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Getting into other User logons in WinXP (Ethical, I promise)


Mokele

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Ok, I'll give a little background. At my lab we have 2 computers, and a lab with about half a dozen. All of them run Win XP Pro, and have the thingy where you must log in as a particular user to get on, as a security measure.

 

However, several of these machines have an extra user "mashie" as a log-in, and we have no idea who it is, how it got there, if it's being used and what it's being used for. Maybe one of my lab-mates made it for some silly reason and just won't own up, or maybe the janitorial staff did and they're surfing for porn. Either way, we'd like to know.

 

So the question is, how do I (with ad admin account) get into "mashie", and can I find out things like when it was made, accessed, what was done, internet sites visited, etc? Can this be done without serious alteration to the machine's functioning (I don't want to have to go into the registry or anything)?

 

Thanks,

Mokele

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All user profile information is stored and can be accessed with an admin account in:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\XXXX

 

where XXXX is the username of your user of interest. This includes bookmarks, temperory internet files, desktop items, start menu items, user defined application data and settings, and other temp files. You just need to figure out a bit how to read all the data stored there.

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Ok, so if I can't see either of those, does that mean I actually *don't* have an admin account? If so, is there any way I can either make this account admin or see things anyway?

 

Mokele

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Depends on the level of access you have with your account. If you can freely view all files on the computer, then doing what I suggested earlier shouldn't be a problem. Else you tell the lab technician you want to install something, he logs on and when he's not looking create yourself a new admin account... and don't tell anybody I taught you that trick :P

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Remember that XP allows accounts to be made "Private", which will protect the personal content.

 

Callipygous's idea seems like the most sensible one.

 

 

You should probably do a full and deep malware scan with a variety of products, since some software (especially P2P) can create its own "user" accounts.

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One of the accounts on that computer will be an admin account which allows you to do what was said in post #2 & #3 because by default winXP must have an admin account.

 

Actually I can think of a scenario when there may not be an admin account on that computer but it is unlikely that is the case.

 

If you just go to control panel and user accounts you can see who's an admin and who isn't, well, maybe, for example this is what I see:

 

useraccounts.jpg

 

I can clearly see that JMM (me) is a computer administrator. For you there are many accounts, if you can see them then you can click on them and reset the password if not then you do not have any rights over them. This may be because you are not an admin ie. it will not say "computer administrator" under your account, you can always see your account, no matter what priveleges you have, or maybe you're all on equal rights or something.

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Well, mystery solved, it turns out the guy who fixed the computer a few weeks ago made the account and forgot to take it off. So much for that, but thanks for all the help!

 

Mokele

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Every time I post a screen shot I get some kinda comment! (normally from sayo!)

 

The window bar thingy is red -> purple with white text, it aint that bad. You don't even notice it after a bit. If I right click on my desktop you get sumin like this:

 

rightclick.jpg

 

basically all menus, start bar, right clicks are red.

 

Anything highlighted is black with green text, kinda military style, well, like the movies anyway!

 

Otherwise everything is normal, grey scroll bars, white backgrounds for folders, default it black text... its just the menus & active title bar. The inactive title bar is just grey with black text.

 

I'm gonna go and make a "post your windows theme thread" in GD!

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:)! I like red, that's where the whole idea came from really. I also like the black backing with highlight green text, which I use now. In that picture the green text doesn't look very good because the .jpg is poor quality, in real life its a stronger highlight green colour.
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Dear god.

 

Yes we should.

god should have a capital G as it is the name of the person you are addressing your post to' date=' and it's normally followed by a comma ;).

 

It really aint as bad as it seems IMO!

 

Go over to the Post your winXP theme thread in GD and post a better one, I've had this one for soo long I'd be quite happy to implement a new one if I liked it.

 

Me thinks next time a screen shot is needed a temporary windows default theme will be implemented!

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:)! I like red, that's where the whole idea came from really. I also like the black backing with highlight green text, which I use now. In that picture the green text doesn't look very good because the .jpg is poor quality, in real life its a stronger highlight green colour.

a .gif would have probably been a more appropriate file format :P

 

And yes that colour scheme is AWFUL! :P

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