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Thread: Lost system administrator rights - Help

  1. #1
    disMember M0nkeyb0Y's Avatar
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    Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Hi I'm visiting my parents today, and they askend me to have a look at their PC - with almost everything I try to do to it however it stops me saying:
    "This process has been cancelled due to restrictions set on this computer: Please contact your
    system administrator"

    The ID I'm using should be the sys admin.

    I know they've had a virus recently, not really sure what's going on - can someone please help?

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    Mostly Me Lucio's Avatar
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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Ok, what have you tried so far? Safe Mode for example?

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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    I think my thoughts would also be about a virus.
    Can you put the infected drive in a caddy and connect it to a known-clean PC with up-to-date AV s/w and definitions?
    The scan may well then be able to disinfect it.

    A windows re-install might well re-install the rights - this is probably the simplest course - if it is not a virus infection...

    personally i'd disinfect first, to be on the safe side..

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    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    slap a copy of kaspersky trial on if you cant use the caddy method, it may install and update to allow removal of a virus

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    disMember M0nkeyb0Y's Avatar
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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Thanks for your help guys - I was at their house and got distracted by something, so didn't come back to this...

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucio View Post
    Ok, what have you tried so far? Safe Mode for example?
    tbh I hadn't ... I just reset, then tried to do what I wanted, then was bemused.

    Quote Originally Posted by speardane View Post
    I think my thoughts would also be about a virus.
    Can you put the infected drive in a caddy and connect it to a known-clean PC with up-to-date AV s/w and definitions?
    The scan may well then be able to disinfect it...
    I can't: it's a factory built (HP) PC Dad's work gave him - tried to get it open, and there's a star shaped screw locking the case (I assume to stop noobs like me voiding their folks' warranty)

    Quote Originally Posted by GoNz0 View Post
    slap a copy of kaspersky trial on if you cant use the caddy method, it may install and update to allow removal of a virus
    Will try this, if it doesn't work would a reinstall of XP Pro do the trick?

    Thanks
    MB

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    Mostly Me Lucio's Avatar
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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Right, first thing first, try Safe Mode. If you still get the issue under that, then it's likely either a corrupt file or a virus lodged in the MBR causing the problem.

    If you can get it to work in Safe Mode, then you're in luck, you can put on some AV software and do a sweep of the system and hopefully clean things up.

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    Senior Member usxhe190's Avatar
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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    maybe try an online scan?

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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    cheers guys - will give both a try

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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Silly question, but was the operating system reinstalled after they got it from work? It just sounds like it's been locked down as it would in any corporate environment. Not much you can do to get around that if so without a format.

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    Re: Lost system administrator rights - Help

    Dunno if this will help but I had to do the same thing last week because I was getting the same error on a customers computer.

    To show the administrator account on the Windows XP login screen:

    * Use regedit to navigate to the following key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

    * Insert a value with the following details:

    Data Type: REG_DWORD
    Value Name: Administrator
    Value: 1

    Restart the box.

    Should then be able to login as Admin. Hope it helps.
    Humans, the only animal stupid enough to pay to live on the planet Earth.

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