Tech Support > Microsoft Windows > Log On As Administrator?
Log On As Administrator?
Posted by mwebsurfer on May 9th, 2008


Stupid question but how does one log on as administrator?
I have a piece of software that requires that I do this
before installing. Never had to do this previously. Any
help will be appreciated.

Posted by GreenieLeBrun on May 9th, 2008




mwebsurfer wrote:
XP home - start in safe mode and logon as Administrator, the password should
be blank

XP Pro - Press Ctrl-Alt-Del twice at the logon screen



Posted by TaurArian on May 9th, 2008


Hi there, most likely your user account that you log on with has administrator's
privileges.

Basically the Administrator they mention is a user account that has privileges not like a
guest account that has limited access.

Try loading the software like you normally would and if it doesn't work, perhaps someone
can explain it a little better than myself.
K



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TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
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How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
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"mwebsurfer" <mwebsurfer@verizon.net> wrote in message news:IVOUj.3933$Ve.587@trnddc08...
| Stupid question but how does one log on as administrator?
| I have a piece of software that requires that I do this
| before installing. Never had to do this previously. Any
| help will be appreciated.


Posted by M.I.5¾ on May 9th, 2008



"GreenieLeBrun" <GreenieLeBrun@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e4iFoZYsIHA.5872@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
Accurate though this response is, you should only use the account named
'Administrator' for emergency use. If your normal account is an
administrator account then use that. If your normal account is limited then
create an administrator account.

It is generally recommended that even if you are the sole user of a
computer, then the 'Administrator' account should be reserved for emergency
use*, everyday useage should be on a limited account and a separate
administrator account be used for installing software or other functions
that require such an account.

Having said that, I have to admit that I totally ignore that advice and use
an administrator account for day to day useage. Another user of my network
that would not normally require administrator privileges also has an
administrator account. This is primarily because we both run several
applications that will not run under a limited account.

*Microsoft obviously disagree because this account was deleted from Vista,



Posted by 8n20_C# on May 9th, 2008


You can also right click on the program you wanna install or run,
and select "Run as administrator".

Type in the admin password (it should be blank, if no one has
set it), and confirm.

Your setup program will run with admin privileges, and your
account will remain a standard one (if it's so).

Bye!

Posted by Bruce Chambers on May 9th, 2008


M.I.5¾ wrote:

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

Posted by Bruce Chambers on May 9th, 2008


M.I.5¾ wrote:

I completely agree, in principle, but the OP may have run up against
one rare, poorly written applications that are actually hard-coded to be
installed *ONLY* by the *Administrator* local account.

It should never happen, I've encountered a very small sampling of
installation routines that had actually been written so that they would
work *only* when run from the built-in Administrator account, and then
only if the account hadn't been renamed, as is a common security practice.

I could not install these applications using a domain
administrative account, nor using the renamed built-in administrator
account. I actually had to disconnect the machine from the domain (as a
security precaution) and rename the built-in administrator account to
"Administrator" before the installation routine would work. Stupidest
thing I've ever encountered; but some developers simply have no concept
of multiple user accounts and/or proper security.

Of course, this condition is a limitation of those specific, poorly
written applications, not the operating system. When installation
routines are properly written, there is no functional difference between
the built-in Administrator account and any other accounts that are
members of the local Administrators group.


Snipped....


Untrue. Vista still has the built-in Administrator account, also
"hidden" like WinXP's. It's simply disabled by default, and becomes
active only if there are no other accounts with administrative
privileges present, thereby reinforcing the "emergency use only" purpose
of the account. It can, however, easily be enabled by the computer
user, and even displayed on the Welcome screen, if so desired.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

Posted by XweAponX on May 10th, 2008


"Bruce Chambers" wrote:


-Hey I know a guy named Bruce Chambers... You play Sax? Hah.

If you use the TweakUI Plugin for XP, you can tell it to show and allow
Administrator logins from the main login screen... It all depends on how you
have Windows booting... If you have fast user switching and the Welcome
Screen turned on, it looks different than it does if you have them turned off.

Normally, you got to do that ctrl-alt-del trick when it shows your logon
screen.

VistShit has all this built in and you can tell it to show the Admin screen.

The Admin Password for XP is always set at Windows Installation, unless you
have a DELL install cd, which just assumes a blank password.

Usually I set the admin password as something simple, but if you leave it
black people using wireless sniffers cant get into your network and remote
admin you.