Need help with my Administrator Account

[o0otwiggyo0o]

Ok, so I'm new but I have definitely shifted through this site before for mac help but this time I could not find a thread that fit my problem.

My account is under Natalie ___ (last name) which is the only account on the computer, which I ASSUME is the administrator account. Anyways, whenever I try to install anything, it asks for an "administrator username and password". So I type in Natalie ____ and then my password and it says "This is an invalid username or password. Try again". I don't understand why I'm not the administrator because it's a macbook 10.5.1 and I'm the only one that uses it.

So, then I try to change my password by putting in the Max OS disk, holding down on C, resetting my password, and this thing comes up that says "System Administrator (root)" and "Natalie _____". So I was like okay...weird. So I reset Natalie ____'s password AND the system administrator to the same thing and then reset, ejected the disk blah blah blah. So I try to log on again and poof doesn't let me. So I try "System Administrator (root)" same password, still invalid. So what I'm asking is...WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?

 

[TEG]

Try using your account's short name, and make sure you are set as Administrator in the Accounts Preference Pane.

TEG

 

[o0otwiggyo0o]

What's "short name"?

And I can't make myself an administrator unless I am an administrator...and apparently I'm not!

 

[TEG]

The short name is the name used for your home folder, and is a valid form of your username.
You should be able to log in as "root" and make whatever changes you want.
I would also try to repair your permissions from Disk Utility as it sounds like something is borked in your keychain.

TEG

 

[GGJstudios]

I can't help but feel suspicious when someone's first post in the forums is about admin passwords or gaining access to a Mac. It could be completely innocent, but it could also be a stolen Mac that someone is trying to get into.

 

[jodelli]

What's "short name"?

And I can't make myself an administrator unless I am an administrator...and apparently I'm not!

System Preferences>System>Accounts>Password tab.
Name is above Short Name which is above Password.
Password is concealed.

 

[alphaod]

What's "short name"?

And I can't make myself an administrator unless I am an administrator...and apparently I'm not!

Well this is my home folder and my shortname (as circled):

I can't help but feel suspicious when someone's first post in the forums is about admin passwords or gaining access to a Mac. It could be completely innocent, but it could also be a stolen Mac that someone is trying to get into.

Well those are unfounded. Must everyone who asks for passwords help be a thief?

 

[GGJstudios]

Well those are unfounded. Must everyone who asks for passwords help be a thief?

No, not everyone. As I said:

... It could be completely innocent...

It just seems strange, of all the questions someone could ask in the forum, both before a purchase and after, (what should I get? what apps to get? discounts? which browser? etc.), that the first one has to do with gaining access to a Mac that has already been set up. I'm not accusing anyone. I'm just saying it's suspicious.

 

[o0otwiggyo0o]

AH! Thank you guys so much!!!!!! I don't have time to try these out (tired am I and I have lots of homework left!) but I will try these solutions tomorrow sometime. Thanks again.

And for the record, I didn't like "steal my mac" or anything...I got it from my parents for Christmas. And I haven't had any problems on this except that I can't open any of the administrator options and it's driving me crazy because I had the old iphone and I just got the iphone 3G but my version of itunes it too old to upload music onto the iphone and it won't let me download the new version of itunes because I'm not an administrator for some reason and it's making me angry. GR.

 

[Consultant]

I can't help but feel suspicious when someone's first post in the forums is about admin passwords or gaining access to a Mac. It could be completely innocent, but it could also be a stolen Mac that someone is trying to get into.

Yeah. Seen it before. Suspicious.

To the OP, make appointment with Genius Bar and bring it to apple store.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

AH! Thank you guys so much!!!!!! I don't have time to try these out (tired am I and I have lots of homework left!) but I will try these solutions tomorrow sometime. Thanks again.

And for the record, I didn't like "steal my mac" or anything...I got it from my parents for Christmas. And I haven't had any problems on this except that I can't open any of the administrator options and it's driving me crazy because I had the old iphone and I just got the iphone 3G but my version of itunes it too old to upload music onto the iphone and it won't let me download the new version of itunes because I'm not an administrator for some reason and it's making me angry. GR.

I don't know why no one is pointing out the obvious. If the user has to type in their name (the short name doesn't work) then it's not the admin account. If you bought the computer used it sounds like there is another admin account. The way to find if there is you click on your hard disk, then click on the users folder. If there is another user in the folder then that user is most likely the admin. Now try going to the apple menu and log out of your account, try logging into the other account (hopefully there won't be a password needed.) if a password isn't needed then anytime it asks for admin privileges just don't type in a password.


**after reading all I wrote there are definitely waaaaay easier ways to fix your problem. Check the users in system preferences and see what accounts have admin privileges.

PS: That is my user account. I don't have admin access on my computer as a little extra security. My admin account is locked up with a very long and complicated password that I took a week of typing over and over again to memorize.