Administrator User Account Disappeared In Windows Xp

[PattayaDavid]

I received the follow message from my 74 year old mother back in the U.S. and for the life of me I have no knowledge as to how to help with her situation.  This is a problem well beyond my capabilities and I hope some of you computer experts could help in this matter.

David,

Well, yesterday I really messed up. I was having trouble getting the printer to work after having printed a couple of pages, I couldn't get it to print more. I know it is not the printer, because I had the same trouble with the other one. Anyway, I was checking to see if I could find out which port it was connected to and found the old printer was in the same port so I removed it but then it didn't help and the other thing "Send to OneNote" is still there occupying the same port. I tried some changes but it still wouldn't print and at one point it told me the Administrator could only make the changes. Since I am also listed as the administrator, but I don't have a password for it, I still couldn't do anything. I was trying to use "go back" when it said only the administrator could do that. I was sure I had done that before sometime ago. So I pulled up the user accounts and saw my name as administrator and also as user. Evidently there was never a password for the administrator and I was trying to check for sure when I clicked on my user account and it disappeared, the screen went black. I shut down and tried to reconnect and my account was no longer there. I searched through all the paperwork that I could find and could not find anything with an administrator password and since only the administrator can add users I couldn't do anything. I called tech service with AT&T, no help at all. They told me I would have to call DELL and gave me their # for tech services. I called and the guy worked with me over 2 hours and we still couldn't accomplish anything. I don't have the original CD for XP which he said was sent with my computer. If I ever had it I don't know what happened to it. He is sending me one free and I'm to call him back after it comes. I spent almost all day on that problem yesterday.

I was reading in the manual last night that I had bought for Windows XP and found some keyboard combination commands and tried several ones and the Ctrl+Alt+Del bring up my user name and allows me to input my password. It only shows me as a guest user so I can't make and additions and each time I try to connect I have to use the same keys to get back on as a guest user.

I don't know what the guy plans to do when I get the CD but if I have to reinstall it won't I lose everything and be starting like new again and have to reinstall everything?

I really messed up this time and the printer still won't print. I have also tried to cancel the documents that are in there and they won't clear out. I guess I'm going to have to contact HP and find out how to do that and maybe they can also tell me what the OneNote is?

What would make her Administrator User Account disappear just by clicking on it?  Can it be recovered and if so, how would she go about doing so and restoring her computer to normal function?

Thanks,

PattayaDave

[JohnC]

The obvious first step would be system restore, go back to some point when everything worked. Not sure though if she could do that when signed in as a guest.

[Guest Reimar]

System Restore wouldn't work because you can't logon!

Restart Windows XP, and at the screen with the Logon, hit CRTL+ALT+DEL several times until a new windows appears with an different logon , which looks like from Windows 2000.

Now you need to know the real Administrator Password, which was used at the time setup the system, which will differs from the "normal" Administrator Password. And you need to use the Username: administrator as well.

Even if you use the original CD for to repair XP, it wouldn't reset the Password.

There is an software available for to reset the passwords of Windows, nearly any version, to NO Password. That program is called: Password Changer but it's Payware. You need to create a Boot Diskette or Boot CD with it and boot the computer from it.

The Usernames and Password are stored in an Database called SAM Database. By deleting the passwords in questions, you can start with the username but without password.

Cheers.

[Tung_Thaid]

We dont know what the "extensive advice" from support people so far has tried. A lot by the sound of it.

The first thing would have been to do a SYSTEM RESTORE if there was one available prior to the event.

Restoring a system to a point before a user account was deleted will restore the user account.

User files within the My Documents folder will not be restored because the My Documents folder is not monitored by System Restore.

"So I pulled up the user accounts and saw my name as administrator and also as user."

Your mother had two user accounts - one with Admin rights. And I assume that she has deleted her account with admin rights.

When you create a USER account with administrator access in Windows XP - the Welcome Screen on boot no longer shows the original system-assigned Administrator account.

I am assuming that your mother's computer is using the WELCOME screen on boot. In that event, the default ADMIN signon will no longer show up. The default ADMINISTRATOR account can be invoked by resorting back to the 'normal' signon screen and entering details manually. To turn off the welcome screen, go to the user accounts from the control panel and CHANGE THE WAY USERS LOG ON, and turn off the welcome screen. Then sign in as ADMINISTRATOR - leaving password as blank - as it sounds as if the original ADMIN account didnt have one ?

Another issue if password is needed.

If the above doesnt help at normal boot, then try it via boot into SAFE MODE.

I dont know if it would help for this issue, but assisting people remotely with you working on their computer is now very simple using CROSSLOOP. Its a freebie. Gives you direct access to their desktop to do whatever it takes to help them with their issue.

Thats my two cents worth. Hope you can sort it out for your mother.

[2008bangkok]

Basicly what happens is that when you install XP for the 1st time it automaticly installs a administrator account called administrator and you are asked to put a password in...at the end of the setup you are asked to enter anotherusername this is he only user and guest account that is seen in the user accounts on control panel the real administrato account isnt presen even though it is their...she needs to follow this...go to user accounts in control panel and click>>>change the way a user logs on make sure they are all unchecked and logoff put administrator in as username and providing fingers crossed if she didnt enter a password at original setup then leave it blank and try and logon>>>

alterantively try and change the user account administrator by right clicking my computer and go to manage then click on local user accounts and the administrator user account will be in their.

Everytime windows starts up it lists the last username to be successfully logged on so all she needs to do is change the username

This is a biut strange as im pretty sure that you cannot delete the user account that is logged on at the time(although im not sure)but by default the guest account is disabled so how is she manage to logon with that>>>

As far as the printe goes then one note is part of the ofice suite and if ashe deletes all her printers then it will use that one as the default and try to print to that when she clicks print

good luck

[A_Traveller]

Just about to log off, so only links now, sorry. I'm not in the least convinced that the administration account(s) have been deleted by the by.

LINK

LINK

There is an option through the dos prompt as well, but I'll not post that here.

If the OP can clarify what the status is off the PC now, is it switched on, usable/unusable etc..

Regards

[PattayaDavid]

Hi All,

My mistake, it apears that I was mistaken, my mother didn't lose her Administrator account. Instead, she lost her user account, however she doesn't know her Administrator password and doesn't remember ever adding a password. I appreciate everyones assistance and hope that the following new information from my mother is helpful.

I think you misunderstood or I didn't make it plain enough. It was not the administrator account that disappeared, but my user account. I don't seem to find the password for the administrator so I'm without any resources to add my user account back in. I don't know when the administrator account password was input if it ever was. I have tried all the passwords that I could find and none of them work. Since I'm not able to sign on as a regular user the only way I can get on is by the keys ctrl+alt+ del and it only signs me on as a guest user which is restricted in it's use.

After that I could no longer sign on as my user account disappeared. I did not delete the user account, it just disappeared and I don't know why that happened.

I still have the Administrator account I just can't find a password for it.

Thanks again for all of your assistance.

PattayaDave

[A_Traveller]

Chances are a} the administrator account is no password =just press [Enter], b} the user account is there but has become 'detached' from the welcome screen. The link below is to a small program called TweakUI which is a Microsoft additional resource. Must admit I've never tried to install it as guest but if it does install there is a specific section to toggle visibility for accounts.

LINK

Regards

Edited May 6, 2008 by A_Traveller