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help, lost admin account


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#1
fordnut85

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Ok, so here is the story....Windows XP pro

I have been using my computer with the original "administrator" account for 2-3 years now. Well, my wife decided that she would give her puter to the kids and just use mine so I decided to set her up her own "limited" account. So I went into user accounts to create one for her but it said I had to have an admin account before I created a limited. So I created another admin account for myself using the same password I used for the admin account. Then went ahead and set her account up.

Then I restarted the puter and the "cntrl, alt, del" screen came up as usual and it did not have a "drop down" menu for the user account so I had to manually type in my user name and pass, it popped up the "wrong user name and or password" box. So I went back and tried to log into the admin account, same thing. I went back and found that I can log into my wifes account but since it is limited I can't fix anything!! I tried to log in in safe mode but got the same user name and or pass thing.

I get into her account and go to docs and settings and the only folders are Admin, shared and my wife's but the Admin folder it says is empty.

Did I loose my admin account?? Are all my files gone??

HEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!!!! Please!
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#2
Artellos

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Hello there fordnut85,

Can you still remember a name of a document you used to have?
If so, you can use the windows search to search for the document. See if it turns up.
If it does, you can see in which folder and recover your files.

Regards,
Olrik
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#3
fordnut85

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Hello there fordnut85,

Can you still remember a name of a document you used to have?
If so, you can use the windows search to search for the document. See if it turns up.
If it does, you can see in which folder and recover your files.

Regards,
Olrik


Well that was not good, I tried 4 different files I had and came up with 0 results!! :)

To top it off I tried to just switch users while logged in under the limited account......there isn't even an option to switch users :)

I opened dos and hit "net user administrator" and got the info screen for that one, then I tried the new admin account that I created and it came up with all the info. Tried to log in while in dos and got a "system error 5 access denied" report

This is not looking good
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#4
Artellos

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I'm not exactly sure how you made the new admin account.
Can you tell me in detail how you added the admin account?
This will give me an insight on how to reverse the 'damage' if there is done any damage at all. (which I doubt)

Regards,
Olrik
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#5
fordnut85

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Well I was logged in under the original admin account I had. I went to control panel then to user accounts. I attemted to set up a limited account for my wife and it said I had to add an admin account before I could add a limited. I assume an admin account other than the default one. So I did, I set up an account using my first name and the same password I use for the admin account. All was fine so I continued to set up the limited account for my wife with no password (didn't know what she wanted so I just left it blank). All seemed fine, I rebooted and the xp pro box came up ("press cntrl, alt, del blah blah blah) I did so and in the user name box was the usual "administrator" but there was no "drop down" button to drop down the menu to log on another user. So I manually typed in my new admin account and password and I got the "access denied". So I thought maybe I typed the password wrong so I tried the original admin account (default) and the password and got the same thing. So I tried the last 3-4 passwords I could remember and none of them worked. So I then tried my wife's username and no password like I had set it up and it logged right in. Near as I can tell when I set up her account I must have inadvertantly deleted both the admin accounts (although I wouldn't think windows would let me do something like that).

I am at a loss, In my documents it shows the admin docs but say they are empty when I get the cursor over them. However it does not show the new admin account I had set up before my wife's. I click the start button and go to "log off" and the window pops up just asking if I want to log off, no icon for switching users. I have tried everything I could think of but can't do anything with a limited account. No restore, no user accounts....nothing. Even tried to log on in safe mode and got the same thing.
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#6
Artellos

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Hmm.. Interesting.. I have seen some people use "net user" and get themselves in this sort of trouble but never seen it go through the Control Panel.
Can you follow steps below to give me some more information?

  • Go to Start -> Run.
  • In the Box, type in "cmd".
  • A black box will appear. Type in: "net user"
  • A lot of information will appear, Please right click the black window and hit Select All.
  • Hit "enter" to copy.
  • Then paste it into your next reply.

Lets see if we can find anything useful.

EDIT: Try to go to safe mode, try to log into the user: "Administrator" and leave the password blank. Tell me if you can get in that way.

Regards,
Olrik

Edited by Artellos, 12 August 2008 - 05:13 AM.

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#7
fordnut85

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Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Lynn>net user

User accounts for \\SERVER

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator ASPNET Duane
Guest HelpAssistant Lynn
SUPPORT_388945a0
The command completed successfully.


C:\Documents and Settings\Lynn>

I have tried the safe mode with now pass, current pass and new pass and got nowhere.
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#8
Artellos

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Well the user accounts are definitely still there.
I'm going to try a few things on my computer to see if we can get your accounts back.
In the meanwhile, can you browse to the following path:
C:\Documents and Settings\Duane\My Documents
Are your files still there?
Can you access it at all?

Regards,
Olrik
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