Over at 4sysops there's a terrific article on using the built-in administrator account. The what, you ask? You know, the "secret" Vista account that supposedly unlocks the door to all kinds of magical admin powers.

You'll want to start by reading author Michael Pietroforte's source article, The myths about so-called hidden built-in administrator account in Windows Vista and Windows 7. It explains the differences between that account and a regular one.

If you do decide to leverage the administrator account in a corporate environment, Pietroforte has seven tips. For example:

Set a password for the built-in Administrator account

In Vista, the built-in admin account has a blank password by default. I feel this is dangerous, even if the account is disabled. [Security expert Jesper] Johansson argues that this is not a problem, because an account with a blank password can only be used locally. However, if an attacker manages to enable the admin account (for example, if he has physical access to the machine), he can just set a password which will enable him to manage the machine remotely. Setting a strong password for the built-in admin account provides an extra level of security. You can also use tools, such as AutoAdministrator, to set the administrator password on multiple machines.

Hey, uh, we're no IT wizards over here, but we recognize knowledgeable advice when we see it. If you're an IT staffer or manager or even a CIO, this is some decidedly helpful information to have.

Also, it's worth noting that Windows 7 has the same built-in administrator account as Vista, and with the same default settings.

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