New PC - User Accounts (first of many problems!)

one-non-blonde

I just took delivery of a new Dell E520 yesterday and have so many problems I don't know where to start. Probably my own fault for trying to be clever and uninstall things I knew I'd never use but then doing a system restore after repeated failed attempts to get a wireless connection to work. But anyway, the first of my problems is that none of the users appear to have administrative rights. When booted up for the first time I was asked for a list of people that would be using it for which I supplied 3 names. I didn't set any passwords. Now when entering the control panel/user accounts all I get is a blank (white) page. Even in safe mode through the 'administrator' nothing appears so I can't set any access rights or change account types, etc. Ideally I'd like to remove all the users and just have a single access or at the very least set myself up as the administrator.


Also, the wireless now works within the user's space that I installed it in but not for the others - do I have to go through the whole install process in each? When I logon a window pops up to say wireless is on but the taskbar shows it as off.

troubleuk

How about booting into Safe Mode? From here you'll usually get access to an Administrator account, where you can make these changes. Not sure about Vista, but with XP you can do this by pressing F8 at boot.

superscaper

troubleuk wrote: »

How about booting into Safe Mode? From here you'll usually get access to an Administrator account, where you can make these changes. Not sure about Vista, but with XP you can do this by pressing F8 at boot.

I think you missed reading the post. The OP said they'd tried booting in safe mode.

eggandspoonbutnorace

If you have only just got it, I would re-install the operating system and as it came from Dell it more than likely came with a complete restore disc you simply pop in & reboot.

Sounds like you have screwed up when you went on a rampage uninstalling stuff

Browntoa

the Dell restore partition on New Pc's is accessed by hitting CTRL and F11 as the PC boots up and you see the Dell logo at the top of the screen

one-non-blonde

Thankyou all for your help, I followed Browntoa's instructions this morning and all is now well (apart from my network problem, but that's another thread!) All the other problems that I hadn't even started to go into have been resolved also.

The moral of the story is... if it aint broke, don't fix it!

PS - Eggandspoonetc I loved your description of the uninstall rampage... have been doing too much cleaning up on my other pc recently and kinda got carried away. :rolleyes:

Browntoa

my early days I decided to delete all those nasty extra files at the c: root directory :rolleyes:

we've all done it !!

superscaper

Browntoa wrote: »

my early days I decided to delete all those nasty extra files at the c: root directory :rolleyes:

we've all done it !!

Ahh yes the "I haven't heard of it so surely I don't need it" phase of our lives.