Administrator account ?

[helmsman]

If I wipe out all guest accounts must a password be used every time
the computer is started ?

Thanks

 

[Malke]

If I wipe out all guest accounts must a password be used every time
the computer is started ?

When you say "guest accounts" I take it that you don't really mean the
built-in Guest account. Guest is a system account which is normally
disabled for security purposes. I assume that you really mean regular user
accounts.

It's not a good idea to only have one administrative user account on a
system unless you have XP Home because you can resort to the hidden
built-in Administrator account in an emergency. If you have XP Pro and are
actually using the built-in Administrator for your own daily work, then if
it becomes corrupted (a not-uncommon occurrence) you are S.O.L.

What are you trying to accomplish? Do you *want* to enter a password? Or do
you want to automatically log into a particular user account? If the
latter:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

If I've guessed wrong, please explain your end goal so we can give you
focused help.

Malke

 

[Don Phillipson]

If you have XP Pro and are
actually using the built-in Administrator for your own daily work, then if
it becomes corrupted (a not-uncommon occurrence) you are S.O.L.

This is what the guidebooks say -- but can you expand on the reasons
why? E.g. do you mean that (1) after an Admin. account gets corrupted,
(2) an uncorrupted limited User account be used to create a new Admin.
account with access to all functions? This would seem contrary to
WinXP's general security principle.

 

[Malke]

This is what the guidebooks say -- but can you expand on the reasons
why? E.g. do you mean that (1) after an Admin. account gets corrupted,
(2) an uncorrupted limited User account be used to create a new Admin.
account with access to all functions? This would seem contrary to
WinXP's general security principle.

No, that's not what I mean at all. Quite the opposite. If you only have one
administrative user account and it is the built-in Administrator (as is
possible in XP Pro - it is hidden in XP Home and therefore in reserve for
an emergency in Home) and it becomes corrupted, you won't have any workable
user accounts on the system at all. You can try to fix the corrupted
profile, but that doesn't often work and in that case you'll have to
reinstall Windows at that point. You can't create a new user account from a
Limited account - you don't have the authority to do that.

Malke

 

[VanguardLH]

If I wipe out all guest accounts must a password be used every time
the computer is started ?

Thanks

A password is required on those accounts configured to require a
password.

 

[Don Phillipson]

If you only have one
administrative user account and it is the built-in Administrator (as is
possible in XP Pro - it is hidden in XP Home and therefore in reserve for
an emergency in Home) and it becomes corrupted, you won't have any workable
user accounts on the system at all. You can try to fix the corrupted
profile, but that doesn't often work and in that case you'll have to
reinstall Windows at that point. You can't create a new user account from a
Limited account - you don't have the authority to do that.

So does this mean that every WinXP PC needs a duplicated clone
of the Administrator account, kept in reserve just for unforeseen
emergencies?

 

[Malke]

So does this mean that every WinXP PC needs a duplicated clone
of the Administrator account, kept in reserve just for unforeseen
emergencies?

A "duplicated clone"? No. It means that whatever operating system you are
using should have at least one user account with administrative privileges
that isn't used on a daily basis so you can get out of a pickle with it if
you need to.

In Unix and Linux, this is root. We almost *never* log into root's actual
account when working in those operating systems. I can't remember the last
time I logged into root in Linux. It just isn't necessary.

In XP, this means we don't use the built-in Administrator account for daily
work. In XP Home, you can't do this anyway since the built-in Administrator
is hidden by design. The only way you can access Administrator in XP Home
is to boot into Safe Mode. And that's A Good Thing because it means the
user can't mess it up and it will be there when you need it to fix the
system.

In XP Pro, this means that you don't use the built-in Administrator for your
own account. From a security standpoint, it is better to run as a Limited
user in XP but from a practical standpoint (because of older software that
won't work unless it has write-access to directories and registry keys that
are off-limits to non-administrative users) most people's daily user
accounts have administrative privileges in XP. Normally when you install XP
Pro, at the end of the installation routine you're asked to provide a
password for Administrator (this is the built-in Administrator). After you
do that, you're asked to provide the names of other user accounts you want
on the system (you don't assign the passwords then). If you don't create
other user accounts, you'll be logged into the built-in Administrator. If
you do (properly) create other user accounts, the built-in Administrator
will not have an icon on the Welcome Screen (to "hide" it). Unlike XP Home,
it will still be accessible from Regular Mode, however.

In Vista and Win7, the built-in Administrator account is disabled by default
for security purposes. Other operating systems such as OS X and some Linux
distros also do this. This makes having an extra user account with
administrative privileges extremely useful because, unlike XP, it is
completely practical and desirable to run as a Standard user (equivalent of
Limited user in XP) in Vista and Win7.

I hope this has exhausted your questions about user accounts. However, if it
hasn't then please let me know.

Malke

 

[Patrick Keenan]

So does this mean that every WinXP PC needs a duplicated clone
of the Administrator account, kept in reserve just for unforeseen
emergencies?

No, it means that you should not use the Administrator account except for
emergencies.

If you otherwise require an *Administrator level* account, you should create
one, but that can only be done *from* an existing Administrator level
account. It can not be done from a Limited account, which can not create
other user accounts.

These other admin-level accounts have the same Admin rights and priveleges
as the actual Administrator account, but are not "duplicated clones" of it.

HTH
-pk

 

[Don Phillipson]

No, it means that you should not use the Administrator account except for
emergencies.

If you otherwise require an *Administrator level* account, you should create
one, but that can only be done *from* an existing Administrator level
account. It can not be done from a Limited account, which can not create
other user accounts.

This and Malke's explanation make sense, I suppose. I have
always used the Admin. account for general purposes, since
I instal new software time to time and tidy up as time allows,
but my other two users have only Limited accounts.

The Admin. account suffered no damage or emergencies
to date, including a couple of power failures, and the system
is on a UPS and shut down overnight, but I have used XP for
only three years. With 25 years prior experience (since Kaypro
CP/M) I had always supposed, if I really wrecked the system,
I could always use System Restore (configured ON) to put it back
the way it was. Is this not right? (Used this once in three years.)

I admit that when given an obsolete laptop for rehabilitation I
used a Limited User account for everyday purposes -- but this
was because I was then unfamiliari with both XP and laptops.
No unforeseen emergencies happened, however.

 

[Malke]

This and Malke's explanation make sense, I suppose. I have
always used the Admin. account for general purposes, since
I instal new software time to time and tidy up as time allows,
but my other two users have only Limited accounts.

The Admin. account suffered no damage or emergencies
to date, including a couple of power failures, and the system
is on a UPS and shut down overnight, but I have used XP for
only three years. With 25 years prior experience (since Kaypro
CP/M) I had always supposed, if I really wrecked the system,
I could always use System Restore (configured ON) to put it back
the way it was. Is this not right? (Used this once in three years.)

If you can't get into your only administrator account you won't be able to
run System Restore. So no, it isn't best practice. Of course you can do
what you want. ;-)

I admit that when given an obsolete laptop for rehabilitation I
used a Limited User account for everyday purposes -- but this
was because I was then unfamiliari with both XP and laptops.
No unforeseen emergencies happened, however.

Emergencies and accidents by their very nature are unforeseen. One can only
Be Prepared. ;-)

Malke