Hi everyone. The user account that I log onto windows with was in the "debugging" group. However, I was not able to do certain things such as turn windows firewall off or change the internet security levels. Therefore I figured I would change my user group to a "standard user". However that made things much worse. I still can't turn off the firewall, and now I can't even add exceptions to it. So now I want to change my user group back, but I can't! It says I need to be an administrator to access "User Accounts" in the Control Panel. So is there a way to change my user group without being an admin? (this computer was given to my father by someone he works with, so we don't know the admin password...that would make things easy lol)

Also, if there is a way to change my user group without being an admin, what should I change it to so I can do things like turn off windows firewall, edit internet settings,etc...that's all I wanted in the first place and I just made it worse lol.

Thank you,
Chris

Welcome to PCHF chris! (hey same name as me lol)

Sorry if you have already tried this but when you are on the welcome screen > Press Ctrl+Alt+Del at the same time twice then in the traditional logon box type in the username Administrator and leave the password (blank as in nothing) then press enter, if this doesnt get you into the administrator account come back to us.

chris

Didn't work I tried administrator as the password also. I also tried Admin///Admin Administrator///Admin and Admin///Administrator...And admin with no password too lol.

Well, I have to go somewhere in a bit for a few hours, I'll take a look at some of those things when I get back.

But while I'm gone, are there any other ways to do this without any need for the admin password? Is there a way to just change my user group back to "debugging" using command prompt or something like that?

This works on admin accounts but not sure about limited as never used one before:

Go to Start > Run > type in control userpasswords2 and press enter > click on your user > properties > group membership > change your user group.

You said you tried admin with no password
have you tried Administrator with no password?