Logging in to a hidden administrator account?

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  1. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
       #1

    Logging in to a hidden administrator account?


    I need to login into a hidden administrator account on Windows 7.

    There are a few complications.

    1) The built-in administrator account is hidden, and as described below, I cannot elevate my privileges.

    2) I created an administrator account, called "Secure," but it's completely invisible! By using an unsupported (and stupid) registry tweak, I have hidden the "Secure" account from view, such that even in UAC prompts, the "Secure" account isn't visible and I am unable to elevate my privileges. This means that I cannot get beyond any UAC prompt.

    How can I either login or elevate to the hidden, built-in "Administrator" account or to the "Secure" administrator account that I created and then obscured through an unsupported registry hack?

    Note that I cannot undo my changes to the registry that obscured the "Secure" account because I can't run regedit with the necessary privileges.

    Note that due to my unsupported registry hacking, the "Secure" account does not appear on the login screen that displays at startup. I cannot login to the "Secure" account by selecting "Switch User."

    I cannot find any way to access a Username/Password login prompt anywhere in Windows 7. I could login to the "Secure" account, if only I could access a username/password login prompt. I know the password for the "Secure" account -- I created it, after all!

    I cannot run a command prompt with administrator privileges. I even booted into Safe Mode, but that does not give me the option to login to the "Secure" account, either!

    Help, please!!

    UPDATE: SOLVED! Check page 2 for details.

    To get a prompt that includes a username and password field from within Windows 7 -- even in a Standard (non-Administrator) account follow these steps.

    1. While holding down the Shift key, right-click the program you want to run.
    2. Select "Run as a different user."
    3. Type the username and password of the account.

    Note: this will NOT work for disabled user accounts, like the built-in Administrator account. To use the built-in Administrator account, you first have to enable it.

    This DOES work for hidden (but still enabled) user accounts. This will allow you to run a program as though you were a different user.
    Last edited by mantis2009; 26 Oct 2009 at 10:22. Reason: Update - solved
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  2. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #2

    To be clear, here's what happens when I get a UAC prompt with only hidden administrator accounts.

    The UAC prompt appears on the darkened Secure Desktop screen. I am asked to type an administrator password and then click Yes.

    But there is no password field! There is no username field! There's nowhere for me to type my credentials! I am unable to click "Yes," and my only option is to click "No" to cancel the UAC elevation.

    This has effectively locked me out of any adminstrator actions, even though I know the username and password of the administrator account that I created.
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  3. Posts : 28,845
    Win 8 Release candidate 8400
       #3

    Hi and OH boy
    I have a couple of off the wall ideas.
    Dows gpedit require elevated perms? It should I think
    Trusted Installer Has elevated perms w/o admin group
    the default hidden SU admin account. Is that the one you munged to get your account?
    If not you might be able to elevate a cmd window and enable the default Admin.

    Sorry I cant be of more use.

    Ken
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  4. Posts : 1,557
    XP, Seven, 2008R2
       #4

    You could boot into safe mode and login to the real "Administrator" account.
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  5. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #5

    zigzag3143 said:
    Hi and OH boy
    I have a couple of off the wall ideas.
    Dows gpedit require elevated perms? It should I think
    Trusted Installer Has elevated perms w/o admin group
    the default hidden SU admin account. Is that the one you munged to get your account?
    If not you might be able to elevate a cmd window and enable the default Admin.

    Sorry I cant be of more use.

    Ken
    Thanks Ken --

    gpedit doesn't work in my situation, I just tried it

    I don't know how to try "Trusted Installer," how would I do this?

    I'd love to get into the default hidden SU admin account. But how do I do that without elevation?

    I cannot elevate a cmd window through the usual procedure (type "cmd," right click, run as admin... I get stopped at the UAC prompt!)
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  6. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #6

    sup3rsprt said:
    You could boot into safe mode and login to the real "Administrator" account.
    How do I do this? I've booted into Safe Mode, but I'm not presented with any different login options, so I'm still stuck in my limited user account, without the ability to elevate.
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  7. Posts : 1,557
    XP, Seven, 2008R2
       #7

    mantis2009 said:
    I'd love to get into the default hidden SU admin account. But how do I do that without elevation?
    by booting into safe mode.

    can you explain to us the registry tweak you did that messed things up?

    mantis2009 said:
    How do I do this? I've booted into Safe Mode, but I'm not presented with any different login options
    What do you mean? Is it automatically logging into one of your other accounts? And if so, can you log out and log back in as "Administrator"?
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  8. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #8

    sup3rsprt said:
    mantis2009 said:
    I'd love to get into the default hidden SU admin account. But how do I do that without elevation?
    by booting into safe mode.

    can you explain to us the registry tweak you did that messed things up?

    mantis2009 said:
    How do I do this? I've booted into Safe Mode, but I'm not presented with any different login options
    What do you mean? Is it automatically logging into one of your other accounts? And if so, can you log out and log back in as "Administrator"?
    The registry tweak -- which i strongly suggest no one apply -- is described here:

    (EDIT: link deleted - i don't want to publicize these ****ers or improve their pagerank)

    As I understand it, in Safe Mode, I can only log in to visible accounts, just as when I'm using Windows 7 without Safe Mode. In other words, I cannot log in to the "Administrator" account, and I can't log in to my obscured "Secure" account, even while in Safe Mode. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

    Thanks again --
    Last edited by mantis2009; 27 Oct 2009 at 15:49. Reason: deleted link to dangerous article
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  9. Posts : 1,557
    XP, Seven, 2008R2
       #9

    You hid both the built-in "Administrator" account and the "Secure" account?

    In Windows XP you could just hit Control+Alt+Delete twice at the login screen and it would bring up a login prompt. Please tell me this feature was not removed in Windows 7.
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  10. Posts : 7
    Windows 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #10

    sup3rsprt said:
    You hid both the built-in "Administrator" account and the "Secure" account?

    In Windows XP you could just hit Control+Alt+Delete twice and it would bring up a login prompt. Please tell me this feature was not removed in Windows 7.
    This feature was apparently removed in Windows 7 -- I cannot hit control+alt+delete to get a login prompt.
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