need Admin account, help!

[-=Wayuu=-]

Hi,

I'm trying to fix a computer for a relative.

The Windows XP Pro he has, has 2 admin accounts (the main and a user member of admin group) and also 1 power user. Main admin account is disabled. Only 2 users to login to at bootup.

Now to the problem. My relative opened up the properties for his account (the user w admin rights) and went to the "Members Of" section, highlighted "Administrators" and , pfff, removed that membership.
Rebooted and ofcourse his account does not show up anymore in the login.

-I've tried creating an admin account thru commands in DOS prompt and Comp Management.
-Tried "Last Known Good ....".
-Tried "Recovery Console" which asks for admin pwd (no go).
-Tried a Repair with the XP CD and that didn't enable the main admin account either.
-Tried Safe Mode with no result.

Does anyone have a solution to this or is it as I've believed all the way that for security purposes the main admin account can't be enabled or a new user admin account be created but with another user with admin rights?

A simple solution or any hacking method much appreciated.

[sec_ware]

If I understood your problem correctly, do the following:

At the logon-screen (with the 2 users) press CTRL-ALT-DEL twice.
This will pop-up the standard Windows 2kx logon-screen.

Username: Administrator
Password: The_one_you_have_chosen

[-=Wayuu=-]

thx, but guess my post is a bit messy.
Can't do that since there is NO admin account on the machine anymore, except the main one which is disabled

[hexadecimal]

so....you cant login what so ever?
or do you have access to a guest account

[nihil]

Are you sure?

If you have a "super user" they are members of the Admin group. You can only set up two sorts of account:

1. Admin
2. Limited

You cannot turn off the Administrator account, you can delete it, but only if there is another account with Admin rights.

The only account you can " turn off" is the default "guest account"

An administrator cannot delete his own account. You must use another account with admin rights.

You must have an admin account still on there...........try the "super user one"

A simple solution or any hacking method much appreciated.

Use the remaining Admin account otherwise format and re-install the OS.

EDIT:

Can't do that since there is NO admin account on the machine anymore, except the main one which is disabled

That is not possible according to Microsoft.................how are you logging into the machine then?.............are you sure it is not the Guest account that is disabled?

Otherwise reformat and reinstall would seem to be your only option.

[-=Wayuu=-]

Got a power user account enabled which I can login with. That account dont allow me to create admin account tho.

[secure_lockdown]

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

you need pysical access to machine. i use this (or something similar!) quite a few times to reset pwd on forgotten admin acc.

[nihil]

No of course it won't because you already have one which you say is disabled..........by that I suspect you probably mean "corrupted".

In the superuser account, try changing the password on the Admin account.

Otherwise delete the Admin Account and create another..............it won't let you have two the same.

You should be able to run the recovery console from the power user login.............just use that password

[-=Wayuu=-]

Originally posted here by nihil
You cannot turn off the Administrator account, you can delete it, but only if there is another account with Admin rights.

The only account you can " turn off" is the default "guest account"

An administrator cannot delete his own account. You must use another account with admin rights.

You must have an admin account still on there...........try the "super user one"

Yes, the Power User acount (or as u put it Super User) is supposed to be able to create and modify user accounts but I've tried and it won't let me with the message that I dont' have enough rights.

I think your wrong about the Admin account. The main admin account (SID ...xxxxxx-500) can NOT be deleted, ever. It can be renamed and disabled tho, as long as another "user admin" account has been created first.


LOL, what a mess this is. I'm probable reinstalling tomorrow and this time I'm creating a third admin account for ME, just in case he would do same thing or similar thing in the future.

Thx for helping out.

[jbclarkman]

my opinion is get something like: EBCD which can be found here: http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_admini...password.htm#3

Create a cd and pop it in the current computer and reboot. Than you can reset passwords or undisabled/unlock adminstrator accounts.

Hope this helps
~Jonathan