How do I restore the "administrator" account on XP machines?
141795
The Admin account is still there and working fine, it just isn't displayed on the welcome screen. Here's an explanation:\n\nThe Windows XP Welcome Screen is useful and looks very nice, but it is not perfect. One of the side effects to this feature is that the default Administrator account will not be displayed on the screen if you have defined another user account with admin privileges. Since the account you can create during Windows XP setup adds the user to the Administrators group, the original Administrator account is not visible by default. If you want to log on with the original Administrator account, you have a choice of four options.\n\n   1. The first option is to press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] at the Welcome Screen twice This will change the Welcome Screen login to the Windows 2000 style log in, where you can now type Administrator and the password for the Admin account.\n   2. The second option is to boot in safe mode, under which the Welcome Screen will display only accounts with Administrator privileges, including the original Administrator account.\n       3. The third option is to make the Administrator account the only user account with the administrative privileges. This means that you will have to remove all other users from the Administrators group with the help of the Computer Management console.\n   4. The fourth choice is to add the Administrator to the Welcome Screen:\n\n      Start the Registry Editor\n      Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE &#92; SOFTWARE &#92; Microsoft &#92; Windows NT &#92; CurrentVersion &#92; Winlogon &#92; SpecialAccounts &#92; UserList &#92;\n      Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD Value\n      Name the new value Administrator\n      Double-click this new value, and enter 1 as its Value data\n      Close the registry editor\nNote: Remember, registry editing can be risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.\n\n(Edit: By the way, to start the registry editor go to Start menu -> run and type regedit)
483779
well if you havent set a password for the built-in adminstrator account...at the welcome screen hit ctl-alt-del twice which will bring up a logon dialog box..type user:administrator pw:blank and click ok..now goto user accounts in the control panel and reset your password. Hope that helps.\n\nGlad to have helped man. How about giving me a best answer!! Thanks.
688111
I agree with Dhruv...  There are several ways that you can mess up your administrator account, especially if you delete Administrator Folder in the the 'Documents and Settings' folder on the C: drive.  However, if you can logon at all (try the built-in 'guest' account, it probably has no password) there is probably some other account with adminitrative priveleges that you can find in the Control Panel under Users and Groups.\nSo... login as Guest, Go in the the Documents and Settings Folder, find out the some other account with Administrative Priveleges (right click on the folder, select properties, and look under the Security Tab, it will say whether that account is part of the Administrators Group).  Try logging in and replicating one of the folders that are part of the administrator group and call it 'Administrator'.  You may have to reset the password at some point, but this may work.\n\nIf you can get into your the administrator account again then you should try to return to a previous "Restore Point".  By default, Windows creates restore points every so often and this is a good way to recover from problems such as yours.\n\nI assume you didn't make any backups of the Documents and Settings folder???  Whoops... this is important.\n\nKen
348532
can't do this through windows xp. the only two choices are administrator and limited.
832214
1.Log on to Windows as Administrator.\n2.Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.\n3.On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next.\n4.On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system checkpoint in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next. A System Restore message may appear that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.\n5.On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then restarts the computer.\n6.Log on to the computer as Administrator. The System Restore Restoration Complete page appears.\n7.Click OK.
836050
If you boot up in safe mode, you should be able to log in as the main administrator providing you know the password. This user is normally hidden in XP so you wouldn't normally see it. Once you have logged in you will be able to set up a new user.
1023000
boot  up in safe mode, try to log in as admin and hope ther is no password, and tehn go to control panel, sers and selet your password, then reboot and make a new one.\nIf admin has a password, the it gets harder' go to this page for instructions in using the recovery console\nhttp://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=305\nhttp://www.lifehacker.com/software/windows/how-to-reset-your-windows-xp-password-137980.php\nhttp://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm\n\ntry these, im me if they don't work, \nand get a new boyfriend, that is not cool
564096
okay, its gonna be kind of long but, \n\nSign on to your normal account, if you don't have one, try typing in guest. Go to start -> Run -> Type in msconfig and hit okay-> then go to the boot.ini tab and hit the selection that says boot in safe mode. exit out and it will ask you to restart. on the reboot it will let u log on to a no password administrator account labeled Administrator, log onto it and go to Start -> Control panel -> Users/accounts or watever it is -> Select your account and hit delete and when it asks to back up your documents on someone elses user do it onto the Administrator account that you are on and then go to Create Account -> and Create an administrator account by the same name of the previously limited one. then copy your files over to your new administrator account. then go to Start -> Run and type in msconfig and hit okay and do not go to any of the tabs, just the one it is already on and select Normal Start-up and then exit out and it will ask you to restart, say yes and let it boot up, then enjoy your new Administrator account
934382
If there is a cd-rom in the computer in question, you can just reset it. There are several ways to go about doing this. I would suggest reading the following page & comments.\n\nhttp://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2006/09/02/how-to-hack-into-a-windows-xp-computer-without-changing-password/\n\nYou could also use the backtrack linux distros bootable cd available @ http://www.remote-exploit.org/index.php/BackTrack
678435
When you first got this desktop was it locked with that or did you install the option for that? If you installed it then i'm going to assume it's the one that is in the control panel in windows XP. If this is all the case then to log on you need your correct username and password and you will have to enter them rather than useing windows xp (remembering) system. If you know your password then try useing the "Administrator" username try uppercase Administrators" and lowercase "administrator" if that doesn't work try "admin" and "Admin" if you don't know your password then(assuming you have windows xp) try doing a system restore on your computer by pressing F8 when your system starts, keep pressing F8 till a menu appears then "System Restore" should be somewhere on that list.  Hope i'm somewhere on the right track here.
115022
While you are restarting your machine press the F8 key to get the "Boot Mode" menu. Choose "Safe Mode". Once you get to the Log in screen log in as administrator with no password. This will allow you to reset forgotten local admin/users passwords.
1173104
This is a dangerious setting, please make sure that what you are going to do is legal in your system.\n\nFirstable, restart your PC;\n\nSecond, After your PC has checked its hardware and before your Operating System is loaded, please press F8 until the system loading mode apear;\n\nPlease check the "Security Mode" or other labs like this. and then entry your OS.\n\nAfter this step you will see more than one Administrator Account on your Screan. one is default account which doesnot have password. \n\nLogin as that super-Administrator then change your administrator's password in Control paniel, or just creat a new administrator account for yourself.\n\nlogout and normally re-login as that changed administrator. And do what you want to do.\n\nGood luck!
364613
dun believe that XP administrator's password can be broken that easily. If u forgot your admin password, u can log in as user and check if the user account has admin right, if u have u can change the admin passord - otherwise u may have to reinstall XP all over again if u r not able to access the system as u dun have a password.\n\nThe only way to obtain the XP admin password is to a floppy with system to boot up or dismantle the hard drive,connect it to another pc, and extract the user or admin registry file - administrator.dat and the system key file and using very good password cracking software to break and obtain the password which is also not easily done if the password is a strong password.\n\nU can engage computer forensic people to do it but it is expensive....
472502
xp, you set up administrator rights that should passworded. W2k and w98 also have easy password controls
241261
If you are using windows XP like most people.\n\ngo to \nPrograms -> Accessories -> System tools -> System Restore\n\nWindows will guide you from there
199359
If needed, press F8 at bootup, select safe mode, log into the Administrator account, then go to control panel, users, and reset the password for your account. If you've been using the administrator account as your account, go to the site linked below, download the bootdisk provided, start your PC from the bootdisk, follow the prompts, and reset the password for your account from the list of accounts provided.
1020443
Open the User Accounts window.\n(Click Start >> Run. Type control userpasswords2 in the box and click OK.) \nSelect the Administrator username, and click on the Reset Password button. You will be prompted with a dialogue \nBe sure to check the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer is checked. \n \nWindows XP Pro: For all other User Accounts\nOpen the Control Panel.\n( Click Start >> Control Panel OR Click Start >> Run. Type control panel in the box and click OK.) \nOpen User Accounts and select the user account for which you would like to set a password. \nSelect the user account for which you would like to set a password. \nClick on Change My Password (or Set My Password if no password is currently assigned). \nYou will then be prompted to enter a new password. \nClick Change, then No to make Private \nRepeat steps 3, 4, 5, and 6 for each user account. \n\n\n\nWindows XP Home: Administrator Account: \nRestart the computer \nOnce Windows shuts down, begin tapping F8 \nFrom the menu, select Safe Mode and hit Enter \nThe computer will boot. Click on the icon for Administrator. \nOpen the Control Panel. (Click Start >> Control Panel ) \nClick on User Accounts \nClick on the icon for Administrator. \nClick on Create Password. \nType in your new password and confirm that password. \nType a password hint. \nClick Set Password. \nClose all windows and restart the computer. \nWindows XP Home: For all other User Accounts\nOpen the Control Panel. (Click Start >> Control Panel) \nOpen User Accounts. \nSelect the user account for which you would like to set a password. \nClick on Change My Password (or Set My Password if no password is currently assigned). \nYou will then be prompted to enter a new password. \nClick Change, then No to make Private.