created new administor account and lost all previous info

  • Thread starter Thread starter TomS
  • Start date Start date
T

TomS

I was set up as the administrator with no name or password. I had to do
Ctrl/alt to get on. Then I decided to create a new administrator account
and I lost all my previous settings and info. Any way to get back to my
original administrator account. Restore does not seem to work since the new
administrator account has no previous settings.
 
TomS said:
I was set up as the administrator with no name or password. I had to
do
Ctrl/alt to get on. Then I decided to create a new administrator
account
and I lost all my previous settings and info. Any way to get back to
my
original administrator account. Restore does not seem to work since
the new
administrator account has no previous settings.
Click to expand...

Ctrl+alt+del (secure attention sequence).

You didn't say that you deleted the old admin level account.
 
TomS said:
I was set up as the administrator with no name or password. I had
to do Ctrl/alt to get on. Then I decided to create a new
administrator account and I lost all my previous settings and info.
Any way to get back to my original administrator account. Restore
does not seem to work since the new administrator account has no
previous settings
Click to expand...

Assuming WIndows XP Professional...

CTRL+ALT+DEL twice after rebooting and when you first get to the 'click on a
picture' logon screen. Then sign in with your old admin username/password.
Life is good.

Come back - let everyone know how it works out.
 
TomS said:
I was set up as the administrator with no name or password. I had to do
Ctrl/alt to get on. Then I decided to create a new administrator account
and I lost all my previous settings and info. Any way to get back to my
original administrator account. Restore does not seem to work since the new
administrator account has no previous settings.
Click to expand...


As you've discovered, once any additional user accounts have been
created, the Administrator account will no longer be displayed on the
Welcome Screen. This is a default security feature. By design, the
only way to log into the Administrator account of WinXP Home is to
reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at
the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login dialog box.

The built-in Administrator account really isn't 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).

A wiser course of action would be to create another user account
for your room-mate's daily use, and copy desired the files and settings
from the Administrator account to this newly created user profile.


HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
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