[nondaj]

Have just learned that it is better to create a 'limited' account for use rather than use administrator all the time. Have tried every way upside down and backwards to do so, have searched the MS Windows help pages and online trouble shooter pages but they all lead me to the same window where I cannot create a limited acct.

I can go via start - log off - switch users - administrator - create an account - type in name - next "and here is where I am given a choice of Administrator OR Limited for new account. However, the limited choice is whited out so cannot choose that.

Also have tried going start - control panel - user accounts - administrator etc. etc. and end up via the same path at the same window where the limited account is whited out.

What am I missing here or doing wrong?

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Hi nondaj!

When you go into USER ACCOUNTS through the control panel, what users are listed?

Fenor

[Fenor]

Hi nondaj!

When you go into USER ACCOUNTS through the control panel, what users are listed?

Fenor

[nondaj]

I have two accounts listed as thus:

ADMINISTRATOR GUEST ACCOUNT
computer administrator guest account is on


Am unclear if the first listing means one or two accounts here?

And more info if needed: Am on XP-Pro SP2

[Fenor]

What you are using, which I don't know how it actually happened, is the built-in Administrator account. You are correct in that you don't want to be using this account for everyday computer use. What you want to do is create a new user and have it be a COMPUTER ADMINISTRATOR. This is the type of account the owner of a computer should be using. You only use Limited accounts when say a mother or father has kids and they don't want their kids to be able to install instant messaging programs and such.

The reason you can't create a Limited user account is that you don't have a normal Computer Administrator account created yet. You will see after you create a new Computer Administrator account, that you will now be able to create a Limited account. I still suggest that you don't do this if you are the owner and only user of this computer, but the choice is ultimately up to you.

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 07 June 2006 - 05:54 PM.

[nondaj]

I think I understand it now. I did not set up my PC so have never gotten into this feature of it yet. Had just now read/heard that one should not use administrator for daily use.

So as I understand it, I should go to this admin. acct. that is there and create an account named computer administrator and use this for daily use. Yes, I am the only person on my PC so do not need a limited account if they are for what you say they are.

And after I create the computer administrator account then I should just have the three accounts showing: administrator, computer administrator and guest account? Correct?

The only thing I do not quite understand is why under the account that is showing ADMINISTRATOR
computer administrator { these words are showing

[Fenor]

So as I understand it, I should go to this admin. acct. that is there and create an account named computer administrator and use this for daily use. Yes, I am the only person on my PC so do not need a limited account if they are for what you say they are.

You do not need to call the account computer administrator, you can call it whatever you want. It will just be of TYPE computer administrator. As you can see there are two types of accounts you can create, computer administrator and limited user.

And after I create the computer administrator account then I should just have the three accounts showing: administrator, computer administrator and guest account? Correct?

Yes

The only thing I do not quite understand is why under the account that is showing ADMINISTRATOR
computer administrator { these words are showing

Computer Administrator is the type of account the ADMINISTRATOR account is.

Fenor

[nondaj]

Well got myself into trouble. I went to proper window and created another admin. account from the first one but when the PC booted up I had lost all my settings from Admin. account and now had blank desktops for new account I created and guest account. There was no way I could get back to the main Admin. account through I tried every route possible. Finally had to do a system restore in order to normalize things again. So not sure what went wrong. Even tried from the new account to change it to a limited one but again - everything was grayed out. Seemed everything I tried got me to a window where info I needed was grayed out.

[Fenor]

When you create a new account you will lose any personalized settings, like number and location of icons on the desktop, wallpaper, screensaver settings, etc... This is normal. Recreate the account again and change the settings back to the way you would like them to be.

Fenor

[nondaj]

I tried to recreate the account again but if I remember right I could not because either the area was grayed out or there was no way to create a new account from the new account I had just created. Am afraid to go through it all again for fear I will lose my settings and all my info. Should do a back up before I go further with the accounts business.

[Fenor]

You won't lose any of your files that are in my documents as long as you don't delete the files yourrself. Once you create the new account, you can go to C:\Documents and Settings\<oldaccountnamehere>\My Documents and C:\Documents and Settings\<oldaccountnamehere>\Desktop, and then copy and paste anything you want here to the My Documents folder or onto the desktop, for the newly created account. As for changing settings, it's not really that bad and the only main one's that would need to be changed is the screen resolution, then wallpaper (background image on desktop) and screensaver. Other then that there really isn't much to change for the normal everyday user.

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 10 June 2006 - 05:41 AM.

[nondaj]

will have to backup my whole system before I give it another go just to reassure myself but will try re-establishing the files like you suggest. Many thanks for all your help - keepin' on keeping on:)