# [SOLVED] Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?



## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

Hi Guys,
I needed to log in as Administrator to install a program. So I used this method on the Microsoft site: activating administrator on windows 7 home premium - Microsoft Community

After doing that I installed my program successfully. I rebooted and logged on with password ect. I now wanted to change back to my regular User account so I don't have to type my password every time I boot up. 

I followed the above microsoft method again and this time a user account control box pops up and asks " to continue, type administrator password and click yes"...Only there is nowhere to type a password and the "Yes" button is greyed out and can't be clicked. only the "No" button works.

How do I fix this and change back to my normal user account?

Cheers

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hello Uly5,

There should have been no need to activate the Built in Admin account.

I do recommend disabling it again.

First, create a new account from the Administrator account and give it Administrator rights. (Or give your current user account Administrator rights, but I do suggest using a password if you do this).

Create a password for the new administrator account.

Log into the new administrator account.

Open an elevate CMD prompt.

Type the following and press enter.


```
net user administrator /active:no
```
You should see "The requested action completed successfully" or something along those lines.

then type and press enter


```
netplwiz
```
Highlight your account and deselect the *Users must enter a username or password to use this computer* checkbox.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hi GZ,


> First, create a new account from the Administrator account and give it Administrator rights. (Or give your current user account Administrator rights, but I do suggest using a password if you do this).


I Can't create a new account because... user account control box pops up and asks " Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer"... To continue type an administrator Password and click yes. 

Only there is nowhere to type a password and the "Yes" button is greyed out and can't be clicked. Only the "No" button works.

Any time I try to change any details in my User account and the User account control box pops up the Yes Button is greyed out and all I can select is the No Button.

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Are you logged in as the Administrator or your user account?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

When I boot up my Pc, I type my password under my normal name. It could be still logged in as administrator because when I used that Microsoft link in my first post I remember changing something to Administrator.

I'm sorry I really don't know? Is there a way to find out to be sure?

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

If you are a logged in administrator, you should be able to elevate without entering a password.

Are there two users on your login screen?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

I just logged off. It has 2 names to log on with. One is my name and the 2nd is "Other User". It also has Switch user button.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

What is the "Other User" account???
Is it an administrator account?
Can you log into it?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

The "Other User" account seems to be a duplicate of my normal log in account. I can log on with it using my name and password. It still has the greyed out Yes button when I log on with the "Other User" account. I must have created it when I used that Microsoft link?? 

How do I tell if it is an Administrator Account?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

If I click Start and click on the Picture at the top of the start menu another screen pops up and in the Pic to the right it says:

My Name
Guest Account
Password Protected

This is where it should say Administrator right? Why does it say Guest Account?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Probably because it is the guest account.

I am sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I am at work right now and had some things to do.

Here is what I want you to do next.


Reboot the PC.
Press F8 immediately after the POST screen. I would start pressing it before the end of POST to be sure you you get it... This should bring up the "Advanced Boot Options" menu.
Select "Repair Your Computer"
It will ask you to log into an account on your PC. Choose "Administrator".
If it says "Your Account is currently disabled" log into your own account.
In the next menu, choose command prompt.
Type *net user administrator /active:yes*
Is the operation successful?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok Sorry for being so thick....but when I reboot and press F8 I get the Bios menu and I can't see anywhere that says repair your computer??


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hmmm... Different manufacturers have different key options... You will have to wait until just after the POST screen to press F8. If you see the windows loading animation, you were too late.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok I did it...I have to wait till the screen went black before the Windows Animation. I put it into the Command prompt and it said the operation was Successful 

What now?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Reboot... there should be 3 logins now.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

There's still only 2 logins when I reboot - My name and the 2nd is "Other User".


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

I will have to get back with you later. I am out right now and posting from my phone.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok no worries...Thanks for your help so far


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok I might Know why it didn't work....When I hit F8 and got to the repair screen...It said administrator...I put in my password but it wouldn't work (I tried it a number of times). Then I just hit enter and it worked and I assumed I was logged in as admin. So I guess I wasn't. Which is why the 3 Logins didn't show up. 

Don't know why my Password wasn't accepted...it's been working every time I reboot my Pc. 

If I login under my own name I just get the repair Pc option...Yes or No.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Am I still receiving help for my Problem? It hasn't been resolved yet.

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Yes. I am sorry about that... I spent the weekend with my children.

As for the Administrator not working with your password is likely because the Administrator account is not password protected. If it were, it wouldn't allow you to log onto it in the recovery.

I was given a little help to help you by MS moderator jenae. He believes your UAC may be corrupt.

You need to log back into the RE and open the Command Prompt.



jenae said:


> Hi, this post:-
> 
> http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...me-change-back-from-admin-to-user-672593.html
> 
> ...


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

If you have any questions, please ask.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

ok I'm not very familiar with command prompt and need some help.


> Get to command prompt at the x:\sources> prompt type:-


When CMD Prompt pops up it says X:\windows\system32>

Do I need to change anything or do I type in bcdedit \find "osdevice" (press enter) from there?

I tried bcdedit \find "osdevice" (press enter) from there and it says... specific command line is not valid. Run "bcdedit /?" for command line assistance.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

No... You need to load the RE (Recovery Environment) and logon as administrator.

Press F8 at Windows start
Select "Repair Your Computer"


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Yep I have hit F8 and i'm in repair your computer. Then select Command prompt...When CMD Prompt pops up it says X:\windows\system32>

Then what do I do?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Type the following an press enter.


```
bcdedit |find "osdevice"
```
This will tell you what drive the OS is installed to.

Then type the following and press enter to launch the Registry Editor.


```
regedit.exe
```
Once you get the registry editor launched, we will continue.

Let me know how you get on.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

ok when i type bcdedit \find "osdevice" it says...

The specified command line is not valid. Run "bcdedit /?" for command line assistance.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Okay... It needs to be the vertical line... Press shift and hit that key.

\ vs. |


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Woohoo I'm in regedit. the Os is on Partition = D:

What now?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Okay... Good.


Select the key *HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE* (click on it to highlight it)
Click on file (toolbar at the top) and select *Load Hive*
Browse to D:\windows\system32\config and click on *Software*. (the one with no file extension)
Enter a unique name in the input box... Let's name it *UAC*.

Then follow the steps from here...




jenae said:


> The registry editor will be open and you will note a new key called "UAC" expand the + and navigate to:-
> 
> Microsoft expand the +
> Next:-
> ...


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok Done...the UAC is disabled.

What now?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Click on "Unload Hive" and restart your computer.

Load into Windows normally.

Attempt to create a user account or modify one.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok it looks like I can create a new user account and modify one...what should I do now?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

To add a little bit...

When you have the account page open, it should tell you the account type under the User Name.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

ok there seems to be 3 Accounts..

1. My name, Guest account, Password protected
2. ASP.NET Machine Account, Standard User,Password protected
3. Guest, Guest account is off.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Okay... Try and create a new account with Administrator privileges.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

It won't let me create an Administrator account because not matter what name I call it, it says... The specified account name is not valid because names cannot contain the following Characters ^<>+=? (ect).

I haven't typed any characters...just a regular name??


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Okay... Let's try something else.

Get into the Recovery Environment Command prompt again.

Type the following then press enter... (replace the bolded words with the new account's name and new account's password)


```
net user /add [B]accountname[/B] [B]accountpassword[/B]
```
Then type the following and press enter. (replace the bolded word with your new user account name)


```
net localgroup administrators [B]accountname[/B] /add
```
Reboot the PC and log in under the new user.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

when i type net user /add accountname accountpassword it says...

The User or Group Account specified cannot be found. The user was successfully created but could not be added to the users local group.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hmmm....

Reboot and see if the user account is shown...

Try elevating your account to administrator by typing the second command, only with your username in place of "useraccount"


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*



> Reboot and see if the user account is shown...


it's not there.



> Try elevating your account to administrator by typing the second command, only with your username in place of "useraccount"


tried that and it says... there is no such global user or group: my name.

This is a hard problem to fix :-(


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

There seems to be something seriously wrong here.

I asked for help and someone else to take a look at this and give us some ideas.

Please be patient.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Yeah your not wrong lol...I am all good...Thanks for all your help so far...you've been outstanding!!

I can't believe using that link in that article has caused so much trouble :-(

all I wanted to do was install Krita 2.5.2.msi. I couldn't find run as administrator when i right clicked as usual. so I found that link and used it. Really wish i hadn't now.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

I believe your problem spans before that point.

The primary user account in Windows 7 is usually Administrator group... According to you, your account is part of the Guests user group... That should not be. Standard user yes, Guest user, no...

If I were repairing your computer, I would make a complete backup of your personal files and reinstall Windows... 

I am hoping we can get your problem resolved, but I am just about at the end of my knowledge and experience... In my experience, I have never come across a problem like this.

Just a couple more quick questions...

What brand and model is your computer?
Is this the original installation of Windows, or has it been reinstalled or upgraded?


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

I put my computer together myself from store brought parts. if you want to know all the hardware i can write it down for you. 

This is a original clean install of windows 7 home premium retail brought version. In stalled about February this year. never been re installed or upgraded.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Then, the primary account should automatically be part of the Administrator's group.

It should not be part of the Guest user group...

We will see if any of my amazing team-mates can figure something out for you, and if I have an epiphany, I will definitely post back!


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

No worries...you've done a great job so far. I hope you or your team can fix this...I kinda don't want this problem to beat you guys!! 

Also I installed Krita 2.5.9 before installing krita 2.5.2. krita 2.5.9 kept crashing so I unistalled and installed the more stable version 2.5.2. You think krita 2.5.9 may have screwed something up? They did say on there site they are having problems with the windows version installer.

I want to avoid a reinstall of windows if I can. i just got every thing installed and running great after my new install of win 7 in February.

Ok I'm going to have some dinner and go to sleep after that...I will be back on tomorrow.

Cheers

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

You could attempt a system restore to a point previous to the krita installation.

I would attempt the Restoration from the Recovery Environment...

Same as before, only instead of opening the command prompt, open System Restore.

Choose a restore point from when your computer seemed to be running properly.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

I am off to bed for the night. 

I will catch up on this thread in the morrow.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Ok I did the system restore from the Recovery Environment from 2 days before I installed Krita...It work!!!  My loggin Account is back to: My Name, Administrator, Password Protected.

Now I have a few small Issues...

- Because the System restore worked we don't know what caused this problem...and I don't know how to prevent it happening again?

- Do we need to enable the UAC again?

- The Krita Desktop Icon is gone and the .exe is gone from Krita's install folder in Program folders (x86) which means I can't load & run Krita, which means I have to re Install Krita leading to recreating the previous problem we had. What should I do and how is the proper way to install a .MSI file which asks to Run as Administrator?

- Should I create a new system restore point now that everything is working again?

-Do I need all 3 Loggin accounts? Can I delete any?
1. My name, Administrator, Password protected
2. ASP.NET Machine Account, Standard User,Password protected
3. Guest, Guest account is off

- Is there anything else I need to do?


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## Dracia (Mar 19, 2008)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

(I'm on a Vista machine so this might be slightly different for 7)

You said when you right click you can't see "Run as Administrator". If you right click on the shortcut for Krita and go to Properties, in the Compatibility tab, do you see the checkbox for running as an administrator?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

No, the UAC should have been re enabled by the restore (restored a complete registry from backup).

Your account should be an Administrator... you should not have to activate the built-in account for any reason.

Yes, create a new restore point. That is a very good idea.

I would run a complete virus scan with your installed AV and with MBAM Free (Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware download).

If either scan finds any viruses, I would post a thread in our security section as per the posting instructions found in the following link.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...-posting-for-malware-removal-help-305963.html

As for the 3 accounts, they are normal... The guest account should be disabled (off) as it's reported.

I am going to ask about the ASP.NET account...


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hi Dracia, The Desktop Shortcut and the .exe in Krita's program folder have been removed (Due to System Restore I think) so I can't check it unfortunately :-(

Ok Gz restore point created. 



> Your account should be an Administrator... you should not have to activate the built-in account for any reason.


Ok understood...should I try a re install of Krita? Should I uninstall the Version of Krita that's on my pc now or just let it write over the top of it?

I will do a virus scan and I already have Mbam so I will do that shortly.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Hold off on trying to reinstall that program until we know there are no other issues.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

My Anti-Virus and MBAM found 0 Threats. My system is a clean as a whistle.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

Can I Install Krita Now? I need to get Krita up and running so I can finish a painting in it.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

First, you can remove the ASP.NET user if you wish. 

Secondly... Before you do anything, create a restore point!
Also, it is a good idea to create an image backup of your OS drive in case of irreperable failure. (Windows Button>Getting Started>Backup Your Files -- In the left pane, create a system image). I suggest an external hard drive as the backup media, especially if your installation is large...

Once the restore point is created and/or the backup image made, I suggest uninstalling the old version first.
Once the old version is uninstalled, check to be sure the computer is still functioning properly, then create another New restore point and install the new version.
Then check to see if the computer is running properly.


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## Uly5 (Feb 5, 2012)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*



> First, you can remove the ASP.NET user if you wish.


Ok it's removed.

I followed the rest of your instructions in your post and everything seems to be running ok now. Krita 2.5.2 is installed and running great  I have no login Administrator Account problems.

I have a sneaky suspicion that Krita 2.5.9 was the problem. It kept crashing all the time and I think it was an Alpha version. Otherwise I must have done something wrong when I used that Microsoft link (Even tho I shouldn't have used it in the 1st place! ). I guess we'll never know?

I just want to Thank you GZ for all your help...I learnt heaps from all this 

If there isn't anything else then I guess this problem is solved? 

Cheers

Uly


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Win 7 won't let me Change back from admin to user?*

I am glad we got the problem sorted!


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