The Administrator account exists on all computers running Windows XP Professional and Home. This gives potential hackers, half the information they need to access your computer—all they have to do is guess your password.

You can make it more difficult for unauthorized persons to get into your system by renaming the Administrator account. Follow these steps for a Windows XP Pro machine:

1. Go to Control Panel and open Administrative Tools. Double-click the Local Security Policy.
2. When the Local Security Settings snap-in appears, open the Local Policies\Security Options branch and double-click the Accounts: Rename Administrator Account policy.
3. When the Accounts: Rename Administrator Account Properties dialog box appears, type a new name in the text box, and click OK.

Follow these steps to rename the Administrator account in Windows XP Home:

1. Press [Windows]R to access the Run dialog box.
2. In the Open text box, type Control userpasswords2 and click OK to access the User Accounts dialog box.
3. Select the Administrator Account from the list and click the Properties button.
4. In the User Name text box, type a new name, and click OK.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions.