[lagunasrfr]

Techguy Administrator: This has nothing to do with password cracking -- a forum no-no. It addresses a problem that could be causing a user to not be able to log in to the Hidden Administrator.


In Vista Home Premium, I was trying to activate the Hidden Administrator with the well-known run command: net user administrator /active:yes and, when trying to log in, it asked for a password, which I had never set and, of course, didn't know. I hadn't used the Hidden Admin. in many months. Naturally, I could not login to the H.A.

Since the last time I used the H.A., I created a "New Administrator" and a new "User/Administrator" as has been suggested in several forums -- as a backup in case something happens to the systems main user/administrator account.

I logged on to the "New Administrator" account and went to "manage another account" in "user accounts" in the control panel. I clicked on "Administrator" and there was a "remove password" option for the account.

I removed the password from the Administrator, logged off and got to my main user/administrator account. When I activated "Hidden Administrator" it no longer needed a password to log in.

This seems very wierd, but it appears that if you create a new administrator, Windows applies an unknown password to the hidden administrator arbitrarily making the new administrator the operative administrator.

I've searched the internet and Microsoft and haven't come up with any mention of this percularity.

[Ent]

Odd. I thought Microsoft made the new admin's password the password to the old one. Shows what I know!

[lagunasrfr]

Ent: I left out that I password protected the "New Administrator." But I tried using the new administrator's password with the "Hidden Administrator" login to no avail.

[Blackmirror]

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...windows-vista/

The account is created in Windows Vista, but since it's not enabled you can't use it. If you are troubleshooting something that needs to run as administrator, you can enable it with a simple command.

Note: You really shouldn't use this account for anything other than troubleshooting. In fact, you probably shouldn't use it at all.

[deandude1196]

Just a thought. Instead of putting in something in the password box, why not just hit enter or whatever it is. Like a no password type of thing. Or if that doesnt work, the password might be password. Although you probably already tried those things before you created another admin account, I just thought I'd say it.