How to create an Administrator? 1

[porty]

I've worded that title badly. I don't mean 'How do I create a new user with admin privileges?' That's a fairly straightforward task in XP via User Accounts in Control Panel.

What I'm referring to is another, more powerful 'Administrator account' - the type that's only seen in Safe Mode, on an XP Pro system with only one normal user account (there may be other situations which get the same result but this is the one I'm using)

This is proving difficult to describe........I'll detail how I've created such an account in the past.

At one time, when I'd do a new WinXPP installation, I'd create an Administrator account, right at the beginning of the install process (tho I've forgotten at which stage:--))

Then, later on in the install process, I'd add in the main user account. Once Windows was running, I seem to recall that I'd remove the need for the main user to logon.

The net result of this was that during normal use, Win XPP would start and run with no user input; ie no password or logon required. Just the Welcome screen and away I'd go.

However, if I boot to safe mode, there's now the option to logon either as the 'Administrator', or as the main user.

The reason I ask this question, is because I now want to configure this sort of setup on a system on which it wasn't done during the installation of Windows.

Actually, it's occurring to me as I type this that perhaps the setup I'm referring to is the default Windows single-user install ie, that there's always a default 'Administrator' account set up in the background of a single-user-account system. Perhaps all I did in the past was to equip the Administrator account with a password.

Can someone please comment on this?

TX

 

[bcastner]

There is only one true Administrator account.
If you somehow managed to delete it, it would be recreated by XP.

The true Administrator account does not appear on the Welcome Screen unless you make a registry edit. See:

Enable/Disable Administrator on the Welcome Screen (Line 5)

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

If you create no other acounts in XP, and leave the installation Administrator account password blank, the computer will autologon.

If you create any additional accounts, the Welcome Screen will show these user accounts (but not the true Administrator except in Safe Mode, or with the registry change mentioned above).

You can still enable Autologon in this situation. Start, Run, control userpasswords2. Uncheck the box at the top specifying that users must enter a username and password to access the computer, hit Apply, and XP will prompt you for the Autologon account username and password.

 

[Foada]

Are you looking to require Ctrl+Alt+Del?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291559

If you choose to battle wits with the witless be prepared to lose.

 

[aftertaf]

i know how to do it in mandrake

but that doesnt make me clever...


Aftertaf (david)
MCSA 2003