Windows Vista help: Administrative privileges

[Cysma]

I still have my computer from when I lived with my parents, but the only account I can access on it is not an administrative account. I can't access very many websites, I can't install or uninstall programs, and it automatically locks me out for certain hours of the day. Is there any way I can regain User Account Control?

[Ket]

Call your parents, ask for the password.

[Serephino]

If your parents don't know the password your only other option is to format.  There is a way, my boyfriend figured it out once. 

[Cysma]

Hmm...you know, if you have a password-protected account, then your computer has to store the password somewhere, right? What if we could find the file and decode it?

[OldSchoolGamer]

Hmm...you know, if you have a password-protected account, then your computer has to store the password somewhere, right? What if we could find the file and decode it?

For understandable reasons, Microsoft uses a fairly complex encryption system for that.

Ethically, I have a hard time with helping people defeat passwords.  If you locked yourself out of your own computer, you have my sympathies, but you're likely looking at an OS reinstall.

Your best bet going forward is to write down the password and place it somewhere where only you know where it is.  You don't even have to label it as such.  You might also want to look at creating two accounts with admin rights in case for whatever reason one fails to boot properly.