Windows XP Question

[b4s!l]

Hello, I was wondering, the way to get into a adminstrator's account by going into safe mode, how can you disable that way? thanks.

regards,
basil

[AngelicKnight]

Ok, depends on how you're set up -- Is your machine password protected, or are you automatically taken to your desktop upon boot up?

[pooh sun tzu]

Ok, depends on how you're set up -- Is your machine password protected, or are you automatically taken to your desktop upon boot up?

That won't matter, as he said safe mode and thus it requires a login choice of admin or another user. Either way, the admin account would be avaliable and that is what he wants gone.

NOTE: Before you disable the local Administrator account, make sure that there is at least one other local or network user who can gain access to the computer with administrator permissions. Otherwise, you will not be able to reverse this action in the future.

1. Log on as Administrator, or as a user with administrator permissions.
2. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
3. In the left pane, expand the Local Users and Groups node, and then click Users.
4. In the right pane, double-click the Administrator account.
5. On the General tab, select the Account is disabled check box, and then click OK.
6. Quit the Computer Management console. The new setting take effect the next time you attempt to log on to this computer.

Enjoy.

[jinxy]

AFAIK you can not disable the Administrators account. Just make sure it is protected with a strong password. As for the other accounts that have administrative privalagise, these you can delete from within control pannel>users.

Hope this helps.



PS.........Conserning your signature..............Your airforce is the largest, but only second best. LOL

Edit.

Poo is quite correct. However that option is not available on xp home..

Edit

[Enkrypt This]

You can also set up a BIOS password. So That users can't even acess Safe Mode in the first place !

btw: At my school the admin disabled Safe Mode, i tried to access it, and it gave me some error. It couldn't know that i was a "limited user" since i was only booting up, so how can you disable Safe Mode in the first place ?

[AngelicKnight]

That won't matter, as he said safe mode and thus it requires a login choice of admin or another user.

Really? Dang, goes to show how sucky my memory is! So what would happen if you booted into safe mode without first setting up an admin password?

While we're on the topic, another question out of curiosity -- I was setting up a company laptop the other day on XP pro, and tried to rename the administrator (which was at the time a company name instead of "administrator"), but it told me "administrator already exists"...even though the account I was trying to rename was the administrator account! So, I finally gave up and settled with admin.

[b4s!l]

I was thinking of this setup.

Adminstrator == Disabled

Joey (Passworded) == Enabled (Admin rights)

Guest (Non Passworded) == Enabled (Limited Rights)


I do not know if this is clear enough, but this would be able to fix the Safe mode glitch? Also, thanks for everyones help, I needed this badly.

[jinxy]

I'm not sure how others will feel about this but i would be warry of disabling The Administrators account. As you will need access to it to do a system recovery using the console.

[pooh sun tzu]

It couldn't know that i was a "limited user" since i was only booting up, so how can you disable Safe Mode in the first place ?

scratch that program I listed, they changed it recently to not include that option!!! I'll find a new one and post it ASAP

So what would happen if you booted into safe mode without first setting up an admin password?

Instalogin.

I'm not sure how others will feel about this but i would be warry of disabling The Administrators account. As you will need access to it to do a system recovery using the console.

Agreed, but that would simply mean you need to not fsck your system.

I do not know if this is clear enough, but this would be able to fix the Safe mode glitch? Also, thanks for everyones help, I needed this badly.

In theory and in practice yes. I just tested it and it works, so long as you have that one extra administrator account Now Administrator won't show up.

Poo is quite correct. However that option is not available on xp home..

If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, by default, all users have Administrator privileges and the User name is "Owner". However, if you are using XP Pro, it is safer to disable it completely with the method I posted near the beginning of this thread, than with this method! Only use the below with Windows XP Home!

# My Computer
# Control Panel
# Performance and Maintenance
# Administrator Tools
# Computer Management
# Local Users and Groups
# Double-click the User folder
# Right-click "Guest"and select "Properties".
# In the General Tab, check "Account is Disabled".

Rename the Administrator(pro)/Owner(home) account

# Repeat steps 1-7 above.
# Right-click "Administrator" and select "Rename". Choose a non-obvious name. Do NOT disable this account. You may need it later.

[allenb1963]

Change the name from "administrator" to something bizarre and strange....then there is no "administrator" account for black hats and kiddies to get access to.

[edit] uhhh...sh*t....what pooh said.... :P