O.K. Ive spent a few days looking through posts and learned a lot but still have a serious problem. I posted last week that I couldnt get my administrater acoount back after changing my user account to limited. Well now I think there is more. I cant even get all my computer imfo from the help thingy. [Real newby] Ive tried everything i found mentioned in other posts. Typed in administrator ect. When I do get in as administrater , its like I have never used the comp. At first I thought I was in safe mode but just now when I tried to fill in more of my specs, I found that it says that my windows isnt activated and will expire in 30 days. My comp. guy reinstalled windows at xmas for me and I know im regestered.Everything works good but I can't use any administratrive priviledges. My hubby has an account but never used it and if I go there, its just like when I try to use administer. On yhe welcome screen, only 2 accounts show...mine and hubbys...no administrater. Before I changed my account to limited, I could do anything, now, nothing. Oh and if I do get in with the administrater account by typing in the user spot, if I try to use open user accounts, I get script error....Also tried last configuration thingy. When I restart, the screen doesnt stay on long enough to "press F8" before it continues to start up and if I do it really fast , not being able to read whats on the page, I get 4 options and nothing about last best configuration. I think thats all I know for now. Sorry if it sounds too vague or mixed up. You guys sound like you're way over my head. If this sounds like too much of a mess, tell me and I will just take this to my comp. guy. Thanks and will try to figure out more specs to give you.and by the way this is windows xp and all Ive done to change things is to add memory and a video card.
My Windows thinks it's new, I think
- Thread starter inthewoods
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nighthawk5556
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why
first off.....curious question......if you're the administrator, why would you want to 'limit' your account?
first off.....curious question......if you're the administrator, why would you want to 'limit' your account?
gbhall
Posts: 2,419 +77
Some people advise a limited account for security reasons - supposed to help prevent remote installations, and possibly does, but not the real nasties I would imagine. Personally a good firewall (better than Window built-in) and a good anti-virus, and a good anti-spyware should be enough. Others want to share a PC with the family but want to keep their own documents and emails private....
Inthewoods, perhaps you dont realise that when another account is created, that is how they start - like no software is already installed - that is by design, you are supposed to install everything, even the internet connection. That way, your child for example, cannot access any software you would not want them to.
The underlying administrator account should never be used except in emergency - again by design.
The best approach, assuming you really want a restricted account, is keep the first one you create (normally Admin) as an administrator account, and create new limited accounts for daily use. The admin account should be used just for installing software, and when you do, take the option to 'install for all users', which causes it to appear for ....all users.
Inthewoods, perhaps you dont realise that when another account is created, that is how they start - like no software is already installed - that is by design, you are supposed to install everything, even the internet connection. That way, your child for example, cannot access any software you would not want them to.
The underlying administrator account should never be used except in emergency - again by design.
The best approach, assuming you really want a restricted account, is keep the first one you create (normally Admin) as an administrator account, and create new limited accounts for daily use. The admin account should be used just for installing software, and when you do, take the option to 'install for all users', which causes it to appear for ....all users.
I think I have a bigger problem. I tried the F8 thing and it worked but when I click on user accounts all I get is script error. I swithed my account at the advise of "window help". Before I did that, I don't know what I had but I could do anything I wanted. Someone else set up the computer for me and he installed AVG and spybot so I didnt need to limit myself but I did. duh...With my limited account, my comp works fine. I just can't get my account back to what I had. When I did get in to my administrator acount, everything looked different. Set up the way I had it a long time ago. I think, befor I can do anything else, I have to get rid of the script error.
nighthawk5556
Posts: 10 +0
This help?
maybe you've already seen and tried this, but figured it may help http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1145429&SiteID=1
maybe you've already seen and tried this, but figured it may help http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1145429&SiteID=1
Hey nighthawk I think you are on to something. I just ran down the page and thats me to a tee. I have to think about it before I try resetting my regestry. I have suspected all along that its in the regestry but I know very little about this stuff so i'm a little nervous. I'm going to have a look at it all tomorrow when I'm a bit more awake. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks a lot. At least I know I'm not totally nuts.
nighthawk5556
Posts: 10 +0
Registry
One thing you might want to do (something I didn't....) is back up important stuff on data CDs before you do anything in the registry. When I first started messing with my registry, without any help, I got rid of a lot of old traces of software that was long gone.......later found they have software for that kinda stuff. I thought I was getting good and deleted an important file. The next time I booted my computer all I had was a desktop picture...no icons, windows button didn't work,couldn't pull up anything.......but I had only recently started using a computer. Thought it was all simple stuff til I locked mine down, but then I was running ME and had a floppy backup disc that restored everything. Might be good to at least back up music files,pictures, and stuff you can't just replace with your Windows CD. Just remember, no matter what you can always start over.....I've got a hard drive eraser that I use about once every year or two. I just wipe the slate clean then reinstall everything. Runs like a new one til I've had a few months to download and delete a lot of crap. Your problem don't sound like it'd come to all that though. GL
One thing you might want to do (something I didn't....) is back up important stuff on data CDs before you do anything in the registry. When I first started messing with my registry, without any help, I got rid of a lot of old traces of software that was long gone.......later found they have software for that kinda stuff. I thought I was getting good and deleted an important file. The next time I booted my computer all I had was a desktop picture...no icons, windows button didn't work,couldn't pull up anything.......but I had only recently started using a computer. Thought it was all simple stuff til I locked mine down, but then I was running ME and had a floppy backup disc that restored everything. Might be good to at least back up music files,pictures, and stuff you can't just replace with your Windows CD. Just remember, no matter what you can always start over.....I've got a hard drive eraser that I use about once every year or two. I just wipe the slate clean then reinstall everything. Runs like a new one til I've had a few months to download and delete a lot of crap. Your problem don't sound like it'd come to all that though. GL
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