Windows Vista help: administrative privileges

[Cysma]

I still have my computer from when I lived with my parents, but the only account I can access on it is not an administrative account. I can't access very many websites, I can't install or uninstall programs, and it automatically locks me out for certain hours of the day. Is there any way I can regain User Account Control?

 

[Nocturnal Pulse]

Call your parents and get the password for the main account.

 

[Cysma]

And if that doesn't work? What then?

 

[Devious Slave]

Go to Best Buy and they will help you put everything back to normal. You will have to pay also I think this belongs in the questions forum...

 

[Cysma]

But isn't there a way to find out the password? If your computer can recognize it, then it must certainly be stored in its files somewhere! All we would have to do is find out where it is and decode it, right?

 

[Misha Hiroki]

Nope. Unless whoever set the password put a hint that you can decipher, you're right screwed my friend.

 

[vampire seduction]

First of all, DO NOT go to Best Buy. Chances are they will do more harm than good. If you are lucky, all they will do is over charge you :V
If all else fails, get a local computer shop to help. They will be much cheaper and more reliable. Best Buy doesn't hire quality techs most of the time.
But try the below, you'll feel more empowered ^.^

There is a way, maybe, but I can't guarantee that it will work. Also, you may cause damage to your PC BUT it is highly unlikely. I never have.
Click this: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html
Download the v4.1.1 ISO Image off of one of the sites listed. I think I got my recent copy from the one called Marc. Just click the icon next to ISO, has a down pointing red arrow.
Then, download this: http://software.lsoft.net/Iso-burner.zip
When you click that link it should auto start a download. Open the .zip file that downloads to your PC and you should be able to extract the contents to a folder. The .exe file should run without having to install.
When that is open you need to put a CD into your drive and tell ISO Burner to burn the Ultimate Boot CD ISO image to the CD in the drive. Should take just a few minutes.

When done you can leave the CD in and turn off the pc.
1) Turn it back on and when the very first screen (usually says your computer brand) comes up, it should say what button to press to go to the boot screen/menu (Del or F2 or F12 or something usually).
2) When the boot menu comes up pick Boot from CD
3) It will pretty much walk you through it, I think it says to hit enter to load the CD
4) Go to Filesystem Tools then NTFS Tools (I think it's there, just check the separate sections, Esc should bring you back to the Main Menu of the CD
5) Pick Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
6) Let it load up until it stops and asks to 'Select disk where the Windows installation is'

This is where it might be tricky. I only say that cause the PC I'm working with to help write this is Vista Home Premium but It's not using the same setup as my XP Pro install. So, you might go the exact route I go, maybe not. Here's what I did, using Vista
7) Hit 2 then Enter
8) Hit Enter
9) Hit 1 then Enter
10) Hit 1 then Enter again
11) Look for the entry that lists the name of the admin logon.
12) Type in the name of the logon, hit Enter
13) Type in a new password and hit Enter. Or you can try using * then Enter like it suggests. You may have to go through this a second time and try the other option, either way. Depends on if it works or not.
14) Press y then Enter
15) Press ! then Enter
16) Press q then Enter
17) Press y then Enter
18) Press n then Enter
19) Press and hold Ctrl-Alt-Del
20) PC should restart and you can boot normally. Try to access the admin account.

That may or may not work. But it should help, me thinks

 

[Cysma]

Oh geez, there's no easy way to do it, is there? I'm really afraid I'll screw up the bootup sequence and be unable to access the computer at all! It happened before...

 

[vampire seduction]

Oh, no, you won't screw up the boot sequence. The only way to change that is by changing the BIOS. The way I listed all you do is basically tell the PC 'Okay, this time boot like this.' Then it does it normally after that.

 

[Cysma]

Wait, I've got it! Is there a program I can find that keeps track of what keystrokes you've entered, and can then be referred to?

 

[Christian_Day]

That's called a keylogger.

The only way that would help you is if your parents were still logging in with the account/pw, which suggests that you're trying to break into their machine. Are you SURE you're over...15?

 

[DJBayview]

nevermind vamp. All employees of GeekSquad are certified and usually the issue is with the customer not being specific enough with their requests and/or not even knowing what they want.
they just bring in a CPU and go "Fix it."

as you might imagine they have to run a diagnostic test first to see whats wrong with it, then fix that issue. Mind you this may not actually fix what the customer brought it in for but they didn't even know what was wrong.

 

[Shovel]

I'll just leave these here.

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