Re: Kind-hearted MVP needed to report a bug to Microsoft

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

No, they should just give "FUS" the axe and be done with it!

mark@xxxxxxx wrote:

"Asher_N" <compguy666@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


XP Pro is designed mainly to attach to domains 


Wrong. Yes, it can connect to domains, but it was mainly set up for Networking.
Read http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/business/sp2_topfivechoose.mspx, bottom
of the page.


fast-user switching. Setting it up in workgroup mode enables that feature. But by design, workgroup hides the admin. 


Wrong again. By default, admin logins are enabled and show on the Welcome
screen.


If you want to do that, create a different admin account. It's not a bug, it's the design. You can argue that the design is flawed, but it's still the design. 


Now that's just plain silly. So if a car has a design flaw that results in
deaths, you're just supposed to shrug your shoulders and say, well, that's the
design???


Besides, you explicitely asked Windows to NOT show admin. It's merrily behaving the way you want.


The law of unintended consequences. I don't think whoever came up the
SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator key intended to leave orphaned sessions,
where you are already logged into an account but can't get back into it because
the SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator key prevents the icon from displaying
on the welcome screen. 

Ditto if you walk away from the PC and it goes into screen saver and "display
Welcome screen" is checked, by the way. Another design flaw we should just
accept?

Oh please.


mark@xxxxxxx 

 wrote in news:7v49p19fgv8qglde6sidt00drcm8m15c4a@xxxxxxx:

"Asher_N" <compguy666@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Bringing up the stanf=dard login prompt invokes parts of the OS that
are not meant to deal with fast-user switching.

Well that's unfortunate. Some parts of XP seem to have been grafted
onto Windows 2000 with chewing gum and bailing wire, and fast user
switching is one of them.

OK, so your comment addresses bug #1. How about bug #2, where you are
already logged in to Administrator, but because of the key
SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator being 0, there is no
administrator icon on the logon screen when you try to switch to
another user? This in effect orphans the Administrator session -
there's no way to get back into it. SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator should be ignored if a session
with that username is already logged in.


mark@xxxxxxx wrote in news:t809p1t35ok1uem45dpkk5sf1lr62e7c93@xxxxxxx:


"It's" by design? What is by design?

Quote:
"To temporarily use the classic logon screen, press CTRL+ALT+DEL two
times on the Welcome logon screen."

OK, so I did that. Nothing happens. 

It does NOT say, "only if nobody is logged in".

So... What is by design?

"Steve N." <me@xxxxxxxx> wrote:


It's not a bug, it's by design.

How to change the logon window and the shutdown preferences in
Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291559&sd=tec
h 

Steve N.


mark@xxxxxxx wrote:


Hi,

I'm looking for a kind-hearted MVP to report a bug in Windows XP
Professional to Microsoft.

I don't have the resources to deal with Problem Resolution
Services (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;OfferProPh
on e), and if this isn't a bug, I don't know what is.

The issue has to do with logging in to Administrator & fast user
switching with XP Professional SP2 in a workgroup environment.

I do not want the Administrator account on the Welcome screen.
It's an invitation for abuse. Nor do I want to maintain multiple
administrator accounts.

So HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator
is set to 0. The Administrator icon does not appear on the Welcome
screen while it otherwise would, because there are no other
accounts with Administrator privileges. 

When I want to log into Administrator, I hit ctrl+alt+delete and
use the classic logon screen.

Here's the problem:

Let's say a non-administrator is logged in, and they ask me to fix
a problem. And in order to fix the problem, I have to log into
Administrator. A very common situation.

But I can't do log off / switch user / ctrl+alt+delete twice to
get the classic logon screen and log into Administrator, because
ctrl+alt+delete doesn't work if someone is already logged
in!!!!!!! 

Bug #1: Hitting ctrl+alt+delete twice at the Welcome screen should
consistently switch to Classic (Windows 2000) logon, whether or
not someone is already logged in.

I would accept just this fix. But wait, there's more.

Let's say the PC has just rebooted and nobody is logged in. I hit
ctrl+alt+delete twice and log into Administrator. Then I log off /
switch user and ask the user to log into their account. But I
forgot to do something and I need to get back into Administrator,
which, mind you, is still logged in.

But because Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator is 0,
Administrator will not appear on the welcome screen even though it
is still logged in!!!!! And I can't get the classic logon screen
with ctrl+alt+del, because, as I mentioned previously, it doesn't
work if someone is already logged in!!!! 

Bug #2: If Administrator is already logged in, then its icon
should appear on the Welcome screen, regardless of the setting of
Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\Administrator. I could
understand the use of this key to suppress an account that isn't
logged in, but if it already is? C'mon, what's the point?

There's a good chance these are bugs. I'm no programming guru, but
I'd guess that it would take less than 10 lines of code to fix
both problems. 

So would some kind hearted soul in the holiday spirit with a
support incident to spare please report this to Microsoft?

Thanks in advance.





.

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