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From: BadBoyBurt48 on 24 May 2010 16:23
I'm a disabled senior guy. I received this computer on Freecycle.com. It
works fine, except, when I try to add,for example Adobe 9 or Java, it tells
me I need permission from the system administrator. She told me she just used
her first name (Susan) with no password. When I first booted it up I deleted
the 2 names on the desktop and added myself,(badboyburt) as a guest.
I would like to use YouTube and a few other things, but it will not accept
anything without a "system administrator" Is there anyway I can eliminate
this problem? I also have no names appearing on the desktop when I boot it
up. I just took a chance, trying whatever due to frustration and hit alt,ctrl
and delete and a window came up with Susan on it. I deleted that and typed in
my name and password and it works fine, except for being able to add anything
either with Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. Please advise,Thank you.
From: VanguardLH on 24 May 2010 17:07
BadBoyBurt48(a)yahoo.com wrote:

> I'm a disabled senior guy. I received this computer on Freecycle.com. It
> works fine, except, when I try to add,for example Adobe 9 or Java, it tells
> me I need permission from the system administrator. She told me she just used
> her first name (Susan) with no password. When I first booted it up I deleted
> the 2 names on the desktop and added myself,(badboyburt) as a guest.
> I would like to use YouTube and a few other things, but it will not accept
> anything without a "system administrator" Is there anyway I can eliminate
> this problem? I also have no names appearing on the desktop when I boot it
> up. I just took a chance, trying whatever due to frustration and hit alt,ctrl
> and delete and a window came up with Susan on it. I deleted that and typed in
> my name and password and it works fine, except for being able to add anything
> either with Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. Please advise,Thank you.

Log on using the Administrator account. It cannot be deleted. Then
change your account to put it in the Administrators group, or create
another account that has admin-level permissions. You do NOT want to
use the Administrator account except in case of emergencies. You don't
even want to use it for installing software. That's what the other
admin-level account gets used for.

Use the Start -> Help and Support menu to read the included help on how
to change your current account or create a new account.
From: Don Phillipson on 30 May 2010 09:55
"BadBoyBurt48(a)yahoo.com" <BadBoyBurt48(a)yahoo.com@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message news:3EAA006E-7888-45E0-BC3F-055A5D6A2D87(a)microsoft.com...

> I'm a disabled senior guy. I received this computer on Freecycle.com. It
> works fine, except, when I try to add,for example Adobe 9 or Java, it
tells
> me I need permission from the system administrator. She told me she just
used
> her first name (Susan) with no password. When I first booted it up I
deleted
> the 2 names on the desktop and added myself,(badboyburt) as a guest.
> I would like to use YouTube and a few other things, but it will not accept
> anything without a "system administrator" Is there anyway I can eliminate
> this problem? I also have no names appearing on the desktop when I boot it
> up. I just took a chance, trying whatever due to frustration and hit
alt,ctrl
> and delete and a window came up with Susan on it. I deleted that and typed
in
> my name and password and it works fine, except for being able to add
anything
> either with Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. Please advise,Thank you.

The difference between accounts (Administrator privileges vs.
limited User privileges) can be baffling to many beginning users
of WindowsXP. The general rules are:
1. Admin. privileges are necessary to make any changes that
would affect other users or all users.
2. To avoid errors, it is wiser to log in for everyday purposes
as a limited User rather than a privileged Admin. (We agree it
can then be irritating if you then get prompts to update software
and fail to do so for lack of privileges.)

Since Admin. privileges are prerequisite, WinXP maintains one
Admin account (hidden) that you cannot delete, whatever other
users you delete. The usual way of logging to this backup Admin.
account is:
-- At the startup or log on prompt
-- input Ctrl - Alt - Del instead of anything else (perhaps twice:
I forget exactly.)

Use or non-use of a password is a related but separate topic.
When WinXP requests a password (e.g. for Admin. authorization
of an update while loggged on as User) it works better if you
can provide one -- even if because as sole user you do not
log on with a PW. It may be convenient to configure the
hidden backup Admin. account to have PW 123456 or
something similar.

If you want to read up on these topics, and prefer a printed
manual, I recommend Microsoft WindowsXP Inside Out by
Bott and Seichert (MS Press.) The first(?) edition can be
installed on a hard drive for instant access, rapid searching etc.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)


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