Vista problems I found out after the fact that vista sucks

[vman59]

Ok I found out after the fact that vista sucks. now here is my problem I am the administrator but vista will not allow me into the "my documents" folder where I put all my files i use when I had XP. Are these files gone or can I find them somehow?

[upnorth]

Can you find the folder in question? Did you do an upgrade? If you just can't find them, do a search for them. I if they were word files search for *.doc or excel *.xls or if they are something else search the extension of that type of file.

[upnorth]

I just sat down at my Vista machine and checked the document folder and it is listed under c:\users\<username>\my docuements so if you are looking for c:\documents and settings\<username>\my documents it is not going to be there.

[vman59]

vista sucks to say the least. I am the administrator and I am not allowed to do a thing. i tried to downlaod and re install firefox and I got a pop-up asking for the adminstrator password so I typed in my password since I am the administrator. Well it won't take my password so I can't do a thing. I am thinking my sledge hammer will fix it.

[MuleShack]

It sure doesnt sound like you are the administrator...

Mine doesnt ask for a password for anything on my account.

Originally I left my wifes account set to a regular user so she didn't mess stuff up and she always had to have me enter my password to install something on her account (as administrator).

[Big Dave2]

I have vista and it doesn't do that. I was worried when I bought my last computer for home use because it came with Vista but I don't notice that much of a difference between Vista and the XP I use at work. If anything I like the Vista better.

[upnorth]

OK...I am guessing that you are not actually the computer administrator. I would check on that account. Go to start, settings, control panel, double click on user accounts. You can verify the type of account you are using there. It should say administrator. I am the admin on my laptop and not ran into any of the problems you are experiencing.

[vman59]

ok my account is the same it was when I was using XP, I am listed as the ADMINISTRATOR. Says so right on my account. Yet when I download something it pops up with a box says administrator and asks for the administrators password. I type in my password and it tells me that its incorrect. I use the same password I have used for eons when I login into windows, click on my icon(where is gives my name and says administrator) type in my password and I am in.

[Shack]

Can you right click the folder and choose the "Run As Administrator" option. If not you will have to take ownership of the file or follow this:

[upnorth]

OK at this point I would go in and create a new user account and give it admin rights. You will need this as time goes on to install programs etc.

I assume you upgraded from XP?

[Shack]

Upnorth if he is not in the true administrator account how can he create another true administrator account when the one he is in will not accept his password? I have had some issues accessing my true main administrator account in Windows 7 so I may be confusing 7 & Vista stuff. If you go in and set up another user account and give it administrator privileges I would assume he would be in the same boat.

If I recall to setup a true second full admin account in Vista it included going into CMD while in the original admin account and typing in some command prompts to open another Admin account?

[spearchucker]

We need more information here. Did you do an upgrade from XP to Vista and this happened? Was everything working in Vista and all of the sudden this happened? I used Vista for a couple years and never had a problem with it.

[Shack]

Quote:

I used Vista for a couple years and never had a problem with it.

+1

Only issue(s) I ever ran into was when I purchased a laptop loaded with Vista Home Basic 32bit in January of 2007. At that time my desk top at work was XP and my laptop was Vista and I wanted to transfer and update spread sheets and other files between them. At that time you could not bring a file to Vista, add something to it and then bring it back to XP. Since then they have worked out those bugs and now it is possible.

[spearchucker]

Quote:

I used Vista for a couple years and never had a problem with it.

+1

Only issue(s) I ever ran into was when I purchased a laptop loaded with Vista Home Basic 32bit in January of 2007. At that time my desk top at work was XP and my laptop was Vista and I wanted to transfer and update spread sheets and other files between them. At that time you could not bring a file to Vista, add something to it and then bring it back to XP. Since then they have worked out those bugs and now it is possible.

That had to be an Office issue and not a Vista issue. You probably had a newer version of Office on one machine. Vista could care less what the file type is.

[vman59]

We need more information here. Did you do an upgrade from XP to Vista and this happened? Was everything working in Vista and all of the sudden this happened? I used Vista for a couple years and never had a problem with it.

I upgraded from XP to Vista . I don't like vista at all.

[upnorth]

OK...found this on the web. But to be on the safe side export the key before editing it.

* On Windows Vista Home Basic or Home Premium:

1. Click Start, type cmd in the search box, right click on the program cmd.exe and select Run as Administrator

2. In the command prompt window, type net users Administrator /active:yes then press Enter, you should receive a confirmation saying; The command completed successfully

3. Click Start, type regedit in the search box, then press Enter

4. Navigate to the section: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]

* Double click FilterAdministratorToken and set it to 0

5. Next, logoff and you will see a new Administrator account is available. Login to this new Administrator account

[BobT]

I have vista and it doesn't do that. I was worried when I bought my last computer for home use because it came with Vista but I don't notice that much of a difference between Vista and the XP I use at work. If anything I like the Vista better.

[spearchucker]

I have found it best to do a clean install instead of the upgrades. Most problems are associated with updates instead of the clean install option. It is a little more work because you have to install your apps, but it is well worth it.

[upnorth]

Agreed a fresh fdisk, format and clean install is always the best, but upgrades do work. But always and I mean always back up your data files. If things go wrong you can always reinstall apps, but your data files.....not so easy to get back if it really goes wrong.

[Shack]

Nothing like a wipe and clean install. I find it is the closest thing to bring the PC as close back to new. More so than any CCleaner, defrag or other program.

[PierBridge]

Nothing like a wipe and clean install. I find it is the closest thing to bring the PC as close back to new. More so than any CCleaner, defrag or other program.

A clean install of the operating system ONLY is WAY WAY WAY better than New.

The amount of resource clogging junk the manufactures put on these drives is insane. I know this isn't an option for most as they are stuck with the recovery disks the manufacturers give you!.

But a clean install of the OP is the way to go whenever possible!

[LMITOUT]

I agree. In fact, the first thing I do when I get a new computer is format the hard drive and start over. Gets rid of all the bloat-ware from the factory and the computer runs much better with a more stable base from which to start from.

[rushing]

Typically in Vista you shouldn't be running the puter from the Admin account. Your Xp doc files are most likely on a "user" account.

Hope this link doesn't get squashed but this gives you a very easy run through on how to enable and disable the hidden Admin account on vista. Try disabling the admin account to log into your normal account.

if link gets squashed google Vista Admin and should be the first result.

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