How to Activate the Local Administrator - Active:Yes
Windows Server 2008 has a hidden administrator account. This super-user account
is only of use on a member server where you normally logon to the domain, but
now need to logon to
the local 'SAM' database. The method to
activate the administrator
is almost identical of that for Vista; the only difference that springs to mind
is that in Windows Server 2008 people are more likely to deactivate than to
activate this account.
Topics for Activating the
Windows Server 2008 Local Administrator
If you are going to activate
and use this administrator account, then you need to know its password.
Therefore a preliminary step is to set, and especially to remember, the
password. Naturally, if all you want to is deactivate you don't need to
worry about the password, and thus could avoid this step.
Quick method
to activate an account
Logon to
your Windows Server 2008 using another account with administrative
privileges.
Launch the cmd prompt - Make sure you select, 'Run as administrator'
Net user administrator p@$$w0rD
Net user administrator
/active:yes
Switch User, or logoff
Logon as administrator Password p@$$w0rD
To be precise, you need to be HostName/administrator not
Domain/Administrator
Logon to the server using your normal
domain admin username and password.
Click on the Start button
Click on Start Search.
Type:cmd.
Right-click cmd, select 'Run as administrator' from the shortcut menu.
At the command line type: Net help
user
My idea is for you to just observe Net User options. In particular,
check the
syntax to set the password.
The next instruction is the crucial command. I have chosen password =
p@ssworD, you may want to choose a different password.
Net user administrator p@$$w0rD
Net user administrator
/active:yes
Check the message : The command completed successfully
Switch User, or logoff
Logon as Hostname/Administrator Password p@$$w0rD (Your password may be different!)
Where Hostname is the computer name of the Windows Server 2008 computer.
Trap1: You need a forward-slash before /active
Net user administrator active:yes is wrong
Net user administrator /active:yes
is correct
Trap2: There should be no space between the word 'active' and the
':'.
/active :yes is wrong.
/active:yes is correct.
Tip 1: You can also activate and deactivate
the guest account.
Tip 2: The key word in the deactivate
command is the word:no
Net user administrator /active:no.
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The main benefit of activating this hidden Administrator is
if you ever needed to logon at the server when the domain was not available and
not accepting cached credentials. Alternatively, you may be
troubleshooting and wish to eliminate domain settings. To be frank, there
are always other scenarios that I have not thought about. Sometimes when
troubleshooting you need a combination of unusual techniques to finally solve
your problem.
Actually, the main benefit of knowing this method is to make sure that you
deactivate the special built-in local administrator account.
To achieve this try:
Encouraging computers to sleep when not in use is a great idea -
until you are away from your desk and need a file on that remote sleeping machine!
Wake-On-LAN really will save you that long walk to awaken a hibernating
machine; however my reason for encouraging you to download this utility is
just because it's so much fun sending those 'Magic Packets'. As Wake-On-LAN (WOL) is free, see
if I am right, and you get a kick from arousing those sleeping machines.
WOL also has business uses for example, wakening machines so that they can have
their patches applied.
Checking the Local User accounts is a
useful task in itself, but it comes into its own where you need to troubleshoot
whether accounts are active, or not. In a nutshell, if you type /active:yes
the account should display in the GUI. If you type /active:no, the account
disappears from view.
This is where you can configure Windows Server
2008 local as opposed to domain accounts. Click on the Start button, Control Panel and select --> User Accounts:
Trap: Before you can make ANY changes to ANY account, you
must make sure that this box is ticked: 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'. See screenshot below
(Taken from Vista).
If you do deactivate the local administrator, then you simply won't see the
account listed in the User Accounts menu in the Control Panel.
One reason to activate the hidden Vista Administrator account is for logging
on locally when you are troubleshooting. The procedure is straightforward, just
launch the cmd
prompt and type: Net user administrator /active:yes.
The only trap is that
you require a complex password so that you need to add a password to the command string thus
Net user administrator p@$$w0rD Then Net user administrator /active:yes
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