Vista - Administrator Account is Already in Use as Main Account?

That's good news. It sounds as though the system automatically recovered from
the condition that was causing you so much grief. (It can revert
automatically to a restore point OR it can offer the option of booting to a
last known good configuration at boot time, I guess. I wonder if your husband
saw anything when he started the system this morning?)

No, I wouldn't activate the Administrator account. It isn't supposed to be
activated - -except when it is automatically activated during emergencies --
like when there is no other admin account available on the system. Normally,
you are not allowed to log in under Administrator in Vista, and that's the
way it's supposed to work.

Another point: I suggest that you NOT delete the "bad" account -- at least
not if it's name is very close to the name of your "good" account. Instead,
rename it to something really different. Then log back in to be sure that you
really are using the account you think you are using. While you are logged on
to your good account, open a command line interface -- Start | Run, type
"cmd" in the Open field, hit Enter. Look at the prompt before the blinking
cursor in that window. It tells you where your profile for that account is
located. Take note of it so that you know where all of your "stuff" is.

Likewise, if you decided to get rid the directory under C:\Users which
contains the profile that you think you don't need any more. Just try
renaming that directory. If you rename it and operate without any problems
for a few days, then go ahead and delete it.

I think / hope you're okay now.

Oh, and as for the "us idiots" comment. Don't be hard on yourself. Just be
careful. After all, how do you think I learned this stuff?

;-)

Trust me on this. If you're human, you're an idiot -- at least part of the
time. The trick is to learn to minimize the damage you do.

"Kcpirana" wrote:

> Thank you so much for the information! I'm sorry I neglected to identify my
> OS - It's Vista Home Premium 32-bit.
>
> As of this morning (and my husband got up before me, so chances are he just
> booted it up because he didn't know anything about this), I can log on to my
> account as normal, access the control panel, internet options, etc, with
> absolutely no problems. Under USERS in the CP, I see now two accounts with
> my name - both identified as adminstrators. Since it's in the CP Users
> (accessible even to us Idiots), I imagine I can delete it without concern,
> as my now-working account is easily identifiable.
>
> So, barring anymore difficulties, I think I'm reading that you don't *think
> the Administrator account was activated, correct? If so, should I activate
> it?
>
> You have been great! Thanks so far and TIA!
>
> Kristy
>
> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:2673849C-21DF-40B7-8E28-6D6F27A3A503@microsoft.com...
> > Okay. You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions. It is almost certainly
> > true
> > that you have NOT done anything to the Administrator account. You have
> > still
> > not told me what version of Vista you are running, but your observation
> > that
> > there is no Local users and groups in the Computer Management console
> > seems
> > to indicate that you have one of the versions of Vista that is devoid of a
> > policy editor. (I'm not familiar with these versions. I avoid them like
> > the
> > plague, but only because they just wouldn't work for me. My computers all
> > have to be members of domains, and you can't do that with computers
> > running
> > Windows versions that don't have policy editors.)
> >
> > If you boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 key repeatedly after passing the BIOS
> > screen at startup time, you may be able to log in as Administrator (no
> > password) and fix the system. I say "may" because it's possible that the
> > system doesn't think your "Owner" account has been damaged sufficiently to
> > warrant allowing the automatic logon to the built-in Administrator
> > account.
> > The problem is that you have done some damage (from what I can tell) to
> > your
> > profile, but it may not be totally disabled. In that case you may have to
> > straighten things out from within the farkled Owner account.
> >
> > In the future please remember the first rule of holes: When you are in
> > over
> > your head, stop digging! You really must learn something about the way
> > Vista
> > handles its user accounts and the way ntfs permissions work before trying
> > to
> > do the sort of invasive manipulations you've been doing. Were you not
> > seeing
> > warnings from User Account Control as you made these various changes? UAC
> > wasn't turned off, was it?
> >
> > You see, each user account has its own location for storing its profile.
> > You
> > started off, apparently, with an "Owner" account. That was probably set up
> > by
> > the OEM that installed the OS on your computer. Once you log on to any
> > account in Windows a profile location with that name on the directory
> > structure is created, and that may have been done effectively even before
> > you
> > ever got the computer by the unattended install method used by the OEM.
> > Now,
> > you could have changed name of the Owner account to one that suited you
> > through the Windows Control Panel | User Accounts interface, but the name
> > of
> > the DIRECTORY where the profile for that account is stored would not (and
> > should not) be changed at that point. If you do change the name of that
> > directory the account won't be able to find its profile at boot time, and
> > it
> > will create another one, usually with an extension added to the name.
> >
> > I don't know what to tell you now. You might just be better off saving any
> > data to an external drive or to another system and then doing a fresh
> > re-installation of the OS -- assuming the OEM has provided recovery media
> > or
> > a recovery partition. You might also learn quite a bit by trying to fix
> > this.
> > It doesn't sound as though the system is really messed up badly, but it
> > could
> > be pretty difficult for someone who isn't familiar with the way user
> > accounts
> > and the file system work to fix.
> >
> > BTW, if you do a fresh re-installation, maybe you'll be happiest if you
> > create a new account for yourself with your own name. Its profile will be
> > stored under the name you choose for the account. That user account could
> > be
> > a non-admin user, and you would reserve the use of the Owner account for
> > administrative purposes. The neat thing about Vista is that, when you are
> > logged in as a non-admin and try to do something that requires admin
> > privileges, UAC will prompt you for credentials instead of just refusing
> > to
> > do the task. You would then enter "Owner" as the admin name and the
> > password
> > for the "Owner" account in order to be able to proceed with the task. It's
> > a
> > recommended way of using Vista. When you're logged in as an admin and try
> > to
> > do something that requires admin credentials UAC will simply ask you if
> > you
> > wish to proceed. If you choose yes it assumes you know what you're doing
> > and
> > activates the admin credentials to perform the task. (That's the default
> > setting, anyway.)
> >
> > I hope you get it figured out. I can imagine that this situation is very
> > annoying.
> >
> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >
> >> To clarify, I succeeded in changing "owner" to my name on the folder that
> >> shows up on the desktop and in the start menu, but not "Owner" in the
> >> actual
> >> Users file, which is what I tried.
> >>
> >> Kristy
> >> "Kcpirana" <kcpirana@aol.com> wrote in message
> >> news:OqcxfuBmHHA.4032@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >> > OK, I used "compmgmt.msc" and I don't see "local users and groups"
> >> > anywhere.
> >> >
> >> > Let's see - I booted up the computer and started working and using the
> >> > account that was there when I booted up. When looking for the
> >> > administrator account, I did try to rename the Owner folder with my
> >> > name
> >> > and I succeeded in the regular user accounts area, but not in changing
> >> > the
> >> > name "Owner". I tried to correct that, and that's when two Owner
> >> > accounts
> >> > showed up and I have no access to the Control Panel, etc. I can't
> >> > perform
> >> > a system restore, as the "there was an error detected in the Volume
> >> > Shadow
> >> > Copy Service." I'm afraid to log off, as I've never set any passwords
> >> > and
> >> > my account is somehow lost or changed, even though I'm on it right now.
> >> >
> >> > Kristy
> >> >
> >> > "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:9A644E8D-B130-45B1-831C-3BEFC6E8F933@microsoft.com...
> >> >> You'd have to provide quite a bit more information for me to be sure,
> >> >> but
> >> >> I'm
> >> >> guessing that Owner is your regular account. And it is an
> >> >> administrative
> >> >> account. (You can check in User Accounts in the Control Panel to be
> >> >> sure.)
> >> >> Guest is, of course, the default Guest account, and it normally
> >> >> shouldn't
> >> >> be
> >> >> enabled. Administrator isn't showing up because you never (I hope)
> >> >> activated
> >> >> it and logged into it. You don't have to enter a password because you
> >> >> never
> >> >> created one. And you can't create an account called "Administrator"
> >> >> because
> >> >> there already IS an account with that name -- the built-in
> >> >> Administrator
> >> >> account.
> >> >>
> >> >> I can't really know this, because, as I said, you haven't given us
> >> >> enough
> >> >> information. But if you didn't take special steps to activate the
> >> >> built-in
> >> >> Administrator account, then I'm betting my guess is accurate. The only
> >> >> way
> >> >> you could accidentally wander into using the Administrator account in
> >> >> Vista
> >> >> is if the original installation of the OS was botched -- badly. So, if
> >> >> neither you nor anyone else deliberately activated that Administrator
> >> >> account
> >> >> (It's not something you do by making a couple of moves with the
> >> >> mouse.),
> >> >> I'm
> >> >> thinking you're safe.
> >> >>
> >> >> In order to activate the built-in admin account you would have had to
> >> >> issue
> >> >> a command from an Administrator-run CLI, or you would have had to use
> >> >> the
> >> >> compmgmt.msc console, or you would have had to use a special feature
> >> >> of
> >> >> the
> >> >> unattended install process. If you didn't do those, then you're
> >> >> probably
> >> >> okay.
> >> >>
> >> >> BTW, I just realized that you could just go to Start | Run, enter
> >> >> "compmgmt.msc", and hit the Enter key. If you expand Local Users and
> >> >> Groups
> >> >> in the left pane of the console and select Users, in the right pane of
> >> >> the
> >> >> window you should see ALL of your user accounts -- including the
> >> >> built-in
> >> >> Administrator account. I should have thought of that before. The only
> >> >> thing
> >> >> is that I don't know whether or not you're using one of the "crippled"
> >> >> versions of Vista. I've never looked at those, the ones that don't
> >> >> have
> >> >> policy editors. I don't know if they also don't have some version of
> >> >> the
> >> >> computer management console.
> >> >>
> >> >> Please check it out and let us know either way. If you don't find what
> >> >> you're looking for please post back with information about your Vista
> >> >> version
> >> >> and the exact steps you took in configuring this system.
> >> >>
> >> >> "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>> Guest & Owner are the only two accounts listed. In addition, the box
> >> >>> for
> >> >>> requiring user name and password is checked, but I don't enter a
> >> >>> password.
> >> >>> I don't think I even set one up.
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Kristy
> >> >>>
> >> >>> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >>> news:C4668D47-4B6C-4451-8DB7-F8C4FBA8F4A3@microsoft.com...
> >> >>> > I'm thinking you may not be in as much of a predicament as you
> >> >>> > think
> >> >>> > you
> >> >>> > are.
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> > We need a little information. Go to Start | Run. type "control
> >> >>> > userpasswords2" in the Open field, and hit the Enter key. Make a
> >> >>> > list
> >> >>> > of
> >> >>> > the
> >> >>> > accounts that are listed there, and come back to tell us what they
> >> >>> > are.
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> > i'm thinking that your "renamed" Administrator account is really a
> >> >>> > different
> >> >>> > administrative account that you gave a name to when it was
> >> >>> > automatically
> >> >>> > created for you. And your original built-in Administrator account
> >> >>> > is
> >> >>> > probably
> >> >>> > okay. It isn't active by default, so you would have had to do
> >> >>> > something to
> >> >>> > activate it deliberately to be able to be logging on to it as your
> >> >>> > regular
> >> >>> > user account. It couldn't have happened by accident. Well, not
> >> >>> > likely,
> >> >>> > anyway.
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >> >>> >
> >> >>> >> I'm not sure if I've really messed something up or not. When I
> >> >>> >> was
> >> >>> >> setting
> >> >>> >> up my computer, I forgot to set up a new account for myself and
> >> >>> >> I've
> >> >>> >> completely customized, installed to, and am using the
> >> >>> >> Administrator
> >> >>> >> account
> >> >>> >> as my primary account. Is there anyway to duplicate this account
> >> >>> >> (so
> >> >>> >> I
> >> >>> >> don't have to start from scratch) and then how would I restore
> >> >>> >> this
> >> >>> >> one
> >> >>> >> to
> >> >>> >> the use for which it was intended? Or can I create a new
> >> >>> >> administrator
> >> >>> >> account? I tried to do that, but it wouldn't let me name an
> >> >>> >> account
> >> >>> >> "Administrator" as it was already in use. When I logged off and
> >> >>> >> back
> >> >>> >> on,
> >> >>> >> however, it only showed the account that I renamed with my name.
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >> Kristy
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>> >>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >
> >>
> >>
>
>

Thanks again! I'm going to follow your directions very carefully! I doubt
my husband saw anything out of the ordinary this morning, or he would have
mentioned it, I'm pretty sure.

:-)

Kristy

"jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0056E09B-62B9-4D9C-BA48-3D86F88CF2DE@microsoft.com...
> That's good news. It sounds as though the system automatically recovered
> from
> the condition that was causing you so much grief. (It can revert
> automatically to a restore point OR it can offer the option of booting to
> a
> last known good configuration at boot time, I guess. I wonder if your
> husband
> saw anything when he started the system this morning?)
>
> No, I wouldn't activate the Administrator account. It isn't supposed to be
> activated - -except when it is automatically activated during
> emergencies --
> like when there is no other admin account available on the system.
> Normally,
> you are not allowed to log in under Administrator in Vista, and that's the
> way it's supposed to work.
>
> Another point: I suggest that you NOT delete the "bad" account -- at least
> not if it's name is very close to the name of your "good" account.
> Instead,
> rename it to something really different. Then log back in to be sure that
> you
> really are using the account you think you are using. While you are logged
> on
> to your good account, open a command line interface -- Start | Run, type
> "cmd" in the Open field, hit Enter. Look at the prompt before the blinking
> cursor in that window. It tells you where your profile for that account is
> located. Take note of it so that you know where all of your "stuff" is.
>
> Likewise, if you decided to get rid the directory under C:\Users which
> contains the profile that you think you don't need any more. Just try
> renaming that directory. If you rename it and operate without any problems
> for a few days, then go ahead and delete it.
>
> I think / hope you're okay now.
>
> Oh, and as for the "us idiots" comment. Don't be hard on yourself. Just be
> careful. After all, how do you think I learned this stuff?
>
> ;-)
>
> Trust me on this. If you're human, you're an idiot -- at least part of the
> time. The trick is to learn to minimize the damage you do.
>
> "Kcpirana" wrote:
>
>> Thank you so much for the information! I'm sorry I neglected to identify
>> my
>> OS - It's Vista Home Premium 32-bit.
>>
>> As of this morning (and my husband got up before me, so chances are he
>> just
>> booted it up because he didn't know anything about this), I can log on to
>> my
>> account as normal, access the control panel, internet options, etc, with
>> absolutely no problems. Under USERS in the CP, I see now two accounts
>> with
>> my name - both identified as adminstrators. Since it's in the CP Users
>> (accessible even to us Idiots), I imagine I can delete it without
>> concern,
>> as my now-working account is easily identifiable.
>>
>> So, barring anymore difficulties, I think I'm reading that you don't
>> *think
>> the Administrator account was activated, correct? If so, should I
>> activate
>> it?
>>
>> You have been great! Thanks so far and TIA!
>>
>> Kristy
>>
>> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:2673849C-21DF-40B7-8E28-6D6F27A3A503@microsoft.com...
>> > Okay. You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions. It is almost
>> > certainly
>> > true
>> > that you have NOT done anything to the Administrator account. You have
>> > still
>> > not told me what version of Vista you are running, but your observation
>> > that
>> > there is no Local users and groups in the Computer Management console
>> > seems
>> > to indicate that you have one of the versions of Vista that is devoid
>> > of a
>> > policy editor. (I'm not familiar with these versions. I avoid them like
>> > the
>> > plague, but only because they just wouldn't work for me. My computers
>> > all
>> > have to be members of domains, and you can't do that with computers
>> > running
>> > Windows versions that don't have policy editors.)
>> >
>> > If you boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 key repeatedly after passing the
>> > BIOS
>> > screen at startup time, you may be able to log in as Administrator (no
>> > password) and fix the system. I say "may" because it's possible that
>> > the
>> > system doesn't think your "Owner" account has been damaged sufficiently
>> > to
>> > warrant allowing the automatic logon to the built-in Administrator
>> > account.
>> > The problem is that you have done some damage (from what I can tell) to
>> > your
>> > profile, but it may not be totally disabled. In that case you may have
>> > to
>> > straighten things out from within the farkled Owner account.
>> >
>> > In the future please remember the first rule of holes: When you are in
>> > over
>> > your head, stop digging! You really must learn something about the way
>> > Vista
>> > handles its user accounts and the way ntfs permissions work before
>> > trying
>> > to
>> > do the sort of invasive manipulations you've been doing. Were you not
>> > seeing
>> > warnings from User Account Control as you made these various changes?
>> > UAC
>> > wasn't turned off, was it?
>> >
>> > You see, each user account has its own location for storing its
>> > profile.
>> > You
>> > started off, apparently, with an "Owner" account. That was probably set
>> > up
>> > by
>> > the OEM that installed the OS on your computer. Once you log on to any
>> > account in Windows a profile location with that name on the directory
>> > structure is created, and that may have been done effectively even
>> > before
>> > you
>> > ever got the computer by the unattended install method used by the OEM.
>> > Now,
>> > you could have changed name of the Owner account to one that suited you
>> > through the Windows Control Panel | User Accounts interface, but the
>> > name
>> > of
>> > the DIRECTORY where the profile for that account is stored would not
>> > (and
>> > should not) be changed at that point. If you do change the name of that
>> > directory the account won't be able to find its profile at boot time,
>> > and
>> > it
>> > will create another one, usually with an extension added to the name.
>> >
>> > I don't know what to tell you now. You might just be better off saving
>> > any
>> > data to an external drive or to another system and then doing a fresh
>> > re-installation of the OS -- assuming the OEM has provided recovery
>> > media
>> > or
>> > a recovery partition. You might also learn quite a bit by trying to fix
>> > this.
>> > It doesn't sound as though the system is really messed up badly, but it
>> > could
>> > be pretty difficult for someone who isn't familiar with the way user
>> > accounts
>> > and the file system work to fix.
>> >
>> > BTW, if you do a fresh re-installation, maybe you'll be happiest if you
>> > create a new account for yourself with your own name. Its profile will
>> > be
>> > stored under the name you choose for the account. That user account
>> > could
>> > be
>> > a non-admin user, and you would reserve the use of the Owner account
>> > for
>> > administrative purposes. The neat thing about Vista is that, when you
>> > are
>> > logged in as a non-admin and try to do something that requires admin
>> > privileges, UAC will prompt you for credentials instead of just
>> > refusing
>> > to
>> > do the task. You would then enter "Owner" as the admin name and the
>> > password
>> > for the "Owner" account in order to be able to proceed with the task.
>> > It's
>> > a
>> > recommended way of using Vista. When you're logged in as an admin and
>> > try
>> > to
>> > do something that requires admin credentials UAC will simply ask you if
>> > you
>> > wish to proceed. If you choose yes it assumes you know what you're
>> > doing
>> > and
>> > activates the admin credentials to perform the task. (That's the
>> > default
>> > setting, anyway.)
>> >
>> > I hope you get it figured out. I can imagine that this situation is
>> > very
>> > annoying.
>> >
>> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
>> >
>> >> To clarify, I succeeded in changing "owner" to my name on the folder
>> >> that
>> >> shows up on the desktop and in the start menu, but not "Owner" in the
>> >> actual
>> >> Users file, which is what I tried.
>> >>
>> >> Kristy
>> >> "Kcpirana" <kcpirana@aol.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:OqcxfuBmHHA.4032@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> >> > OK, I used "compmgmt.msc" and I don't see "local users and groups"
>> >> > anywhere.
>> >> >
>> >> > Let's see - I booted up the computer and started working and using
>> >> > the
>> >> > account that was there when I booted up. When looking for the
>> >> > administrator account, I did try to rename the Owner folder with my
>> >> > name
>> >> > and I succeeded in the regular user accounts area, but not in
>> >> > changing
>> >> > the
>> >> > name "Owner". I tried to correct that, and that's when two Owner
>> >> > accounts
>> >> > showed up and I have no access to the Control Panel, etc. I can't
>> >> > perform
>> >> > a system restore, as the "there was an error detected in the Volume
>> >> > Shadow
>> >> > Copy Service." I'm afraid to log off, as I've never set any
>> >> > passwords
>> >> > and
>> >> > my account is somehow lost or changed, even though I'm on it right
>> >> > now.
>> >> >
>> >> > Kristy
>> >> >
>> >> > "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> > news:9A644E8D-B130-45B1-831C-3BEFC6E8F933@microsoft.com...
>> >> >> You'd have to provide quite a bit more information for me to be
>> >> >> sure,
>> >> >> but
>> >> >> I'm
>> >> >> guessing that Owner is your regular account. And it is an
>> >> >> administrative
>> >> >> account. (You can check in User Accounts in the Control Panel to be
>> >> >> sure.)
>> >> >> Guest is, of course, the default Guest account, and it normally
>> >> >> shouldn't
>> >> >> be
>> >> >> enabled. Administrator isn't showing up because you never (I hope)
>> >> >> activated
>> >> >> it and logged into it. You don't have to enter a password because
>> >> >> you
>> >> >> never
>> >> >> created one. And you can't create an account called "Administrator"
>> >> >> because
>> >> >> there already IS an account with that name -- the built-in
>> >> >> Administrator
>> >> >> account.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I can't really know this, because, as I said, you haven't given us
>> >> >> enough
>> >> >> information. But if you didn't take special steps to activate the
>> >> >> built-in
>> >> >> Administrator account, then I'm betting my guess is accurate. The
>> >> >> only
>> >> >> way
>> >> >> you could accidentally wander into using the Administrator account
>> >> >> in
>> >> >> Vista
>> >> >> is if the original installation of the OS was botched -- badly. So,
>> >> >> if
>> >> >> neither you nor anyone else deliberately activated that
>> >> >> Administrator
>> >> >> account
>> >> >> (It's not something you do by making a couple of moves with the
>> >> >> mouse.),
>> >> >> I'm
>> >> >> thinking you're safe.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> In order to activate the built-in admin account you would have had
>> >> >> to
>> >> >> issue
>> >> >> a command from an Administrator-run CLI, or you would have had to
>> >> >> use
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> compmgmt.msc console, or you would have had to use a special
>> >> >> feature
>> >> >> of
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> unattended install process. If you didn't do those, then you're
>> >> >> probably
>> >> >> okay.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> BTW, I just realized that you could just go to Start | Run, enter
>> >> >> "compmgmt.msc", and hit the Enter key. If you expand Local Users
>> >> >> and
>> >> >> Groups
>> >> >> in the left pane of the console and select Users, in the right pane
>> >> >> of
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> window you should see ALL of your user accounts -- including the
>> >> >> built-in
>> >> >> Administrator account. I should have thought of that before. The
>> >> >> only
>> >> >> thing
>> >> >> is that I don't know whether or not you're using one of the
>> >> >> "crippled"
>> >> >> versions of Vista. I've never looked at those, the ones that don't
>> >> >> have
>> >> >> policy editors. I don't know if they also don't have some version
>> >> >> of
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> computer management console.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Please check it out and let us know either way. If you don't find
>> >> >> what
>> >> >> you're looking for please post back with information about your
>> >> >> Vista
>> >> >> version
>> >> >> and the exact steps you took in configuring this system.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> "Kcpirana" wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >>> Guest & Owner are the only two accounts listed. In addition, the
>> >> >>> box
>> >> >>> for
>> >> >>> requiring user name and password is checked, but I don't enter a
>> >> >>> password.
>> >> >>> I don't think I even set one up.
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>> Kristy
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> >>> news:C4668D47-4B6C-4451-8DB7-F8C4FBA8F4A3@microsoft.com...
>> >> >>> > I'm thinking you may not be in as much of a predicament as you
>> >> >>> > think
>> >> >>> > you
>> >> >>> > are.
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> > We need a little information. Go to Start | Run. type "control
>> >> >>> > userpasswords2" in the Open field, and hit the Enter key. Make a
>> >> >>> > list
>> >> >>> > of
>> >> >>> > the
>> >> >>> > accounts that are listed there, and come back to tell us what
>> >> >>> > they
>> >> >>> > are.
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> > i'm thinking that your "renamed" Administrator account is really
>> >> >>> > a
>> >> >>> > different
>> >> >>> > administrative account that you gave a name to when it was
>> >> >>> > automatically
>> >> >>> > created for you. And your original built-in Administrator
>> >> >>> > account
>> >> >>> > is
>> >> >>> > probably
>> >> >>> > okay. It isn't active by default, so you would have had to do
>> >> >>> > something to
>> >> >>> > activate it deliberately to be able to be logging on to it as
>> >> >>> > your
>> >> >>> > regular
>> >> >>> > user account. It couldn't have happened by accident. Well, not
>> >> >>> > likely,
>> >> >>> > anyway.
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
>> >> >>> >
>> >> >>> >> I'm not sure if I've really messed something up or not. When I
>> >> >>> >> was
>> >> >>> >> setting
>> >> >>> >> up my computer, I forgot to set up a new account for myself and
>> >> >>> >> I've
>> >> >>> >> completely customized, installed to, and am using the
>> >> >>> >> Administrator
>> >> >>> >> account
>> >> >>> >> as my primary account. Is there anyway to duplicate this
>> >> >>> >> account
>> >> >>> >> (so
>> >> >>> >> I
>> >> >>> >> don't have to start from scratch) and then how would I restore
>> >> >>> >> this
>> >> >>> >> one
>> >> >>> >> to
>> >> >>> >> the use for which it was intended? Or can I create a new
>> >> >>> >> administrator
>> >> >>> >> account? I tried to do that, but it wouldn't let me name an
>> >> >>> >> account
>> >> >>> >> "Administrator" as it was already in use. When I logged off
>> >> >>> >> and
>> >> >>> >> back
>> >> >>> >> on,
>> >> >>> >> however, it only showed the account that I renamed with my
>> >> >>> >> name.
>> >> >>> >>
>> >> >>> >> Kristy
>> >> >>> >>
>> >> >>> >>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>

You've very welcome, Kristy. Please post back if you run into any problems
with the cleanup.

"Kcpirana" wrote:

> Thanks again! I'm going to follow your directions very carefully! I doubt
> my husband saw anything out of the ordinary this morning, or he would have
> mentioned it, I'm pretty sure.
>
> :-)
>
> Kristy
>
> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0056E09B-62B9-4D9C-BA48-3D86F88CF2DE@microsoft.com...
> > That's good news. It sounds as though the system automatically recovered
> > from
> > the condition that was causing you so much grief. (It can revert
> > automatically to a restore point OR it can offer the option of booting to
> > a
> > last known good configuration at boot time, I guess. I wonder if your
> > husband
> > saw anything when he started the system this morning?)
> >
> > No, I wouldn't activate the Administrator account. It isn't supposed to be
> > activated - -except when it is automatically activated during
> > emergencies --
> > like when there is no other admin account available on the system.
> > Normally,
> > you are not allowed to log in under Administrator in Vista, and that's the
> > way it's supposed to work.
> >
> > Another point: I suggest that you NOT delete the "bad" account -- at least
> > not if it's name is very close to the name of your "good" account.
> > Instead,
> > rename it to something really different. Then log back in to be sure that
> > you
> > really are using the account you think you are using. While you are logged
> > on
> > to your good account, open a command line interface -- Start | Run, type
> > "cmd" in the Open field, hit Enter. Look at the prompt before the blinking
> > cursor in that window. It tells you where your profile for that account is
> > located. Take note of it so that you know where all of your "stuff" is.
> >
> > Likewise, if you decided to get rid the directory under C:\Users which
> > contains the profile that you think you don't need any more. Just try
> > renaming that directory. If you rename it and operate without any problems
> > for a few days, then go ahead and delete it.
> >
> > I think / hope you're okay now.
> >
> > Oh, and as for the "us idiots" comment. Don't be hard on yourself. Just be
> > careful. After all, how do you think I learned this stuff?
> >
> > ;-)
> >
> > Trust me on this. If you're human, you're an idiot -- at least part of the
> > time. The trick is to learn to minimize the damage you do.
> >
> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >
> >> Thank you so much for the information! I'm sorry I neglected to identify
> >> my
> >> OS - It's Vista Home Premium 32-bit.
> >>
> >> As of this morning (and my husband got up before me, so chances are he
> >> just
> >> booted it up because he didn't know anything about this), I can log on to
> >> my
> >> account as normal, access the control panel, internet options, etc, with
> >> absolutely no problems. Under USERS in the CP, I see now two accounts
> >> with
> >> my name - both identified as adminstrators. Since it's in the CP Users
> >> (accessible even to us Idiots), I imagine I can delete it without
> >> concern,
> >> as my now-working account is easily identifiable.
> >>
> >> So, barring anymore difficulties, I think I'm reading that you don't
> >> *think
> >> the Administrator account was activated, correct? If so, should I
> >> activate
> >> it?
> >>
> >> You have been great! Thanks so far and TIA!
> >>
> >> Kristy
> >>
> >> "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:2673849C-21DF-40B7-8E28-6D6F27A3A503@microsoft.com...
> >> > Okay. You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions. It is almost
> >> > certainly
> >> > true
> >> > that you have NOT done anything to the Administrator account. You have
> >> > still
> >> > not told me what version of Vista you are running, but your observation
> >> > that
> >> > there is no Local users and groups in the Computer Management console
> >> > seems
> >> > to indicate that you have one of the versions of Vista that is devoid
> >> > of a
> >> > policy editor. (I'm not familiar with these versions. I avoid them like
> >> > the
> >> > plague, but only because they just wouldn't work for me. My computers
> >> > all
> >> > have to be members of domains, and you can't do that with computers
> >> > running
> >> > Windows versions that don't have policy editors.)
> >> >
> >> > If you boot into Safe Mode (hit F8 key repeatedly after passing the
> >> > BIOS
> >> > screen at startup time, you may be able to log in as Administrator (no
> >> > password) and fix the system. I say "may" because it's possible that
> >> > the
> >> > system doesn't think your "Owner" account has been damaged sufficiently
> >> > to
> >> > warrant allowing the automatic logon to the built-in Administrator
> >> > account.
> >> > The problem is that you have done some damage (from what I can tell) to
> >> > your
> >> > profile, but it may not be totally disabled. In that case you may have
> >> > to
> >> > straighten things out from within the farkled Owner account.
> >> >
> >> > In the future please remember the first rule of holes: When you are in
> >> > over
> >> > your head, stop digging! You really must learn something about the way
> >> > Vista
> >> > handles its user accounts and the way ntfs permissions work before
> >> > trying
> >> > to
> >> > do the sort of invasive manipulations you've been doing. Were you not
> >> > seeing
> >> > warnings from User Account Control as you made these various changes?
> >> > UAC
> >> > wasn't turned off, was it?
> >> >
> >> > You see, each user account has its own location for storing its
> >> > profile.
> >> > You
> >> > started off, apparently, with an "Owner" account. That was probably set
> >> > up
> >> > by
> >> > the OEM that installed the OS on your computer. Once you log on to any
> >> > account in Windows a profile location with that name on the directory
> >> > structure is created, and that may have been done effectively even
> >> > before
> >> > you
> >> > ever got the computer by the unattended install method used by the OEM.
> >> > Now,
> >> > you could have changed name of the Owner account to one that suited you
> >> > through the Windows Control Panel | User Accounts interface, but the
> >> > name
> >> > of
> >> > the DIRECTORY where the profile for that account is stored would not
> >> > (and
> >> > should not) be changed at that point. If you do change the name of that
> >> > directory the account won't be able to find its profile at boot time,
> >> > and
> >> > it
> >> > will create another one, usually with an extension added to the name.
> >> >
> >> > I don't know what to tell you now. You might just be better off saving
> >> > any
> >> > data to an external drive or to another system and then doing a fresh
> >> > re-installation of the OS -- assuming the OEM has provided recovery
> >> > media
> >> > or
> >> > a recovery partition. You might also learn quite a bit by trying to fix
> >> > this.
> >> > It doesn't sound as though the system is really messed up badly, but it
> >> > could
> >> > be pretty difficult for someone who isn't familiar with the way user
> >> > accounts
> >> > and the file system work to fix.
> >> >
> >> > BTW, if you do a fresh re-installation, maybe you'll be happiest if you
> >> > create a new account for yourself with your own name. Its profile will
> >> > be
> >> > stored under the name you choose for the account. That user account
> >> > could
> >> > be
> >> > a non-admin user, and you would reserve the use of the Owner account
> >> > for
> >> > administrative purposes. The neat thing about Vista is that, when you
> >> > are
> >> > logged in as a non-admin and try to do something that requires admin
> >> > privileges, UAC will prompt you for credentials instead of just
> >> > refusing
> >> > to
> >> > do the task. You would then enter "Owner" as the admin name and the
> >> > password
> >> > for the "Owner" account in order to be able to proceed with the task.
> >> > It's
> >> > a
> >> > recommended way of using Vista. When you're logged in as an admin and
> >> > try
> >> > to
> >> > do something that requires admin credentials UAC will simply ask you if
> >> > you
> >> > wish to proceed. If you choose yes it assumes you know what you're
> >> > doing
> >> > and
> >> > activates the admin credentials to perform the task. (That's the
> >> > default
> >> > setting, anyway.)
> >> >
> >> > I hope you get it figured out. I can imagine that this situation is
> >> > very
> >> > annoying.
> >> >
> >> > "Kcpirana" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> To clarify, I succeeded in changing "owner" to my name on the folder
> >> >> that
> >> >> shows up on the desktop and in the start menu, but not "Owner" in the
> >> >> actual
> >> >> Users file, which is what I tried.
> >> >>
> >> >> Kristy
> >> >> "Kcpirana" <kcpirana@aol.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:OqcxfuBmHHA.4032@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> >> >> > OK, I used "compmgmt.msc" and I don't see "local users and groups"
> >> >> > anywhere.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Let's see - I booted up the computer and started working and using
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > account that was there when I booted up. When looking for the
> >> >> > administrator account, I did try to rename the Owner folder with my
> >> >> > name
> >> >> > and I succeeded in the regular user accounts area, but not in
> >> >> > changing
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > name "Owner". I tried to correct that, and that's when two Owner
> >> >> > accounts
> >> >> > showed up and I have no access to the Control Panel, etc. I can't
> >> >> > perform
> >> >> > a system restore, as the "there was an error detected in the Volume
> >> >> > Shadow
> >> >> > Copy Service." I'm afraid to log off, as I've never set any
> >> >> > passwords
> >> >> > and
> >> >> > my account is somehow lost or changed, even though I'm on it right
> >> >> > now.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Kristy
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "jimmuh" <jimmuh@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> >> > news:9A644E8D-B130-45B1-831C-3BEFC6E8F933@microsoft.com...
> >> >> >> You'd have to provide quite a bit more information for me to be
> >> >> >> sure,
> >> >> >> but
> >> >> >> I'm
> >> >> >> guessing that Owner is your regular account. And it is an
> >> >> >> administrative
> >> >> >> account. (You can check in User Accounts in the Control Panel to be
> >> >> >> sure.)
> >> >> >> Guest is, of course, the default Guest account, and it normally
> >> >> >> shouldn't
> >> >> >> be
> >> >> >> enabled. Administrator isn't showing up because you never (I hope)
> >> >> >> activated
> >> >> >> it and logged into it. You don't have to enter a password because
> >> >> >> you
> >> >> >> never
> >> >> >> created one. And you can't create an account called "Administrator"
> >> >> >> because
> >> >> >> there already IS an account with that name -- the built-in
> >> >> >> Administrator
> >> >> >> account.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> I can't really know this, because, as I said, you haven't given us
> >> >> >> enough
> >> >> >> information. But if you didn't take special steps to activate the
> >> >> >> built-in
> >> >> >> Administrator account, then I'm betting my guess is accurate. The
> >> >> >> only
> >> >> >> way
> >> >> >> you could accidentally wander into using the Administrator account
> >> >> >> in
> >> >> >> Vista
> >> >> >> is if the original installation of the OS was botched -- badly. So,
> >> >> >> if
> >> >> >> neither you nor anyone else deliberately activated that
> >> >> >> Administrator
> >> >> >> account
> >> >> >> (It's not something you do by making a couple of moves with the
> >> >> >> mouse.),
> >> >> >> I'm
> >> >> >> thinking you're safe.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> In order to activate the built-in admin account you would have had
> >> >> >> to
> >> >> >> issue
> >> >> >> a command from an Administrator-run CLI, or you would have had to
> >> >> >> use
> >> >> >> the
> >> >> >> compmgmt.msc console, or you would have had to use a special
> >> >> >> feature
> >> >> >> of
> >> >> >> the
> >> >> >> unattended install process. If you didn't do those, then you're
> >> >> >> probably
> >> >> >> okay.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> BTW, I just realized that you could just go to Start | Run, enter