Hello. I'm running XP home with service pack 3. In several contexts I am told that I am not logged on as an administrator, but there are no other accounts. I've created other administrator accounts, same results. I've tried the corrupted account fixes, and turning off the McAfee security software. Same results.1 person needs an answerI do too

It really depends on what those "several contexts" are. In XP all administrative users are equal, including the built-in Administrator which is hidden in XP Home. So something else is causing the error. It can be when you try to install a program that isn't designed for XP or the computer could be infected. There isn't any way for me to know without more details. As for your feeling that your computer is clean because you have McAfee, you can't rely on that. Be sure: http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware BTW, McAfee is one of the worst choices for protection. I recommend NOD32 (commercial) or Avast, Avira, or MS Security Essentials if you want a free program.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Here are the two principal contexts:1. Using MSCONFIG to do anything (after checking that I am an adminstrator), I get an error message stating that I "may" need to log in as adminstrator, which, I already am. Created several new administrator accounts, none worked. Tried several limited accounts, that didn't work. Tried everything again with McAfee turned off, same thing.2. McAfee continues to report that "Personal Information Protection" cannot be "configured" because I'm not logged in as an adminstrator.

Also -- when I try to uninstall a program, i.e. Google Sketch-up, I'm informed that "A user with administrative rights installed this program. Can't uninstall"

Frankly, McAfee is the worst choice for protection. I would uninstall it and use something better. I recommend NOD32 (commercial) or Avast, Avira, or MS Security Essentials if you want free. After that, I'd do some thorough scanning per the steps set out in the link I already gave you. That way you know you're working from a clean base (which you don't know now). Don't skip the prep work.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Thanks, but with all due respect, that's a cop-out. Microsoft has done its usual flimsy job of 1% engineering and 99% propaganda. This is a simple question. I take it that the entire concept of user accounts has to do with restricting authority to make certain changes, and that being so, it ought not take more than a few clicks and a few seconds to determine the precise problem. In fact, it should have been detected the moment it occurred, and I should have been alerted. Let's not be bad-mouthing someone else unless you can give me more precise information about how they caused the problem.

Sorry, but you aren't understanding how the operating system works. It isn't a cop-out; it's that something is wrong with your system. Healthy Windows XP systems don't come up with those errors so something is wrong with yours. I gave you the first troubleshooting steps. If you don't want to do them to find out what's wrong, then there's nothing further I can add. I'm sorry I was unable to help you and hope that you are able to get your Windows XP working again properly somehow.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

how do you check if you are adminisrator?

The simplest way of checking whether you have administrator privilege is to Right-Click on "Start".If one of the choices that pop up in the resulting window is "Open All Users", then you DO have administrator privilege.Simple.As Malkeleah warned, simply having Administrator privilege does not automatically grant you access to everything.... and malware just loves to take privileges away from Administrators...HTH, JW

you are not an administrator