I've got an administrator problem! Please Help!

cheetahlip · #1 04-24-2004, 07:28 AM

Ok, you guys are going to think I stole my computer, but I promise I didn't! I am running Windows XP Pro on a newer Gateway laptop. I bought this computer through my job and they installed software on it for my job. Unfortunately I was laid off....but the computer is mine. However my account on the computer is not an administrator account and the people who set up the computer from my old company can't remember the password for the administrator account!! So basically I have a computer that I have hardly any control over.

I tried to format C but I can't cuz I'm not the admin., I tried to reinstall XP but I can't cuz I'm not the admin......heck I don't even have access to the windows temp file!!!

I don't need any of the info on the hard drive and I can reinstall XP and the software from boot disks....I just need to be the boss of this computer!! Please help if you can!

Thanks,
Rob

virtualguyex · #2 04-25-2004, 02:13 AM

thats odd...

umm lemme think...

ok when your computer restarts hit f1 and go into bios. then use the arrow keys to go to boot, set the boot priority device to the removble and save and exit.

borrow a friends computer for internet or something and get a boot disc form this website..

http://www.computerhope.com/boot.htm

or borrow a friends computer and look for some kind of boot disc on the web or something..

i dont remember what u said in your thread but if you have a windows install disc then just use that to boot from and format the hard drive..i THINK this should work im no expert.

cheetahlip · #3 04-26-2004, 06:20 PM

How come everyone else gets 5-6 responses and I only get one?! Everyone on vacation this week or what???

River · #4 04-26-2004, 06:36 PM

you want 5 or 6 different responses, have to spend the time weeding out the junk, the wrong responses, or would you rather just be happy that you got one response with a possible solution?

did you even go look at where the link took you to see if that was what you needed?

p.s. there, now you got two responses!

Note: this is for those people who do not want to check out a response when it is the only response, or for those people who do not know how to do their own search to find their own answers to their own questions/problems.

snowmonkey · #5 04-27-2004, 07:32 AM

cheetahlip, do you have the original XP CD with the serial number? Do you have anything on the computer that needs to be saved ? do you want to reformat it and start all over again ? If you answer is yes, then it would be a matter of simple re-install ... Let us know and someone would be able to help you out.

cheers

cheetahlip · #6 04-28-2004, 08:20 PM

The answer is YES! I definitely want to reformat and reinstall....I have the CD with all the serial numbers and all that jazz...but remember it won't let me reinstall XP from windows because I'm not an administrator.....

Thanks for your help!

polobunny · #7 04-28-2004, 09:09 PM

You don't need to be an administrator to reinstall Windows XP or format your HDD.

Go into your bios. (Normally you need to hit delete or F1 while your computer boots)

Change your boot priority device to CD-ROM. Open your primary cd-rom drive tray and pop your Windows XP cd in it. Save and exit the bios. This will restart your computer. Wait while it boots and read the instructions. It's simple enough. Format first then install Windows XP.

Hope it helps.

cheetahlip · #8 04-30-2004, 04:12 PM

Thanks....I'm going to try it and see what happens....i'll report on my results....

cheetahlip · #9 05-04-2004, 04:35 PM

I got a boot disk from microsoft and was able to boot up from that disk....however my XP CD is not made to work from DOS, the "setup.exe" file will not load from DOS.....any suggestions?

njovin · #10 05-05-2004, 12:17 AM

Don't boot from a seperate boot disk. The windows XP installation CD itself is bootable. If you have properly set your bios to boot from cd as mentioned before, just put in the windows xp cd and boot to it. Installation will give you the option to completely format and do a clean install.

cheetahlip · #11 05-05-2004, 08:17 PM

I went into BIOS and set it up to boot from the CD, but it will NOT boot from this CD....the CD came with the computer, (Gateway), it's not a pirated version or a version from the store. Apparently this is causing it to not want to boot from the CD....

It seems though that the BIOS default is set to boot from the CD ROM drive....

Anyone want to buy a brand new laptop for $5 bucks??

cheetahlip · #12 05-05-2004, 08:23 PM

As an aside to my previous post....in BIOS there isn't an exact option to change to the CD ROM drive to boot....there are 4 options.....I can't tell you what they are right now because I don't have the computer with me, but none of them are CD ROM exactly....I set it to the one that seemed most likely to be the CD drive and let it fly from there and it did nothing.....

Not sure whether it matters or not but I'm running XP Professional on a gateway Solo 1450 SE (1.2GHz)

Thanks for all your help fellas, I'm totally frusterated with how my old company gave me the rubber d*** right in the a**!!

Jazz · #13 05-06-2004, 04:38 AM

Hi cheetahlip

If you have an original M$ hologramed CD along with a legitimate Product Key, you will definately be able to boot from the CD. However, if your puter is fairly old, it may not have the ability to boot from CD.

Dl the 6 bootable floppy disks from the following URL: -

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Then browse to the following URL and follow the instructions very carefully: -

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Good luck

-=JAZZ=-

cheetahlip · #14 05-06-2004, 07:24 PM

Jazz.....holy mackeral that seems awful frickin complicated....does anyone else have any suggestions?

My XP disk isn't from Microsoft directly.....it's from gateway....so i don't have any serial numbers or anything like that....

Jazz · #15 05-07-2004, 03:46 AM

Cheetahlip

Firstly, your ‘Serial Number/Product Key’ will more than likely be somewhere on the laptop.

Boot into Safe Mode and sign on as Administrator leaving the password blank. This does actually work sometimes, especially with third party computers. I.e. Gateway, Dell, etcetera...

Once you are, hopefully, in, create another Administrator Account as you, and you are up and running. Just remember to disable the initial Administrator Account, the Guest account, etcetera.

In addition, try using the Restoration CD that came with the computer, if you do not have the original M$ hologramed XP CD. I do not know a lot about using third party Restoration disks, however, give it a try.

Another possibility is to do a Repair installation, as per the following link. It may or may not work using your Restoration CD. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained: -

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;315341

As a last resort, you can always buy an original XP CD and be done with it. Just make sure you have all the drivers necessary for the installation.

Hope this helps in some way and good luck…..

-=JAZZ=-