Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
If you have the password for the administrator account, you can easily elevate any other login account to have administrator privileges.
•
The administrator account is still there, it's just hidden, presumably for your protection. But we can still sign in using it, and then grant your other regular, account administrative rights.
But you will need the password for the 'Administrator' account. I'll assume you have that.
•
In Windows XP Pro, that Administrator account is not listed on the login screen, unless it's the only account on the machine. You can still log into it, though ... by rebooting into 'Safe Mode'. Press F8 when Windows begins to boot, and you'll be given a list of boot options, one of which is 'Safe Mode'. Select that, and the 'Administrator' account will appear on the login screen.
From here it's easy. Once you've signed in as 'Administrator':
-
Right-click on My Computer
-
Click on Manage
-
Expand Local Users and Groups
-
Click on Groups
-
Double click on Administrators
-
Click on Add
-
Enter the account name on this machine that you want to assign administrative privileges to.
-
OK your way back out.
Now reboot your machine normally, and the account you selected should now have administrative access.
Article C2373 - June 19, 2005 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
June 15, 2012 11:54 AM
@Josh
Clicking on the first link: "I've lost the password to my Windows Administrator account, how do I get it back?" in the "You may also be interested:" list above should answer your question.
June 15, 2012 9:19 PM
it shows that "Access is denied , Error Occurred while attempting to save properties of group adminstrators on Desktop proj56"
August 10, 2012 11:22 PM
I have just gotten a used computer from my friend and I am not able to download the adobe flash player. It is saying I need to go to the administrative asst. How do I do that and do I need a password? Because I don't have it. Please help.
Sincerely,
Bambi
December 24, 2012 11:53 AM
I've had XP for a decade, running different hardware.
F8 has NEVER brought up the safe mode screen you speak of.
Only two possibilities seem to exist:
1] i exist in some alternate dimension.
2] you're wrong
March 13, 2013 10:49 AM
Hi again Leo and friends. Your not going to believe this! I corrected my chkdsk running on every start up and gained full control again.But Now: I set myself up as an administrator along with two others that were on this used Dell 8300 home computer OS windows XP-Pro/Pent4.And limited the other two administrator's.All i have now is "one limited account" and am unable to change anything! I can sign on and go into Safe mode and everything else but am totally unable to restore "any user accounts." How can I get things back to Normal? Please help me again.thank you.Michka'el.