Administrator Accounts

A

AaronMcarthur

Guest
Whenever I go into the User Accounts in the control panel. Its showing the Computer Administrator which is me, Aaron. Then its showing Administrator which is password protected. I'm the only person who uses the computer, Why does it show to administrators?
 
I don't use XP to protect account. Get retinal detection identifier for secure log-in. It cost money but system must be protected at all times. I making radio controlled remote acid capsule switch for immediate hard drive destruction if information is to be compromised by intruders.
 
So the other Administrator was already inside Windows?
 
So if I had other users on my computer, I would be on the Administrator?
 
Ok, here is what's going on...

When you install Windows XP (a networking OS), you are the administrator of the system. Thus, the administrator account, "Administrator", is created with the password you set when you installed. Similar to how Linux has the "root" login for its administrator. When you add other users (such as using the Windows XP Family Adder when you install), they are administrators too. If you chose not to add those users, the only account on your machine would be the main administrator account. There is nothing wrong with the main administrator account. Just make sure that it is password protected, otherwise someone could gain access to it and use it against you.
 
How come when I installed XP it didn't just put me as the only administrator which wud be the password protected one?
 
Actually, you did it, not XP. You just don't know you did it.

When you were installing XP, do you remember a little screen asking for

1. Primary User:
2. Second Computer User
3. Third Computer User
4. Fourth Computer User

etc

When you inputted your name as the Primary User, you are actually creating a second account... Not the first account. The first account is created when it asks you for an Administrator Password. That's the first account. When you get to the screen above and start inputting names, you are actually creating the second account, the third account and so forth. If you opted to not put something in the Primary User account, the only account on the machine would be the Administrator.

Microsoft followed a Linux tactic when they did this. Similar to Linux, in which it is unsafe to do normal tasks on the machine as root, it is unsafe to do normal tasks on the computer as "Administrator." Thus, Microsoft implemented that.

You are probably going to say, "Well, I can do everything just as an administrator could with my account." That's true. But there is one difference between your account which has administrator abilities and the "Administrator" account. You can not remotely login to your computer using your username UNLESS it has a password (which most users don't). The only account that can be used to login remotely on most systems is the Administrator account. Also, Microsoft deactivated the "\\computername\c$" override in Windows XP by default. With this enabled, someone could access your computer's files from remote using the administrator account, even though you may not be sharing anything on your computer.
 
I got ya. Well I'm going to be the only user ever on this computer so the regular account for me is for me to operate, and the computer administrator is just telling me my computer is password protected and that I am in charge of it, correct?
 
I UNDERSTAND NOW! haha, thank you for your help. I got everything straightened out now.
 
one other thing, you cant keep using administrator as user cause it will keep bugging you to create another user.
 
It hadn't bugged me out of the 3 times i have re-installed XP Pro and been using it?
 
I didn't read through this entire thread, so if I'm redundant, forgive...here goes;

the administrator has more rights then any administrator, and you should not log in as the administrator, unless you need those rights...they are seperate, and unequal accounts...THE administrator, and AN administrator
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
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