Windows 10: New Laptop do I need another User Account as well as Admin thats on it

I have just got a new Laptop
The account already on it is called Admin.
Do I need to set up an Account in my name also?
I just want local one if I do.

:)

 

Do i need to have norton security as well as windows Defender because i allready have a subscription do i run both of them ???

Leo,

The great part about Defender is that it will automatically get out of the way if it detects another anti-virus; you'll never actually be running both at the same time. When Norton is running, Defender is off. Regarding your real question though about
which is best: I can't say. Defender has gotten a bad rap in the past, but I can attest that it has gotten much, much better and continues to do so. I've used Norton 360 in the past with good results also, but I'm not using it right now so I can't give
you an opinion on the latest Norton version. If you're fairly safe and use common sense in your browsing and download habits, Defender should serve you well. But, since Defender is usually conflict-proof and you've got nine months of Norton left (indicating
that your version is only three months old, so most likely the current version) my advice would be to turn on Defender, go ahead and install Norton, and see how your system likes it. If it runs well on your particular machine, use what you paid for. If it
causes any issues, slows anything down, or runs into incompatibilities with any of your other software, you can just uninstall it and turn on Defender. Again, this is all just my opinion based on my own non-professional experience, but I think you're good
either way. Just remember, no antivirus in the world is 100% fool-proof, so be smart about what you click on. Your brain is your real best line of defense, so rely on that first and your antivirus as a close second. Hope that helps; cheers.

 

Do i need to have norton security as well as windows Defender because i allready have a subscription do i run both of them ???

In addition to the other replies:

You have to decide for yourself which Anti-Virus program you want to use.

Choosing an Anti-Virus Program

Supplementing your Anti-Virus Program with Anti-Malware Tools

What’s the Best Antivirus for Windows 10? (Is Windows Defender Good Enough?)

If you want to use Norton, Windows Defender should be automatically disabled as soon as Norton is properly installed.

Norton and Windows 10:
https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v107701320_EndUserProfile_en_us

If you want to use in-built Windows Defender, you need to uninstall Norton and then run the Norton Removal Tool to get rid of all remnants (Download the removal tool to uninstall Norton)

Reboot and Windows Defender should be enabled.

If not, try:
Windows Defender - Turn On or Off in Windows 10

Configure Windows Defender in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

How to Use the Built-in Windows Defender Antivirus on Windows 10

For further Norton help I suggest you ask in the Norton Forum:
http://community.norton.com/en

Cheers,

J

 

Hello JO69, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

It sounds like "Admin" is a default administrator account setup by the OEM for you to use to setup the laptop how you like.

Sure, you could add a new local account for yourself to use.

*Arrow Add User Account in Windows 10 Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials

 

I think you should make an additional account.

Keep the Admin account for, well, admin. You can use it when you are prompted for a password to make changes or upgrade your system. Make another local account (not part of the Admin group) for day to day use as described in @Brink tutorial link above.

It is easy for malware to gain privilege if your account is part of the Administrators group. If you normally sign on as a standard user it is much safer.

I'd suggest you change the password of the existing 'Admin' account as well in case it is a default.

 

Thanks.
So I set up my own account as Standard?
Do I need to use the same name and password as on my desktop pc?

Don't know the password for the Admin one though, as it was bought set up as Admin

 

The safest way is to have a standard account for normal use. You do need an administrator account as well as some actions will ask you for an administrator account and password.

You can (but don't have to) use the same user name and password as your desktop. If you were using a Microsoft account the password would be the same (as L: JOE69@outlook.com password is linked to that one Microsoft account) but as you want to use a local account then you could have different. You could have standard user JO69 on your desktop with a different password to user JO69 on your laptop. Might be a bit confusing if you did that though I'd have thought.

If you don't know the password of the account "Admin" then you can change it to something you do know (if the user you are currently using is part of the administrators group) using the netplwiz command. There is a tutorial for it here Reset Password of User Account in Windows 10 Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials

 

It's a bit like Linux, you shouldn't generally run your OS in an elevated account for security reasons.

 

Was this a used computer?

• If it was new then your first boot should have prompted you to create a user account of your own. That account would automatically be an Admin-level account but it could not possibly have the username Administrator.
• If it was used then reinstall Windows 10 to ensure that you only have on it what you know you have on it.
  
• You could use the Reset facility
  
• Or you could make installation USB using http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...n-tool-install
  
• If reinstalling, first check that Windows is activated "with a digital licence" at Settings, Update, Activation

About Admin-level accounts -

• The user account that has the username Administrator is a special built-in account that is part of Windows' recovery facilities. It should normally be disabled. It does not have all the capabilities of a normal Admin account [one that you create yourself].
• You can make your own user accounts into Admin-level accounts if you wish - it is worth having two password-protected local Admin-level accounts so you have a spare in case your normal one is ever corrupted & refuses to let you log in.
• I have seen claim & counter-claim about whether or not there is, in practice, any increased security risk from running routinely in an Admin-level account**. If you want to ere on the side of caution then check your Admin-level accounts work then create a Standard user account for your day-to-day activities.

** [Added later] I should have made it clear that Control panel, user accounts, UAC would need to be set at its maximum - Always notify.

Denis

 

Elevating an admin account is easy *Wink UAC Bypass Using eventvwr.exe and Registry Hijacking | enigma0x3

If you have found someone claiming that running as part of administrator group is safe then they are ill-informed.

 

lx07 -

• I have no wish to bypass anything.
• I did not even use the word safe. I have never found a convincing explanation that logging in to a Windows 10 Admin account is any more risky than logging in to a Standard user account given Microsoft's contention that an Admin account is logged in to with Standard tokens only.

Denis

 

Read the link above - there are also many other ways.

It isn't you bypassing anything - malware can easily bypass UAC if you run an Admin account.

 

lxo7 - OK, I have edited my original post. Denis

 

No it was not a used computer. Just came with the Admin account set.
And no password for it.
I wasnt sure what to do about that or how best to create an account for me.
Not confident enough for reset.

 

If it came with the Admin account set, then it was a used computer. OEMs installing Windows and selling new computers are not allowed to set up any accounts because it is the end user - the final customer, that must accept the End Users License Agreement for Windows before using it. Setting up the Admin account would require agreeing to the EULA first.

There is a mode that the manufacturer can enter when they load Windows onto the computer called Audit Mode, and they can install drivers and software that way, then exit the audit mode to sell the computer to the customer - but most major manufacturers will just use a preconfigured image instead of going into audit mode on each computer. Using Audit Mode to properly load an OEM version of Windows before selling the computer to the first customer will leave no traces of the account on the computer, and the customer gets the first setup screen when they turn the computer on - with no accounts created on the computer.