Trying to clean up a computer I inherited, but am being limited as a
standard user.
Only options to select when logging on are admin (standard user) & qb
user (no one seems to remember the PW for!)
I've blanked the administrator PW with a reset disk, but there isn't a
switch user choice when at the log in screen!
How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

Mike wrote:
Trying to clean up a computer I inherited, but am being limited as a
standard user.
Only options to select when logging on are admin (standard user) & qb
user (no one seems to remember the PW for!)
I've blanked the administrator PW with a reset disk, but there isn't a
switch user choice when at the log in screen!
How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

There are free programs available to determine passwords.

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 09:06:25 -0700 (PDT), "Mike"
wrote in article 599d4c18-fcf3-4fc2-b54a-e0da3b4c2f92
@v33g2000yqv.googlegroups.com...

Trying to clean up a computer I inherited, but am being limited as a
standard user.
Only options to select when logging on are admin (standard user) & qb
user (no one seems to remember the PW for!)
I've blanked the administrator PW with a reset disk, but there isn't a
switch user choice when at the log in screen!
How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

The Administrator user is disabled by default on Windows Vista systems,
but as I recall, it is automatically enabled in Safe Mode.

That said, I'd probably take a different approach. If there is any
data you'd like to preserve, back it up onto USB drive or whatever, and
perform a factory reset. That way you not only have a clean system
(well, as clean as the factory image with all of the OEM cruft in
place), but you don't have to worry about what previous owners have
done.

Just a thought...

--
Zaphod

Voted "Worst Dressed Sentient Being in the Known Universe" for seven
years in a row.

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:14:21 -0400, Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 09:06:25 -0700 (PDT), "Mike"
wrote in article 599d4c18-fcf3-4fc2-b54a-e0da3b4c2f92
@v33g2000yqv.googlegroups.com...

Trying to clean up a computer I inherited, but am being limited as a
standard user.
Only options to select when logging on are admin (standard user) & qb
user (no one seems to remember the PW for!)
I've blanked the administrator PW with a reset disk, but there isn't a
switch user choice when at the log in screen!
How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

The Administrator user is disabled by default on Windows Vista systems,
but as I recall, it is automatically enabled in Safe Mode.

That said, I'd probably take a different approach. If there is any
data you'd like to preserve, back it up onto USB drive or whatever, and
perform a factory reset. That way you not only have a clean system
(well, as clean as the factory image with all of the OEM cruft in
place), but you don't have to worry about what previous owners have
done.

Just a thought...

+1

Although it can be a lot of work (especially getting all the desired
software reinstalled) it is the cleanest approach.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 11:02:16 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"
wrote:

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:14:21 -0400, Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:

On Sun, 17 Jun 2012 09:06:25 -0700 (PDT), "Mike"
wrote in article 599d4c18-fcf3-4fc2-b54a-e0da3b4c2f92
@v33g2000yqv.googlegroups.com...

That said, I'd probably take a different approach. If there is any
data you'd like to preserve, back it up onto USB drive or whatever, and
perform a factory reset. That way you not only have a clean system
(well, as clean as the factory image with all of the OEM cruft in
place), but you don't have to worry about what previous owners have
done.

Just a thought...

+1

Although it can be a lot of work (especially getting all the desired
software reinstalled) it is the cleanest approach.

I will add my +1 also. It would always be best to start fresh anyway.

"Gene E. Bloch" wrote:
Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:
"Mike" wrote:

How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

The Administrator user is disabled by default on Windows Vista systems,
but as I recall, it is automatically enabled in Safe Mode.

That said, I'd probably take a different approach. If there is any
data you'd like to preserve, back it up onto USB drive or whatever, and
perform a factory reset. That way you not only have a clean system
(well, as clean as the factory image with all of the OEM cruft in
place), but you don't have to worry about what previous owners have
done.

+1

Although it can be a lot of work (especially getting all the desired
software reinstalled) it is the cleanest approach.

Agreed, emphatically. I've got six real systems at home (plus even more
virtual machines) and I rebuild them every couple of years whether they need
it or not.

It's amazing how many barnacles get scraped off the hull when you do a clean
installation. Doing this has the added advantage that you have to dig up
the installation disks and serial numbers for the Windows system and any
third-party products - meaning that you ever experience a catastrophic
failure you can have some reasonable level of confidence that you will be
able to recreate your system configuration. (Of course, then you will need
to find the backups of your data files - you *do* back them up, I hope?)

Joe

On 6/19/12 9:02 PM, Joe Morris wrote:
"Gene E. Bloch" wrote:
Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:
"Mike" wrote:

How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

The Administrator user is disabled by default on Windows Vista systems,
but as I recall, it is automatically enabled in Safe Mode.

That said, I'd probably take a different approach. If there is any
data you'd like to preserve, back it up onto USB drive or whatever, and
perform a factory reset. That way you not only have a clean system
(well, as clean as the factory image with all of the OEM cruft in
place), but you don't have to worry about what previous owners have
done.

+1

Although it can be a lot of work (especially getting all the desired
software reinstalled) it is the cleanest approach.

Agreed, emphatically. I've got six real systems at home (plus even more
virtual machines) and I rebuild them every couple of years whether they need
it or not.

I also have to agree about the fresh installation. When you work with
older computers as I do, you often notice a speed increase, which is
hard to convince some people of. I've also found that sometimes
partitioning a drive adds a bit of speed. I'm sure you don't "see" this
in a newer high speed computer, but I'm also sure it still happens.

It's amazing how many barnacles get scraped off the hull when you do a clean
installation.

That is sure no lie. :-)

snip


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 13.0.1
Thunderbird 13.0.1
LibreOffice 3.5.2.2

On 06/17/12 12:06 pm, Mike wrote:

Trying to clean up a computer I inherited, but am being limited as a
standard user.
Only options to select when logging on are admin (standard user)& qb
user (no one seems to remember the PW for!)
I've blanked the administrator PW with a reset disk, but there isn't a
switch user choice when at the log in screen!
How can I log on as actual administrator or change user called admin
to an actual administrator?

There are password reset utilities (bootable Linux-based CD) that worked
with earlier versions of Windows. Maybe they still work with Vista and 7.

Perce