Computer restarts out of the blue

Ok that sound suspicious to me, please go to Virus and Malware Removal forum, follow their 8 steps, then post your logs for analysis, just to make sure that your computer is not infected by anything at all.

Also, I am still awaiting for my answer.

Now to your question, limited user account mean the user has restricted access to core OS functions, the user can however, use computer just as normally, run various software etc., but can't install anything or for that matter make any change to the way OS behaves etc.

The link on that page said the you could install program but it would ask for your password is that correct? It will be awhile before i can start using the limited account i will have to start from scratch and get everything set up like the other account.

Yes you need administrator account password for installation of various tools you need to produce the required logs. Also please be patient, as Virus and Malware forum is very busy place so you may have to wait for a while to get response.

No problem, I'll wait for your feedback.

hmmm.. this really helps

Ive been working on the other account a little bit and not everything from the owner account is on the limited one. I moved some files from the owner account to the limited one but when i tried to install the programs it says something about logging into administrator account like you said but i don't know how to do that. I checked the system log and not sure if it was talking about the usb flash drive i used but the first 30 to 40 logs were errors in the limited account and it said something about a "bad block".


Also could one of the problems from before have been where i was switching between accounts without logging out?

No that shouldn't cause any issues at all, I am at work atm, and will reply back in detail when I get some free time. I am unsure what it means by 'bad block', but to be on the safer side, can you please download diagnostic tool from your hard disk manufacturer's site and check your disk by testing it thoroughly with it (all manufacturer's provide such tool).

Edit:
if you don't know your hard drive's make, download PC Wizard, install it and get the required information about your HDD.

Lastly, if a program is already installed on your PC, you do not need to reinstall it when you login with another user account (even if the Shortcut/Icon is not available you can simply create one). By the way which programs you want to install?

I think that's what the error was because i had my usb drive in when i started my computer the next time and it ran a check disk on F drive and now this time there weren't any errors in my log on that account.


Only some of the programs are already installed on the other account but when i try to use them it says something about administrative account and it wont let me open them.

I want to install google chrome, cc cleaner, file hippo, revo uninstaller and some other programs. Some of the ones it wont let me use when i tried to open them were Quicktime player and Smart Defrag.


Say for instance i want to run a defrag do i have to do that for both accounts now?

Short answer is No.

As I earlier said you can simply create shorts for the software you already have on your PC, e.g. Chrome, it should be in e.g. C:\Program Files\Chrome, so Right Click on empty area of desktop, then go to new, and to Shortcut, browse to Chrome's folder in C:\Program files\Chrome and select its executing file i.e. Chrome.exe, then Click Next, Give it whatever name you want to give, and click finish. Repeat the same process of other programs as well.

I am assuming here that you have already install Chrome, CCleaner, file hippo, revo etc. with other account.

Just to make sure your OS partition is ok please do this:

1. Go to Start, Programs
2. Accessories
3. Right Click on 'Command Prompt'
4. Select 'Run as Administrator'
5. type chkdsk /r and press enter

It should run when you next time boot your PC, and check and repair any issues with your OS partition's file structures.

Short answer is No.

As I earlier said you can simply create shorts for the software you already have on your PC, e.g. Chrome, it should be in e.g. C:\Program Files\Chrome, so Right Click on empty area of desktop, then go to new, and to Shortcut, browse to Chrome's folder in C:\Program files\Chrome and select its executing file i.e. Chrome.exe, then Click Next, Give it whatever name you want to give, and click finish. Repeat the same process of other programs as well.

I am assuming here that you have already installed Chrome, CCleaner, file hippo, revo etc. with other account.

Just to make sure your OS partition is ok please do this (if you have already ran the diagnostic utility from your HDD's manufacturer, you can ignore this):

1. Go to Start, Programs
2. Accessories
3. Right Click on 'Command Prompt'
4. Select 'Run as Administrator'
5. type chkdsk /r and press enter

It should run when you next time boot your PC, and check and repair any issues with your OS partition's file structures.

Ok, so everything that's on the owner account should be on the limited account i just need to find them and create the shortcuts?

What about when i try to use a program thats already there but it says something about the administrator account do i need to log into the owner account and then switch over the limited one first?

In addition to my previous post, there is another method to create all shortcuts, which is slightly more complicated by is the one I use generally.

1. Login using your Administrator Account
2. Click on Start
3. Right Click on All Programs and select Open All Users
4. Click on Start again, and Right Click on All Programs, then select Open
5. Notice that in the address bar it will say C:\Documents and Settings\You Admin Account Name\Start Menu\Programs for the administrator account, and All Users in the other window we opened.
6. Now browse in the Administrator Account windows Programs folder, and select whichever shortcuts you want to copy
7. Browse in to Programs folder of All Users, then copy the selected program shortcuts into it.

Repeat the process described above for as many times as you need, or until you are done copying the shortcuts.

That should solve this issue permanently, i.e. even if you create a new user account the shortcuts will be available to that account as well. Goodluck and Regards.

I went in the C Drive like you said and found most of them but i still don't see Google Chrome anywhere, i found everything Google but Chrome. Im going to try your other method and see if i can find it that way.

Also i was wondering if the the things i do like adding programs in the owner account effect the limited account but if adding programs in the limited account doesn't effect the owner account, if that makes sense? Like say the owner account will effect the limited but the limited account wont effect the owner account.

When it says something about administration rights it doesn't ask for a password or anything though it just says something like "need administration rights" when i try to run certain programs. So do i just switch user accounts? How do i provide credentials?

I may be wrong, but doesn't XP also provides 'Run as Administrator in right click context menu? if so you can provide user name and password with administrator rights there to launch any program you want.

Well some say I have an irrational hatred for Google Chrome, but really I don't so frankly I haven't bothered about it since its sudden existence few years ago, hence, I am no good at when it comes to advising about chrome related issues, I think Leeky may be able to help you on this one.

Not sure where the right click context menu is.

No problem ..... right click with your mouse on the program (shortcut) you want to run with Administrator Account, then in the appearing menu you should be able to see 'Run as.....', select it, another box will appear containing two options, i.e. Current User, and The following User, in the later type your Administrator User Account, and in password box type your password.

Ok that worked but that doesnt defeat the purpose of using a limited account does it?