Default admin account and recovery console

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robert M Jones
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Robert M Jones

New to XP - XP Home SP2 - UK user

I have been trying to use the Recovery Console but it rejects my admin
password. I've checked things like CapsLock and using the right number keys.
When booting into Safe Mode I was offered the choice of 2 admin accounts
- one was called Administrator and the other was the Administrator
account I created for myself when I set up the system.

I think Recovery Console is asking for the password for the DEFAULT
administrator account and I thought I had got rid of that.

Is there a way I can get the Recovery Console to use the new Admin
account I created - can I delete it? The default admin account doesn't
appear on my normal login screen and I didn't realise it still existed.

At the moment I am locked out of recovery console as it won't accept the
password for my created admin account - it obviously wants one for the
default account and I haven't a clue what that is.

Many thanks.

--
Rev Robert M Jones, Wimborne Baptist Church, UK
http://www.wimborne-baptist.org.uk
Free trial of Mailwasher Pro - effective email spam filter - (commission
goes to our partners in Bulgaria)
http://fta.firetrust.com/index.cgi?id=420
 
Robert said:
New to XP - XP Home SP2 - UK user

I have been trying to use the Recovery Console but it rejects my admin
password. I've checked things like CapsLock and using the right number
keys.
When booting into Safe Mode I was offered the choice of 2 admin accounts
- one was called Administrator and the other was the Administrator
account I created for myself when I set up the system.

I think Recovery Console is asking for the password for the DEFAULT
administrator account and I thought I had got rid of that.
Click to expand...

It is, and the built-in Administrator account *cannot* be deleted,
although it can be disabled (should one be so unwise) or renamed. 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 built-in Administrator account as a "back door" in
case something corrupts your regular account(s).

Is there a way I can get the Recovery Console to use the new Admin
account I created
Click to expand...


No. 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.

- can I delete it?
No.

The default admin account doesn't
appear on my normal login screen and I didn't realise it still existed.
Click to expand...


As you've discovered, once any additional administrative user accounts
have been created, the built-in 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.

At the moment I am locked out of recovery console as it won't accept the
password for my created admin account - it obviously wants one for the
default account and I haven't a clue what that is.
Click to expand...


Unless you've deliberately set the Administrator's password via the
Management Console (_not_ the Control Panel), it's probably still blank.
WinXP Pro asks the user to set the Administrator's password during
installation, but WinXP Home doesn't.

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your
Password Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q321305

Also, Linux-based password cracking utilities abound on the
Internet, freely available to anyone who can use Google.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
Bruce said:
It is, and the built-in Administrator account *cannot* be deleted,
although it can be disabled (should one be so unwise) or renamed. 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 built-in Administrator account as a "back door" in
case something corrupts your regular account(s).




No. 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.




As you've discovered, once any additional administrative user
accounts have been created, the built-in 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.




Unless you've deliberately set the Administrator's password via the
Management Console (_not_ the Control Panel), it's probably still blank.
WinXP Pro asks the user to set the Administrator's password during
installation, but WinXP Home doesn't.

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your
Password Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q321305

Also, Linux-based password cracking utilities abound on the
Internet, freely available to anyone who can use Google.
Click to expand...
Ahh - that's as I suspected. Lots of useful info for me to work on -
many thanks.

Rev Robert M Jones, Wimborne Baptist Church, UK
http://www.wimborne-baptist.org.uk
Free trial of Mailwasher Pro - effective email spam filter - (commission
goes to our partners in Bulgaria)
http://fta.firetrust.com/index.cgi?id=420
 
Robert said:
Ahh - that's as I suspected. Lots of useful info for me to work on -
many thanks.
Click to expand...

Thanks again - that all worked, except that I can't seem to change the
name of the default admin account, only the password but I'm not worried
about that. I've put in an alphanumeric password and Recovery Console
started using that.

Interesting though that by following the XP Home installationdefaults,
my machine was wide open to anyone starting the machine in "Safe" Mode
even though I set up a new Admin account.
--
Rev Robert M Jones, Wimborne Baptist Church, UK
http://www.wimborne-baptist.org.uk
Free trial of Mailwasher Pro - effective email spam filter - (commission
goes to our partners in Bulgaria)
http://fta.firetrust.com/index.cgi?id=420
 
Top posted, but..

No, you canNOT change the "name" of the default admin account.
And, yes, the machine is wide open for anyone with physical access to the
machine, unless you set up a strong password for all (at least admin)
accounts, including the built-in one...

A strong password rule: (modified from Intel
http://supplier.intel.com/Auth/PasswordRules.asp


The password must be at least 8 characters long.
The password must contain at least:
one alpha character [a-z];
one capital alpha character [A-Z];
one numeric character [0-9];
one special character from this set:
` ! @ $ % ^ & * ( ) - _ = + [ ] ; : ' " , < . > / ?
The password must not:
contain spaces;
begin with an exclamation [!] or a question mark [?];
contain your login ID.
The first 3 characters cannot be the same.
The sequence of the first 3 characters cannot be in your login ID.
The first 8 characters cannot be the same as in your previous password.
Passwords are treated as case sensitive.


--
Tumppi
=================================
Most learned on these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
=================================
 
I would strongly suggest you make a Password Recovery disk for each of your
Admin user accounts.
 
Larry said:
I would strongly suggest you make a Password Recovery disk for each of your
Admin user accounts.
Click to expand...

Thank you - how would I do that please? (XP Home) I have a standalone
machine (will be networked shortly) with an original admin account, a
new admin account and five user accounts
BTW - the original Adminstrator account had not acquired a password - I
have managed to access it, and give it a strong password.

I don't know whether I should follow the instructions in the KB for a
computer that is a domain member or for a computer not in a domain - not
sure what they mean by domain.

--
Rev Robert M Jones, Wimborne Baptist Church, UK
http://www.wimborne-baptist.org.uk
Free trial of Mailwasher Pro - effective email spam filter - (commission
goes to our partners in Bulgaria)
http://fta.firetrust.com/index.cgi?id=420
 
Thank you - how would I do that please? (XP Home) I have a standalone
machine (will be networked shortly) with an original admin account, a
new admin account and five user accounts
Click to expand...

Log on to an account. Open User Accounts in Control Panel. Click on the
name of the account that you're logged on to. In the "Related Tasks" area
of the screen that appears, click on "prevent a forgotten password." Follow
the on screen directions to create a password reset disk.

Be aware that anyone with access to that disk can use it to reset the
password for the account it was created for. May want to lock it away
somewhere "for a rainy day."
I don't know whether I should follow the instructions in the KB for a
computer that is a domain member or for a computer not in a domain - not
sure what they mean by domain.
Click to expand...

Simple explanation: "Domain" is a type of network structure. Involves at
least one system running some kind of server operating system and acting as
a "domain controller." The other computers can be running regular XP (or
any workstation operating system) and are "members" of the domain.

Most home and small business networks are not setup this way. Instead they
are workgroups or ad hoc networks. In this case, this article for creating
password reset disks applies:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305478/
 
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