Lost administrator rights

[db66]

Hi, would appreciate some help and info regarding the following.

In the past week I have installed microsoft updates to my system (XP Pro)
and having built the pc some 18 months past I am the administrator.

Today I was having problems accessing the net (problem now resolved it was a fault at AOL)

As a result of the false fault I attempted to uninstall the modem drivers and do a reinstal thinking that they may have become corrupted. When I attempted to uninstal via Add/Remove Prog a dialogue box states:

A)error loading new dev.dll and another box

B) Administrator priviliges are required to install/uninstall, or configure the dsl software

I am down as administrator but I suspect that I need to log on as the originator but I cannot see anywhere to do this.

Any help and advice much appreciated.

Regards

[photolady]

Boot into Safe Mode, and chose Administrator from there. You should be able to uninstall the driver from there.

[t34b4g5]

Greetz.

log into safe mode, and when it displays you with the logon screen, blue screen with the user accounts

just press CTRL - ALT - DEL

a new window will appear, and for the username type in administrator and just enter the chosen password that you selected during your XP install.

then do the needed un-install.

if that fails to work then please let us know.


*Edit beaten to the reply

[photolady]

In XP Pro, in Safe Mode, you don't even need to press those keys. The administrator account shows with user accounts. And most times that administrator account isn't passworded.

[db66]

Many thanks. When I do that will I be asked for my original password ? as I'm not sure that I can find it. Also will I be able to give myself Admin rights so that I don't have to go that route again?
many thanks again
BB

[photolady]

Never mind what t34b4g5 said. If you just restart the computer and tapping the F8 key to get into Safe Mode, you'll see Administrator as one of the user names. There, there is usually no password entered.

[db66]

Thank you photo ladyl I did not get back sooner because I still have modem problem that will be sorted when new one arrives.

Sometimes it works ok although I believe that something is stopping it from making the actual connection as I get messages that the connection is made but cannot get through because being stopped by Pc.

Anyway when new modem arrives I will cut my losses and do a reinstall. By the way a few months back, I think you recommended or should I say advised that most on this site use Acronis for back up. Acting on that I too purchased and it works ok so far. The 2010 version freezes when scrolling through Option Steps but is corrected by latest update. I feel safer now.

Assuming your pen name is a reference to a hobby, I recently uploaded to flickr about a dozen snaps, two fo which are Pc produced as potential car stickers for the BLT. Any comment good or otherwise appreciated. flickr 1st_grenadier.

Once again thank you for your help and to everyone who also posted.

BB-

[photolady]

Computers are my hobby, photography is my job....sometimes. I'm considered a pro photographer because I've been published.

I'm glad you got the Acronis as it is what most of us use here.

I'll check your snaps later. Right now I've got homemade cinnamon rolls in the making and they are about ready to bake.

[t34b4g5]

In XP Pro, in Safe Mode, you don't even need to press those keys. The administrator account shows with user accounts. And most times that administrator account isn't passworded.

I figured i'd throw that in with my response just in case the user has customized he's OS, there are group policies that disable the admin account from appearing, well unless you use the alt-ctrl-del to get the login prompt to appear...

OEM copies 9 times out of 10 don't have psswords, if he's formatted and re-installed in the past then there's a chance that he may of added a password during install..

Never mind what t34b4g5 said. If you just restart the computer and tapping the F8 key to get into Safe Mode, you'll see Administrator as one of the user names. There, there is usually no password entered.

as mentioned above, if it's a OEM copy and the machine came pre-installed with windows then yes there is a greater chance of no admin psswrd, but if the user has re-installed etc etc then they would of added a psswrd to the admin account.

and seeing as the OP had said

In the past week I have installed microsoft updates to my system (XP Pro)
and having built the pc some 18 months past I am the administrator.

leads to 1 assuming that he has fresh installed thus would of had to of added a admin password during the install of the OS...

so really my advice is just usefull, seeing as i actually posted details on how to reach the older login prompt to get into a admin account just in case it was not showing at the normal useraccount selection screen.

and in a corporate environment no sys admin would leave the administrator account in plain view, thus groupolicies come into place..

And to answer the OP's 2nd question if your not able to remember the password just do the following to manually re-allocate the admin account a new pssword, using the SHIFT + F10 keystroke from Windows XP Setup screen to gain access to the Command Prompt (with full rights) and changing the password.

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.



meh

[db66]

Hi mate & G'day. Will try that although I seem to have a number of probs. Sometimes I
can get I/Exp 8 which I recently installed other times nothing. Where I used to highlight
and then delete it dosen't work so that I have to use backspace.

The whole thing is running slow and I know it's not right. I am wondering if Acronis and Bullguard are in conflict in some way. I'm waiting for a new wireless modem which I should get in the next few days and then I will do a reinstall.

If it's appropriate here, after the reinstall and backing up my files, should I copy/backup

my system and app's so that next time it won't be a big deal? and would I make do this by making an "Image" of my system?.

By the way, I do have an xp pro disc.

Many thank's for your help and assistance and to all who have contributed.


regards

BB

Dorset uk

[db66]

I forgot to mention that I have scanned with Bulguard and also downloaded a file they sent me so that they could check out my pc I did this twice using two different programmes : Highjack this and Combo Fix. and my Pc was given the all clear.

For info I did see another thread somewhere here that advised to use Panda to scan files with. They advised it as Free but after the scan that took almost 2 hours I was advised that I had 16 infections and only one of which would be cleaned for free the other 15 would cost £8.49. That is how I finished up at Bullguard support who could find nothing.

Now I'm not sure if it was free scan or free scam.

Regards

BB

[Train]

Now that is change for Panda, so

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/

DO save the reports as they tell you what you have. And maybe needed so the computer can be cleaned up.

[db66]

Hi Train, I ran the eset.com and it found 2 virus I think they were: trojan.heur.renos.guW@bauad@hvirus they were put into quarrantine and then deleted I then re ran eset to make sure and it was clean. I saved the logfile to desktop but it's gone I cannot find it.

So Just to be sure I tried to download trendmicro but I dont have java installed and i am unable to install it It must be blocked from downloading but I have checked Bullguard and added it to the whitelist and it still wont go.

Theres more, I no longer have Internet options in the control panel and when I click to open it in AOL nothing happens.

Usually when a download is blocked I get the opportunity to unblock and accept it but nothing happens.

I had previously thought that I must have inadvertantly corrupted a couple of files but when I look back these problems have gradually appeared such as :

Not being able to open net explorer, Opening of aol erratic, losing the delete key facility, unable to download certain files such as java with no opportunity to overide, internet options application disappeared, and generally more time taken to boot up with various messages such as Adobe Gamma encountered a problem and needs to close, the same for Acronis.

So Far I have scanned with bullguard plus two of their checking programmes which found nothing.

Scanned with malware bytes nothing found

scanned with eset which found two virus, rescanned and it is clean.

If you have any idea how I can download java so that I can run Trendmicro I'd be obliged.

regards

BB

[db66]

I forgot, when I eventually got onto net explorer there wasn't a tool bar. This may be because it was new I recently installed it with microsoft update.

I went to aol and tried to make that the tool bar for net explorer but nothing happens. I'll try another.

BB

[Train]

I think you were infected worse than you think.

Follow the instruction here
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=197917