when using command prompt

[D_block]

when using command prompt in win-xp , the net user command to be exact there is one problem i cant get around. i dont know if its the same on vista too but ...

For e.g: if i launch the net user command it normally states the accounts that are on the pc.

so say for this instance the accounts on the windows machine are : Administrator, John, sharon, K & S Towne and off course the normal help accounts which are default .

given that John has Admin privilages and sharon and K & S Towne are limited users.

when im logged in as the Administrator ( which normally is hidden from view ) and all the other accounts are password protected, i usually use the " net user John * " then the return key twice to remove the passwords depending on who or what i, doing , the problem is now. How do i execute any such commands on the K & S Towne Account ? As many times that ive met accounts with more than one word the net user command does work with them. is there a way to execute the net user command on Accounts which have multiple word or names on its ID E.G ( K & S Towne )

Any help will be good !!

[IcemanND]

enclose the text that has spaces in it with double quotes.

Net user "K & S Towne" .......

[jaclaz]

It is possible that the problem is not in "more than one word" but rather in the use of the "&" sign, which is a reserved character.

If the quotes do not work, you can try "escaping" the character, using && instead.

jaclaz

[D_block]

well once is the case that i've met the the "&" sign , but the other times it usually is double words like " sexy chick " or " tall man " .. what i remember is that when executing the net user command if i going to change your pass word its basically the same process. "net user <account> <pword>" now by using a log in id with 2 words or more im thinking that maybe windows is reading it as a user name and password ?

[jaclaz]

By default the "separator" in command line and batches is the "space", thus yes, a program that shoud be called as:

program.exe param1 param2 param3

will not interpret properly a command line like:

program.exe param1 para m2 param3

as:

1st parameter=param1

2nd parameter=para

3rd parameter=m2

4th parameter=param3

By placing quotes around "para m2" you will obtain:

1st parameter=param1

2nd parameter=para m2

3rd parameter=param3

so with "normal" characters everything will be allright, but if a "reserved" character is used like %&<>=|^ to list a few, putting the two (or three) words between quotes may not be enough.

jaclaz

[Noise]

Did you try:

Net user "K %& S Towne" ....... ???

Sometimes the percent sign helps

[jaclaz]

Did you try:

Net user "K %& S Towne" ....... ???

Sometimes the percent sign helps

Well, NO.

The percent sign is the reserved character used to indicate a variable....

There are usually two ways to "escape" special characters, either "doubling" them like in "&&" or using the caret, like in "^&", (I presume that the second may work in this case) but the only way to know if either work would be to test them.

jaclaz

[D_block]

By default the "separator" in command line and batches is the "space", thus yes, a program that shoud be called as:

QUOTE

program.exe param1 param2 param3

will not interpret properly a command line like:

QUOTE

program.exe param1 para m2 param3

as:

1st parameter=param1

2nd parameter=para

3rd parameter=m2

4th parameter=param3

By placing quotes around "para m2" you will obtain:

1st parameter=param1

2nd parameter=para m2

3rd parameter=param3

i more lost now than when i started ..lol

an example will do guys and as i said b4 i also get this problem when the account name is 2 words for example " tall man "

you know it is very easy to create a limited account on your machine an try doing what i say im getting the problem with , for hands on experience

[mafadecay]

Example 1 for username: john smith to reset password to your choice type following from run or cmd prompt (If I use a new line this means press enter key).

net user "john smith" *

Enter password now (prob shows up in ********)

Confirm Password now (again will appear hidden in ********)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Example 2 for username: John & Joe to reset password type

net user "john && joe" *

Enter password now (prob shows up in ********)

Confirm Password now (again will appear hidden in ********)

If above example 2 fails try the following but I have always used the double and &&

net user "john ^& joe" *

Enter password now (prob shows up in ********)

Confirm Password now (again will appear hidden in ********)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can I just ask why this is a problem for you?

Edited October 9, 2008 by mafadecay

[D_block]

well it is a problem for me because , im going to do a fresh install on a dell machine but i want to preserve all the data on it , i have access to the original Administrator account so i normally use net user to clear passwords to do my back up ... plus ive got this same problem before where there are two words in the id an i jus got fed up of trying an used " Bart PE " to do the job.... so its jus info on my part

ill tell u which one worked !!

[os2fan2]

File names and parameters with spaces appear in quotes eg "T J Smith"

Reserved characters can be escaped with ^, eg ^& or ^" or ^%. The variable %% expands to %.

& separates commands on the same line, eg echo hi & goto :end

&& is a conditional &, the second command is executed if the first succeeds.

|| is a conditional or, ie "do something || echo something failed." will say 'something failed' only when it fails.