Super admin account for Win XP

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

When I built a new machine recently I installed Windows XP on it and
skipped the setup step of making an Admin account to use in emergencies. I
have only one user account which has admin authority. I then went back in
to create another user account with admin authority.

What I really want/need to do is have an account (hidden or not, doesn't
matter) that has super-admin authority such that I could 'see' the
files/folders of any user account on the machine.

Can I do this and how?

Thanks!
Walter

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Walter Cohen wrote:
> When I built a new machine recently I installed Windows XP on it and
> skipped the setup step of making an Admin account to use in emergencies.


No, it didn't "skip the step." The built-in Administrator account is
created automatically, and cannot be deleted. By default, WinXP Pro
will ask the user to create a password for this account during
installation, but WinXP Home will not. By design, the only way to log
into the Administrator account of WinXP Home is to reboot into Safe
Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen
will produce the standard login dialog box.

The built-in Administrator account isn't intended to be used for
day-to-day normal use. The standard security practice is to set a
strong password on it and use it only to create another account for
regular use, reserving the Administrator account as a "back door" in
case something corrupts your regular account(s).

> I
> have only one user account which has admin authority. I then went back in
> to create another user account with admin authority.
>


That would make a total of 3 accounts with administrative privileges,
counting the built-in Administrator account.


> What I really want/need to do is have an account (hidden or not, doesn't
> matter) that has super-admin authority such that I could 'see' the
> files/folders of any user account on the machine.


There's no such thing as a "super-admin" account. All administrative
accounts have the same capabilities. Any administrative account can
"see" the files of other users, by the simple expedient of taking
ownership of them. (This is a check-and-balance measure to ensure that
unscrupulous administrators can't pry/snoop where they shouldn't. This
may not be entirely necessary or appropriate in a home environment, but
there can only be so much flexibility when security is involved.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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