Not recognized as administrator

[yorkist]

I reformatted the hard drive and reinstalled XP. It cured a lot of problems BUT now it says I am not an administrator and cannot download XP updates, properly install Norton, etc. When I log on it says I am the administrator. I am also the only user. Here's the message from Microsoft -- note that their instructions do not work.

Administrators Only

To install items from Windows Update, you must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

Note If you are running a Windows 2000 (except DataCenter), Windows XP, or Windows .NET Server 2003 operating system, you can run the local administrator account on your computer without having to log off and then log on again.

To run as the local administrator in Windows XP or Windows .NET Server 2003:

Click Start, and then click All Programs (or right-click Windows Update if it is available).
Right-click Windows Update.
Click Run as on the menu that appears.
Do one of the following:
Enter the password for the administrator.
Enter the user name, domain name, and password of a different user account that has administrative permissions on this computer.

[Grendel]

Try this...

Click Start and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and select the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\WindowsUpdate


On the Edit menu, click Permissions.
Click Add, and then type Everyone in the dialog box that appears.
Click Check Names, and then click OK.
Select Everyone in the Group or user names list.
Under Permissions for Everyone, click to select the Full Control check box in the Allow column.

Note that the Read check box in the Allow column is now also selected.
Select each user, in turn, in the Group or user names list, and then verify that no check boxes are selected in the Deny column. Click to clear any check boxes that are selected in the Deny column.
Click the Advanced button, click to select the Replace permission entries on all child objects check box, and then click OK.
Click YES if you are prompted for confirmation, and then click OK to close the dialog box.

[yorkist]

Will that allow me to install Norton to or do I have to do that same type of thing in a different place? I can't install it either, same basic error.

And thanks for the information. Saves my hair.

[Grendel]

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...01121110570348

Has some info for the Norton issue.

[yorkist]

They've been advising but that, perhaps because I have a standard edition. Thanks.

[ps6155]

Message replaced by author

[ps6155]

After trying every tip I found on line for this issue, I discovered that the original Administrator account couldn't delete some deleted users' profile folders, getting a file in use error.

I found this app note: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320081/en-us

If you recall the notice prior to "scanning" for required update that no data is passed back to Microsoft, Windows Update _couldn't_ be directly reading an accounts' group membership to detect "not administrator". Instead the NTFS permissions on the drive are used indirectly to identify an administrator. Update must use the client PC's copy operation sending back an error code indicating that user doesn't have write access to the system drive where the update files have to be delivered.

Starting with the Windows folder, I used the remaining account that did work to take ownership of each upper level folder, forced inherited rights on the subfolders and files and last, then made the Administrators group the folder and files owner.

After that everything worked properly, and I was able to undo all the other changes suggested by the tips I'd tried. Admittedly this was a brute force method, cacls would also work.