Getting Administrative Rights on Laptop

[stan18]

Theres a folder I have to open under "program files" but it does not let me. I've been doing a helluva lot of googling, and it seems like to get the rights i need to:

 

 

 

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Administrative Tools.

 

 

 

In the new window open Computer Management.

 

 

 

From there open System Tools.

 

 

 

Now open Local Users and Groups.

 

 

 

And finally open Users.

 

 

 

Right click on the account named Administrator and select Properties.

 

 

 

There is a series of tick boxes in the lower half of the properties window deselect the one saying Account Is Disabled.

 

 

 

Apply the changes and Log Off, there should now be 2 accounts in your log in screen, select administrator.

 

 

 

when you go to delete your old account it'll ask you if you want to save the documents and settings from it. say yes and copy the files from the folder into your new admin account.

 

 

 

Once i get to the step that says "Now open local uses and groups", there is no such option under system tools and I can't for the love of god find out why. Can anyone help me?

[stan18]

well... i managed to get the administrator account up... still can't open the folder. Dam this isfrustrating

 

 

 

/problem solved, yet not

[sloter]

Open command prompt and type the following.

 

 

 

net localgroup Administrators /add YOUR_USERNAME

[D. V. Devnull]

stan18, could you tell us what OS you're on? I have the feeling some of what you're trying to do may not be possible. :-k ... And what's worse is that, it sounds like you're on ugly NTFS on a system volume where you're having extreme difficulty. :(

 

 

 

~D. V. Devnull

[JoeDaStudd]

They worded if wrong.

 

It should be;

 

Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools ->Computer Management

 

Then

 

System Tools -> Local Users and Groups -> Groups

 

Pane to the left

 

Administrators (double click) -> Add [Enter a username of your choice] Ok, Ok

 

 

 

Log off

 

Then log on using the user name you created

 

 

 

Sloters command does all that (plus it can bypass some security they may have had on there)

 

A full guide on how to use Sloters command is as follows;

 

Start -> Run [type] cmd [hit enter]

 

A black box should appear

 

[type] net localgroup Administrators /add YOUR_USERNAME [hit enter]

 

 

 

Then log off and log on using the username you created.

[ClareJonsson]

Sounds like he's on a HOME version of either XP or Vista, and that means there's no user account option in the management console. Home variants manage account from within Control Panel only. As Sloter said try using the NET command as that might work, although I have never tried doing that on Home editions and there me be a restriction policy in place.

 

 

 

You may have to take ownership of the folder and then give yourself full permissions. Or you could log on as "Administrator", if you're on a home edition of XP or running Vista you will have to boot up into safe mode first or a security policy disables the "Administrator" account when you're not in Safe mode.

 

 

 

Note to peoples regarding Vista: Vista has an extra policy in place that means even if your account is a member of the Administrators group, you still don't have the same rights as the "Administrator" account, and by default the Administrator account is disabled unless you're in Safe mode, and that goes for non Home editions of Vista too! The ONLY account that is a true 100% Admin on Vista is the account named "Administrator".

 

 

 

Devnull, NTFS isn't ugly, it's secure! And isn't security something you keep banging on about? If you're still using Fat32, then your file system is not secure as any program can write anything anywhere. Please don't slag NTFS off because you don't use it and obviously have no concept of NT permissions. Stick to facts not fiction.

[sloter]

Sounds like he's on a HOME version of either XP or Vista, and that means there's no user account option in the management console. Home variants manage account from within Control Panel only. As Sloter said try using the NET command as that might work, although I have never tried doing that on Home editions and there me be a restriction policy in place.

 

 

 

You may have to take ownership of the folder and then give yourself full permissions. Or you could log on as "Administrator", if you're on a home edition of XP or running Vista you will have to boot up into safe mode first or a security policy disables the "Administrator" account when you're not in Safe mode.

 

 

 

Note to peoples regarding Vista: Vista has an extra policy in place that means even if your account is a member of the Administrators group, you still don't have the same rights as the "Administrator" account, and by default the Administrator account is disabled unless you're in Safe mode, and that goes for non Home editions of Vista too! The ONLY account that is a true 100% Admin on Vista is the account named "Administrator".

 

 

 

Devnull, NTFS isn't ugly, it's secure! And isn't security something you keep banging on about? If you're still using Fat32, then your file system is not secure as any program can write anything anywhere. Please don't slag NTFS off because you don't use it and obviously have no concept of NT permissions. Stick to facts not fiction.

 

Remember Denvull also thinks cookies are dangerous it really surprises me he doesn't use ntfs.

[D. V. Devnull]

<<<Quote Snip>>>

 

 

 

Devnull, NTFS isn't ugly, it's secure! And isn't security something you keep banging on about? If you're still using Fat32, then your file system is not secure as any program can write anything anywhere. Please don't slag NTFS off because you don't use it and obviously have no concept of NT permissions. Stick to facts not fiction.

Remember Devnull also thinks cookies are dangerous it really surprises me he doesn't use ntfs.

 

Actually, I'm sitting on a PC that uses NTFS for the C: drive, and I've had nothing but trouble with the NTFS-based system volume. And this is even though my ID is a Power User. (Yes, not an Admin, but geez... Microsoft blew it. Power Users should have the ability to traverse anywhere they need to, give or take an Admin's personal folder, and maybe one or two deep-seated system folders!) That's why I'm calling it ugly, because it is giving me that level of trouble. Sure, it should be secure, but it shouldn't lock out people that should have access to certain folders, which is something that having the upper deck of priveleges is supposed to allow. :|

 

 

 

And as for cookies, they're not all bad. I recommend prompt so that a user knows what's going on their PC. Not to be an annoying [bleep], which is contrary to what sloter thinks.

 

 

 

(OT: BTW, you'll notice I spell-checked him for what he did to my online last name...)

 

 

 

~D. V. Devnull

[ClareJonsson]

<<<Quote Snip>>>

 

 

 

Devnull, NTFS isn't ugly, it's secure! And isn't security something you keep banging on about? If you're still using Fat32, then your file system is not secure as any program can write anything anywhere. Please don't slag NTFS off because you don't use it and obviously have no concept of NT permissions. Stick to facts not fiction.

Remember Devnull also thinks cookies are dangerous it really surprises me he doesn't use ntfs.

 

Actually, I'm sitting on a PC that uses NTFS for the C: drive, and I've had nothing but trouble with the NTFS-based system volume. And this is even though my ID is a Power User. (Yes, not an Admin, but geez... Microsoft blew it. Power Users should have the ability to traverse anywhere they need to, give or take an Admin's personal folder, and maybe one or two deep-seated system folders!) That's why I'm calling it ugly, because it is giving me that level of trouble. Sure, it should be secure, but it shouldn't lock out people that should have access to certain folders, which is something that having the upper deck of priveleges is supposed to allow. :|

 

 

 

And as for cookies, they're not all bad. I recommend prompt so that a user knows what's going on their PC. Not to be an annoying [bleep], which is contrary to what sloter thinks.

 

 

 

(OT: BTW, you'll notice I spell-checked him for what he did to my online last name...)

 

 

 

~D. V. Devnull

 

This just goes to show that you have absolutely no idea what you're doing when it comes to NT permissions, you obviously DON'T know what's going on, on your PC, if you did then you wouldn't keep bashing into permission denies!

 

Did you know that you can quite easily create a group and give that group the correct permissions on the folders you need to access. Then add yourself to that group. Or simply give Power Users the permissions, it's not rocket science.

 

 

 

Here's some basic rules of thumb when it comes to NT permissions:

 

 

 

1. Unless otherwise set, a folder will get it's permissions from it's parent folder. Permissions are also called ACL (Access Control List).

 

 

 

2. Deny always overrules Allow.

 

 

 

3. If you're having problems with accessing folders/Files, check your effective permissions, being a member of more than one group can effect this, i.e, if you're a member of Admins and a member of Users, and Users have a deny for one folder, then you will also be denied even though you are a member of Admins which is allowed to access that folder. Don't forget: Deny always overrules allow, it's a safety factor. Checking effective permissions tallies up all your permissions and shows you plain and simple what you are actually allowed to do in a resource.

 

 

 

4. Copying/Moving Files may change permissions, here's the general ruile:

 

a: When you Copy a file from one location to another, the file will inherit it's ACL from it's destination folder.

 

b: When you move a file on the same NT Volume, the file retains it's ACL from its original location.

 

c: Then you move a file from one NT volume to another, it acts like a copy and that file gets it's ACL from the destination folder.

 

 

 

5. When you log onto an NT system, you are issued with a key containing your ACL which this determines what resources you are allowed to access and the permissions. If you add yourself to a group or change group permissions, then you need to log off and back on again to get an updated key.

 

 

 

NTFS is simple if you know the basics, this is one thing that separates a professional from those who tinker around and pretend to know what they are doing, and I know a lot of technicians who fall into the latter basket. Why do you think MS has MCDST, it's not just a noddy exam you pass and get a fancy certificate, you learn so much while doing the course. I am in the middle of updating myself and doing the Vista MCDST, and you betcha I'm learning stuff all the time!

 

 

 

Anyway, to sum up:

 

NTFS good!

 

FAT32 bad!

[JoeDaStudd]

And as for cookies, they're not all bad. I recommend prompt so that a user knows what's going on their PC.

 

Hate to look like I'm joining in the argument, but that is one of the most stupid things I've heard in a while.

 

Most sites you at least one cookie, that would just nag the hell out of the user.

 

Its like saying there should be a prompt "do you want to cache any of the information from this page".

 

The only cookies I don't like are the ones where people have added cheese, ect to them.