New administrator account

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Guest

Hi I have just installed Windows XP Pro. I created a new administrator
account and now I can't find the old one, with my favourites, address book
shortcuts etc. Does anyone know how to recover my user profile?
 
Tom said:
Hi I have just installed Windows XP Pro. I created a new administrator
account and now I can't find the old one, with my favourites, address book
shortcuts etc. Does anyone know how to recover my user profile?
Click to expand...

Are they both called the same thing, or did you call the 'new' one
something like admin2? Nothing in 'documents and settings' - with the
new admin account you should be able to see the old one i would have thought
 
Tom said:
Hi I have just installed Windows XP Pro. I created a new administrator
account and now I can't find the old one, with my favourites, address
book shortcuts etc. Does anyone know how to recover my user profile?
Click to expand...

When you created the second account with administrative privileges, the
built-in Administrator account was hidden. This is by design. You
definitely don't want to be using the built-in Administrator account
except in an emergency anyway.

Create a third user account - you can delete it later if you like or
leave it, it doesn't matter - with administrative privileges. Now log
into the new account and copy your Administrator account (the one that
is hidden) details to the new account which you want to use.

Copy a User Account -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=811151

Malke
 
For XP Pro use the command net localgroup administrators to see members of
the administrators group and you should be able to logon to either assuming
you know the password for each account. When you create any new user account
and logon to it you will receive the default user profile which will not be
what you are used to with a user profiles that had been configured. You can
see and manage profiles in Control Panel/system/advanced/user profiles -
settings. What happens when you try to logon with the name
inistrator?? --- Steve
 
I have a issue hoping that you can help . I installed a program in my user
name with Administrator priv. I can open it but not use it. How ever if I log
into SAFE MODE and use the administrator default account I can. and I create
a new Account with Administrator I can also use it. but not in My log on.
Can you advise. Thanks
 
Tom said:
Hi I have just installed Windows XP Pro. I created a new administrator
account and now I can't find the old one, with my favourites, address book
shortcuts etc. Does anyone know how to recover my user profile?
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 daily use, as you say you've done, 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:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Hello Bruce I have followed the instructions on the link and rebooted. Wasn't
The new Account Supposted to look like the old?
It did not
???
 
The built in administrator account is probably disabled. My experience with
XP Is 95% for XP Pro so I am not sure if the built in administrator account
is disabled automatically or not after you create another administrator
account. The command net localgroups administrators should show you the
membership of the administrators group and the command net user admistrator
will show the status of the administrator account. You could also just use
your new user account that is in the administrators group to run your
application. --- Steve
 
Steven L Umbach said:
The built in administrator account is probably disabled. My experience
with XP Is 95% for XP Pro so I am not sure if the built in administrator
account is disabled automatically or not after you create another
administrator account. The command net localgroups administrators should
show you the membership of the administrators group and the command net
user admistrator will show the status of the administrator account. You
could also just use your new user account that is in the administrators
group to run your application. --- Steve
Click to expand...

He could, but that would compromise the intended security on his system.

What I recommend is to create two new users in addition to the
"Administrator"
which "disappears" except when running in safe mode:

One "Admin" user with administrator privileges that is only used when needed
and one (or more) limited user(s) for day-to-day work.

regards Sven
 
The user indicated that his application will only run while logged on as an
administrator which unfortunately is not all that unusual and he is trying to
figure out why the built in administrator account only works in safe mode. ---
Steve
 
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