How to access Administrator account from Welcome Screen?

[endritius]

I have been able to log on to Windows XP administrator account by pressing CAD (Ctrl+Alt+Del) two times at the welcome screen where users are required to enter their password. When I pressed CAD x2 times a log on dialog box would pop up and i would enter the administrator user name and the password.

This option was very convenient because the administrator account was hidden and I could access it any time without having to reboot in safe mode or make it available at the log on screen.

I want to know if this option is also available on Windows 7 or is there is any similar way to do the same on Windows 7?

Thanks

[Sp0iLedBrAt]

Well, you asked for my answer, and here it is: Win7 is not my domain, and will not be until there is at least SP1 and broad-range or native coverage for hardware devices. So far, so good.

As to your troubles, I got the answer to the other issue through Google search. Why not try it for yourself? Tip: I read that the Administrator account was disabled in Vista by default. It could be the same thing with Win7.

Enjoy

Edited March 14, 2010 by Sp0iLedBrAt

[endritius]

That's true... I found your solution also by myself but I thought that it wasn't what I was looking for... anyway thanks again... I'll give Google another shot

Well, you asked for my answer, and here it is: Win7 is not my domain, and will not be until there is at least SP1 and broad-range or native coverage for hardware devices. So far, so good.

As to your troubles, I got the answer to the other issue through Google search. Why not try it for yourself? Tip: I read that the Administrator account was disabled in Vista by default. It could be the same thing with Win7.

Enjoy

[romar31]

I have been able to log on to Windows XP administrator account by pressing CAD (Ctrl+Alt+Del) two times at the welcome screen where users are required to enter their password. When I pressed CAD x2 times a log on dialog box would pop up and i would enter the administrator user name and the password.

This option was very convenient because the administrator account was hidden and I could access it any time without having to reboot in safe mode or make it available at the log on screen.

I want to know if this option is also available on Windows 7 or is there is any similar way to do the same on Windows 7?

Thanks

run cmd as administrator then type as follows: net user administrator /active:yes then hit enter. that's it.

[endritius]

Actually that is not what I'm asking for. That would leave the admin account on the welcome screen. I don't want that.

I want it to be hidden and access it by a "hot key" like XP where you hit twice CAD.

I have been able to log on to Windows XP administrator account by pressing CAD (Ctrl+Alt+Del) two times at the welcome screen where users are required to enter their password. When I pressed CAD x2 times a log on dialog box would pop up and i would enter the administrator user name and the password.

This option was very convenient because the administrator account was hidden and I could access it any time without having to reboot in safe mode or make it available at the log on screen.

I want to know if this option is also available on Windows 7 or is there is any similar way to do the same on Windows 7?

Thanks

run cmd as administrator then type as follows: net user administrator /active:yes then hit enter. that's it.

[cluberti]

You can get a semblance of the old the classic logon screen via secpol or the registry, but it doesn't behave quite as XP did (you'll get username/password boxes after pressing ctrl+alt+del, but not the old NT4-style logon box). You can either configure Vista or Win7 to use this, or the welcome screen, but not both. Pressing ctrl+alt+del twice does nothing in Vista or Win7.

[steve17]

run cmd as administrator then type as follows: net user administrator /active:yes then hit enter. that's it.

This requires you to enter the password of a healthy admin account. (unless I'm horribly confused ). What if your normal admin account gets clobbered? I guess you could put a password on Administrator to use in this case.

I normally run from a non-admin account, and also have an admin account. I create another admin account that is hidden from the login screen to use if my normal admin account gets clobbered. I hide it with the registry entry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]
"account name goes here"=dword:00000000

Such a hidden account is still enabled, and it's password can be used. I can make this account loginable from my non-admin account by running regedit using "run as different user" (hold down shift key), and using it's password. From regedit I can flip the "hide" bit in the registry.

I know I can login to Administrator from safe mode, if all admin accounts are "disabled", but I don't trust Win7 to know if my admin account is "clobbered".

Edited March 29, 2010 by steve17

[cluberti]

The admin account itself is enabled in safe mode for obvious reasons, but that's expected.