administrative access & initial screen

[Guest Candace]

I just bought a new computer that is running Vista Ultimate. I am the only

person using this machine and no one else had access to it. I need to know

three (3) things:

 

(1) How do I log in as "admin" on the machine? The initial screen that comes

up only shows my name as a user, it does not show a button for "admin" or

"administrator"?

 

(2) How can I verify that my user name (the only user that I set up) has

administrative privileges to the machine?

 

(3) How can I set up Vista so that when I turn on the PC it goes directly to

my desktop and does not require me to log in?

[Guest Malke]

Candace wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

> I just bought a new computer that is running Vista Ultimate. I am the only

> person using this machine and no one else had access to it. I need to know

> three (3) things:

>

> (1) How do I log in as "admin" on the machine? The initial screen that

> comes up only shows my name as a user, it does not show a button for

> "admin" or "administrator"?

>

> (2) How can I verify that my user name (the only user that I set up) has

> administrative privileges to the machine?

>

> (3) How can I set up Vista so that when I turn on the PC it goes directly

> to my desktop and does not require me to log in?</span>

 

1. Unlike XP, the built-in Administrator account is disabled by default.

There really is no need to enable it, but if you really feel you must

circumvent this security feature you can. This designed behavior is in line

with other operating systems such as OS X and some Linux distros, BTW.

 

a. Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.

b. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt, and then click

Run as Administrator.

c. When you are prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.

d. At the command prompt, type net user administrator /active:yes, and then

press ENTER.

e. Type: net user administrator <Password>, and then press ENTER.

Note: Please replace the <Password> tag with your passwords which you want

to set to administrator account.

f. Type exit, and then press ENTER.

g. Log off the current user account. You will now see an icon for

Administrator on the Welcome Screen.

 

2. Go to Control Panel>User Accounts and look at the description of your

user account. Unlike XP, it is not necessary to run as Administrator in

Vista and is, in fact, not desirable. For security purposes, you should

always run as Standard user in Vista. Do not neglect to create an extra

user account with administrative privileges for emergencies.

 

3. To log on automatically, do the same thing you would do in XP:

 

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

 

To recap, ideally you would not enable the built-in Administrator account;

you would create at least one extra administrative account that is never

logged into but only used for elevation (I call mine "Tech" or

"CompAdmin"); and you would use a Standard user account for your daily

work.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[Guest Gordon]

"Candace" <Candace@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:AB61B713-3A7F-461B-93D8-A52CE010771C@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

>

> (3) How can I set up Vista so that when I turn on the PC it goes directly

> to

> my desktop and does not require me to log in?</span>

 

You may be the only USER, but are you the only person who has ACCESS to this

machine? If not then you really need to think through the security

implication of this before you do it.

[Guest tanuj_chadha]

1. The real administrator account (super admin account), is disabled in

windows Vista. To enable that, you can read this article:

"http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html?filter[11]=User%20Accounts".

 

 

2. If you don't wish to opt for the first option. And you have the only

user account, then you are the administrator.

 

3. You can remove the password. And you don't have to enter a password

every time you login.

 

 

--

tanuj_chadha

 

Tanuj

 

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. - Karl

Marx :geek:

[Guest FromTheRafters]

"Candace" <Candace@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:AB61B713-3A7F-461B-93D8-A52CE010771C@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

>I just bought a new computer that is running Vista Ultimate. I am the only

> person using this machine and no one else had access to it. I need to know

> three (3) things:

>

> (1) How do I log in as "admin" on the machine? The initial screen that

> comes

> up only shows my name as a user, it does not show a button for "admin" or

> "administrator"?</span>

 

The default behavior of the installation of Vista is to have

you create at least one account for administrative use. It

then hides the bare bones admin account. If you are logged

on and try to do something requiring privilege elevation you

will be given an Admin Approval Mode consent prompt,

i. e. one that doesn't ask for credentials - only an aproval

to use the ones for the user account you logged in with.

<span style="color:blue">

> (2) How can I verify that my user name (the only user that I set up) has

> administrative privileges to the machine?</span>

 

The Standard User account's behavior for the above action

includes prompting you for your credentials - you will have

to supply the credentials of the administrative account to

continue the action. If your experience matches this behavior

rather than the one outlined above, your in a Standard User

account.

<span style="color:blue">

> (3) How can I set up Vista so that when I turn on the PC it goes directly

> to

> my desktop and does not require me to log in?</span>

 

Others have answered - so I'll just say it is not recommended

to do this, especially if you are running the bare bones admin

account. I guess it isn't too bad to do this with a Standard User

account - but I wouldn't do it.