Unable to go to my administrator account

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Howdy from "Big Sky Country"

I'm a 56yr old truck driver(last 13yrs-a boat hauler),former peace officer, and before that, an architechtural millwork draftsman(old school hand drawings). My son is a IT pro and two years ago gave me his old Dell Latitude laptop with the words, "Here, Dad, learn how to use a computer.". It ran on Windows 2000pro. A year ago he gave his wife (also former IT pro) a new laptop, so she and he gave me (first his) her old laptop; a Dell Inspiron 1000. It runs on Windows XPpro. I'm the third user of the machine and am using now as I type this intro. I use this machine to keep track of each and every trip that I run for my company, by using a form that I made with MS Word. I also run MS's Streets and Trips on the it to navigate the "lower 48" and the lower half of Canada. My ISP is Flying J truckstops and I get online with the "J's" wifi system. I keep in touch with family members throughout the "lower 48" via the internet.

That's the extent of my computing history since 1990. I would like to think that I've learned quite a bit in the last two years, but might have learned just enough to "be dangerous to myself".

So, here is my problem. I have read that it's a good security proceedure to rename one's administrator account. Also, I read that it's good to use another user account with limited privleges, thus keeping the admin account just for "tweek'n the system". So far so good, I thought. That was easy enough to do. But now I can't gain access to the admin account. I behaves like it isn't even there. I kept the passwords for both accounts the same(the same ones that were inplace before I started mess'n with my computer). I have not forgotten the passwords, but see no indication the admin account exsists, or ever existed. When I started using the computer (bear in mind-I'm the 3rd user) it had the admin acount(chess peice avitar), my user account(I put a personal photo for that avitar), and a avitar labled "guest". I deleted the guest account.

Now when I log onto the computer, I can only logon with the "limited" user account. My fast user switching has disappeard. Going into safe mode(using F8) still produces negitive results. The only logon screen available to me now is the "welcom screen with the Windows logo". Have tried using the "three finger salute" (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and I still can't get into the admin account. Again, let me reinerate. I havn't lost my passwords, just the user accounts. Is it possible to accidently totaly delete the administrator account? I can use the computer via the "limited" user account for internet,trip records, and map use, but I can't download anything. I need to upgrade my spyware protection, but my own machine tells me I can't. I need to gain access to my own admin account. Help me, PLEASE!

Sincerley,

Van
 
Hi Van, and welcome.

To access technical support you will need to go to HERE and post your question again (you could just copy your original message) into the appropriate forum for your problem.

This forum is for introductions only as stated above:
Do NOT post your Computer Questions/Problems in this Forum

Your technical questions will then be responded to.
 
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tvanvalkenburg2 said:
Is it possible to accidently totaly delete the administrator account?
No
Also the Administrator account is not for tweaking

Go to Safe mode
(How to get to Safe Mode
Log on to the Administrator account

Go to Control Panel then Users
Create a new user with Admin. rights
Call it whatever you like (except Administrator or Guest)

Restart
Allow Windows to start up
Log on to the new Administrator account

You may need to transfer all your files and documents from your Guest account to this new account
 
"lost admin account"

thanks for the info/reply/help! :)

as it turned out, I actually had NOT assigned my admin account a password-just thought that I had

was able to assign a password to my admin accont that I had named and everything is A OK :)

Dutchman
 
Thank-you for the update.

It also allows me to correct a line in my post

It is possible to remove the Administrator account (through editing so forth) but normally it can not be done accidently.
 
i created a new administrator user account and when i restarted my computer my old admin account was lost, my original settings is in my old admin account. how can i bring my old admin account w/ the original setting back.
tnx
 
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