Administrators Password

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Guest

Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.
 
Arthur said:
Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.
Click to expand...

The default password for the built-in Administrator account is blank
(= no password just press the Enter key).

If that doesn't work boot the computer using any user account that has
Administrator privileges, open a Command Prompt window and enter the
following command:

NET USER ADMINISTRATOR <new password>

Then you can boot into Recovery Console and whatever you entered as
<new password> will work.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
The password you need is for the Administrator account, not a person with
administrative privileges.

MD
 
I'm using the Recovery Console off of a bootable XP CD thing because I can't
get access to Windows. I take it that there's no easy way to change/recover
the administrator password without actually being in Windows?
 
Hi,

This happens in systems that are installed with sysprep, the solution is to
use the bootable floppy set. You will find instructions here:
http://rickrogers.org/fixes.htm

The Recovery Console is looking for *the* administrator account password,
not "any" administrator account password. Generally, unless you specifically
set one, this is <blank> and in systems installed with sysprep this causes
an error when you simply hit <enter> when there is a blank password.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Arthur said:
Is the administrator's password that you need in order to gain access to the
Recovery Console the same as the current password that belongs to a person
who is an administrator on the computer. The question sounds silly, but I
really can't figure out the administrator's password.
Click to expand...


Well.... It certainly shouldn't be, but sometimes is, if the
computer user is unaware of computer security fundamentals, and uses the
built-in Administrator account for daily use.

The password being requested is that of the built-in
_Administrator_ account, not the password for any other administrative
user accounts that the computer's owner may have created. Unless the
owner deliberately set the Administrator's password via the Management
Console (_not_ the Control Panel), it's probably still blank. WinXP
Pro asks the installer to set the Administrator's password during
installation, but WinXP Home doesn't.

The built-in Administrator account was really intended to be used
for day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to rename
the account, set a strong password on it, and use it only to create
another account for regular use, reserving the Administrator account as
a "back door" in case something corrupts your regular account(s).


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
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