[XP] "owner" username

[FiREFLi]

I just installed windows xp home.

"Owner" is the username you first boot into. Is there any reason not to just continue using this username rather than creating another one called "matt"?

It just seems like a waste of space (yes, a marginal amount) and it's a fresh install so I'd obviously like to keep things as clean as possible for as long as possible :)

Any help is much appreciated.

[turkishdelight]

Well, there are security risks.

[mujjuman]

just create a "Matt" username

i dont get how alot of people get the name "Owner" when they install WIndows XP... i never got that before. i always had my name even with a fresh install.

[dieterich]

After you create your own username, you can always get rid of the "Owner" files and custom desktop settings.

[FiREFLi]

Well, there are security risks.

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Such as?

[FiREFLi]

After you create your own username, you can always get rid of the "Owner" files and custom desktop settings.

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It's not that I don't beleive you but can someone else confirm this please? I didn't even think I could do this but it's the best solution to my problem, I'll gladly delete it if it's ok :yes:

Thanks dieterich (Y)

[k22]

as long as you have another account with admin access and you know the password then it is ok to delete it. and of course it is a security risk if a hacker guesses that Owner is the username and there is no password...most XP Home systems I've seen have the "administrator" account with no password set as well.

[mujjuman]

yes, u can delete it. go to C:\documents and settings\ and there is the Owner folder. but first, create an account with admin rights with a password. then log off from "Owner" then log onto "Matt" and go to the directory i mentioned and delete the folder. but first, if u have some files and stuff stored in that folder, transfer them onto your new "Matt" account.

[Commodore Max]

just create a "Matt" username

i dont get how alot of people get the name "Owner" when they install WIndows XP... i never got that before. i always had my name even with a fresh install.

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It depends what version you install. Certain installs have an Unattend file that automatically sets "Owner" as the main username.

Anyways,

Just make sure Owner and your name have the same privileges.

[NCIvey]

Just change the name "Owner" to "Matt"

[Pliskin]

OEMs do their preinstall with the Owner account, and that's the reason why it's there.

[cork1958]

Just change the name "Owner" to "Matt"

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That's all it takes. Piece of cake.

[mujjuman]

ah there you go, a simpler solution. just change the name.

[FiREFLi]

I did the name change thing and it did work fine but the path to my documents was still c:\d&s\owner\... I just made a new one and deleted owner :)

How do I log in as administrator and change the password? I've heard Shift+F10 at startup or something... not that it worked.

[ozgeek]

To log in the Administrator account, make sure no users are logged in. At the Welcome Screen, double press CTRL ALT and DEL (press all three keys twice), and the classic login box will come up. Type in Administrator. Click OK to log in as the administrator. Go to Control Panel and User Accounts. Select Administrator and assign it a password. There is a tool that will allow you to have Administrator show up on the Welcome Screen like the other accounts (google for it).

As for "Owner". My father's computer was built for him by a computer shop in the nearby city. They put XP Home on it and setup an account called Owner. I've seen some computers have "Administrator" as the default account, others the name of the owner that's going to own the pc.

[FiREFLi]

To log in the Administrator account, make sure no users are logged in. At the Welcome Screen, double press CTRL ALT and DEL (press all three keys twice), and the classic login box will come up. Type in Administrator. Click OK to log in as the administrator.

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All that worked but then apparently...

Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."

Errr... :huh:

[ozgeek]

What version of XP do you have? What I said on the bottom of last page, will only work for those with Windows XP Professional.

To access the Administrator account on a Windows XP Home Edition system, you would need to boot into Safe Mode and perform what I said in the last post.

(That's one of the things you get for getting XP Home instead of XP Pro).

[JamesNQ]

The computer downstairs has XP Home and 2 user accounts, and one of the accounts is the Owner account (just with the name changed). It was from a fresh install using XP Retail, too.

[dieterich]

The easiest way:

Create another account as an admin. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop and click Properties. Click the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under the User Profiles section. You'll then see all the user profiles on your PC. Select the profile you want to delete and click Delete. That way is safer than deleting directly from the Docs and Settings folder and allows the system to clean out any other files related to the user's profile that you might not find otherwise.

[mujjuman]

to log onto Administrator in WinXP Home, boot into safe mode. after the BIOS boot, press and hold the F8 key before the Windows XP logo starts to pop up, and choose "Safe Mode"

At the Welcome Screen, choose Administrator, then go to control panel, user accounts, etc. and change password. reboot normally.

[JRosenfeld]

For completeness:

If you have Auto logon set , use Log Off to show Log On Screen.

If you use Classic Log On box enter Administrator for PRO normal mode & Home safe mode.

[FiREFLi]

If you use Classic Log On box  enter  Administrator for PRO normal mode & Home safe mode.

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I don't get that last bit :s If the home and pro you mentioned are as in xp home and xp pro, I'm running home so if you just explained what you mean about that :)

[mujjuman]

I don't get that last bit :s If the home and pro you mentioned are as in xp home and xp pro, I'm running home so if you just explained what you mean about that :)

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he means if u use pro, u can do that in normal mode. if u use home, u HAVE to do it in safemode.

go into safemode, and select Administrator at the log on screen.