status or a Limited User.
I personally used Computer Administrator for my user account and have been doing so since XP came out.

After creating the new user account you can copy over all your files which were created on the Main account.
You can either manually copy over files, emails, favorites, address book or use the Files & Settings Transfer Wizard to do this.

If you use Scheduled Tasks you will have to set a password for your user profile.
Then if you want to autologon use TweakUI to set autologon.

My friend using a tablet pc with XP home edition, as far as I remember, I can use the CAD twice to logon as administrator.

I will check again to make sure, later on...

Dave,

This is the situation we are warning about.
It is not advisable to only operate with the original "Main" Administrator user account.

If that gets corrupt you have no fall-back user account to salvage your XP.

The Main Administrator account is meant to be left alone and only used to access the Recovery Console, Safe Mode and fix XP or create new User accounts.

You should go to User Accounts in Control Panel and view what accounts are listed.

If as you say you are primarily using the original account set up during XP setup, what is the name of this account?
If it is displayed as Administrator then you are in danger of having it corrupt over time.

If you've deliberately renamed it as Dave then you'd best rename it back to Administrator and then use one of the other user account and rename it as Dave and then copy over your files from the Administrator account as mentioned in my last post.

All the other user accounts can be deleted after you've checked them and copy over any files you may want to save to your normal user account.

Hope this is clear.

I am one of those blissfully unaware single use account users. I read and reread this trying to digest it and it giving me heartburn.. My wife and I are the only users and don't have to log in for the computer to boot. we are listed as computer administrators. My questions are, should I rename this back to "main" ?? Or make a new one and tranfer all files too that one and make that one the main account with a password and give us the limtied use account that we are useing now? As of right now our computer boots and works fine.. I have been known to in the past to break more than I fix.. That is my reason for asking for some help with this..

Thanks,Rick

David, I am running XP Home on a Gateway computer and the OS and all the programs came preinstalled. I have 4 of there (recovery discs) to hopefully reinstall anything that came on the computer new.
Thanks,Rick

I've renamed the Main Account back to its original name, and I've created a new user account. I've downloaded Tweak UI to get around the logging in issue. I have two questions remaining..........

1. Regarding giving the original account a password. I don't know if I'm misunderstanding or what, but I think that somewhere in this thread there was a caveat about that account possibly having a "hidden" password. I just want to be certain I'm following instructions correctly............. should I or should I not supply a password for the original account, if so, will this cause a problem if it ever becomes necessary to boot from the XP CD for a repair?

2. Thank you for the Google link to information on the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard." However, I must be rather obtuse, because I can find no instructions on moving the files and settings from one user to another, only from one computer to another.

Do the exact same instructions apply, i.e., transfer the data to a floppy or CD and then reinstall after switching user identities?

Thanks for your help and clarification.

Okay, David, here's what happened:

As I said before, I renamed my Administrator Account back to its original name, which was "Owner." (I checked my records for this). I gave the account a password, which works just fine (and made a record of it).

I was able to boot with the XP CD and get into the Recovery Console, whereupon I was asked which installation I wanted to access and I entered the numeral "1" (as indicated at J. Helmig's site). I was then prompted for my password and I typed it in. I received a response that my password was "invalid." After thinking about this for a moment (knowing that the password was working just fine, and taking into consideration that the Administrator Account originally was named "owner") I decided to just try pressing the "enter" key without using a password. Voila! I immediately got the "C:\WINNT" prompt. I then (using what I saw in the web-site example screens) entered "help" and immediately got the same list of commands that I saw on J. Helmig's web site.

Is it possible, since the Administator Account that was set up on my computer when I received it was named "owner" that it is actually a secondary account, and the "Real" Administrative Account is hidden and does not require a password for entry?

What are your thoughts on this? (Oh how I sometimes long for the days of plain ol' MS-DOS!)

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321305

Regarding User and Admin accounts there is much documentation regarding them both on the web in general and on Microsoft's site in particular.

a quick search of the help and support for XP will provide a lot of info too.

You can cut things with a razor blade (make most any changes desired) but if you want to keep them functional sometimes you need to look for, obtain and use glue, thread, or bailing wire (research before making the change--best--or afterwards to fix things).

This will help change it back and even provides clues for creating new accounts
http://www.auburn.edu/oit/security/renameAdminxp.html

1. You have the CLASSIC setup that this discussion is about. No other account to get in with if there is an issue.

2. Guest is a normal account that comes with Windows NT, 2000 and beyond. There are rather long discussions about how to use it, but "off" is a good place. Do not delete it.

3. The ASP.NET account is made when you installed that .NET framework download from Microsoft. You can turn it off if you want to see if it makes any difference.

4. Please create on Admin capable account as discussed in this thread for that rainy day.

Be aware that all this is discussed as to why and how, so if you ask a question that has been answered in this thread, I may ask you to read this thread or may even not respond...

Bob

I'm not adverse to discussions, but do take time to read this thread. The reason for having another Administrator capable account becomes clear to most after they read the passages.

Bob

Bob, what about my setup ? My XP Pro came with an account named 'User', and indicated as 'Computer Administrator'at User Account (Control Panel). I have set a password for it. After reading this thread, I tried to rename the 'User' account to 'Administrator', and got a message that the name 'is already in use'. Surprised, I tried 'Ctrl+Alt+Del' twice at the Welcome screen, and the log on screen with 'User' in place came up. I changed it to 'Administrator, leaving the password blank, and was able to log in to that default desktop. I then tried to create a new account with Administrator privileges, and this new account showed up at the User Account at Control Panel, indicated as 'Computer Administrator, together with the 'Guest' account. So-how many administrator accounts do I have ? One main Administrator(hidden) and two sub-Administrator ? Are user accounts with administrator privileges indicated as 'Computer Administrators' ? It's confusing. I suspected something was not quite right, and promptly copied the 'User' profile via Control Panel>System-Advanced to another location. Thanks.

christy.