How does one connect to the Internet from a WIN XP Guest Account?  When I attempt to do so, I get a message saying "Modem Cannot Connect".  Also, if I logon to the internet from an Administraor Account and then switch to the Guest Account, I lose my internet connection.

I encountered the same problem across different computers.

A Guest account is not allowed to use any password protected files, folders or settings by definition.
Since your internet account is password protected, the Guest account is unable to use it.

Please see:
http://www.microsoft.com//athome/security/online/logoff_admin_account.mspx
It says:
Note: There is also a Guest account available, which has most of the functions of a Limited User account but it is not password-protected, so a guest user can quickly log on and off again to perform simple tasks, such as checking e-mail or browsing the Internet.
HOW DOES A GUEST CHECK EMAIL FROM THE GUEST ACCOUNT IF ONE CANNOT LOGON TO THE INTERNET FROM THE GUEST ACCOUNT?

To the best of my knowledge, you cannot connect to the Internet directly from a Guest account.
You must already be connected to the Internet for the Guest account to be able to access it. On a network, you would be connected through the server.
You should be able to connect with your Administrator account and then switch to the Guest account and use the Internet.
Do you have Fast User Switching enabled on your computer? This enables you to switch accounts without logging off the first account.

Yes, I have Fast User Switching enabled.  When I connect with my Administrator account and then switch to the Guest Account (without logging off the Administrator Account), I lose my internet connection (see the beginning thread).

Does anybody have a solution?

See this article. You probably need to change your RAS properties.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289669/en-us

Ouch!!!!  It sounds like one has to do a registry edit of the KeepRasConnections key in the registry to prevent an internet connection from logging off when switching from the Administrator Account to a Guest Account.  I'm not comfortable with doing this!

It looks like Bill Gates has done it again.  The Guest Account cannot do what Microsoft says it can do unless one  modifies the registry.

Is this really the only solution?  If so, the built-in security of the Guest Account is so crippling that a guest cannot use it to check their email!!!!

Hi Corandy:

I notice that you posted your question a few days ago, so it may already be answered. If not, I have an alternative suggestion.

If the guest account you have on your computer does not  allow you to do what you want (log on and check email, from what I can gather), and since you seem to have administrative rights from another account -- why don't you create an additional account, with whatever name you want to give it, and use that one instead.

Start Menu > Control Panel > User Accounts > Create a New Account...

If you want to limit that account (ie that it not be an administrator account) , then you have that choice. You can give it a password, if you wish,  (but don't forget it; I have not yet found how you can get around forgetting a password on a user account), or not.  Try logging on from that new account, and it should work. At least it does so on our computer here.

I have heard that the Guest account does create problems of one sort of another, although I don't remember exactly what  just now. So I usually delete that account. I don't really see the need for it anyway, particularly if you have other user accounts set up.

Maybe that will help.

Let us know if you have solved your problem; it is always useful for people  who read these threads to know if the suggestions are helpful.

Good luck.

Peter

Peter, thanks for the suggestion.  I've been that route before.  I'm aware that one can create another account that allows log-on access but that really doesn't address the Microsoft issue.  Microsoft continues to tell users that a Guest Account can do something it cannot (without registry modification).

One also needs to exercise some care in creating new accounts.  For example, in creating new accounts, the the Administrator Account may no longer appear in the Welcome Screen - which just becomes another nuisance.

Thanks for replying, Corandy.

Quoted from corandy that really doesn't address the Microsoft issue.  Microsoft continues to tell users that a Guest Account can do something it cannot (without registry modification).

I wonder if anything could address the Microsoft issue.   ::)

Quoted from corandy in creating new accounts, the the Administrator Account may no longer appear in the Welcome Screen

I guess I can't help with that either. Here, I just created an account for each user, giving or witholding Admin access as requirred. So we actually have 4 users with Admin access, and 1 with limited access. I probably deleted the "Administrator" account, or renamed it or something, because it doesn't appear in the list at all. But it's really a while ago that I did that, so I don't remember.

On the computer that I use all the time, I get rid of all that stuff, and go directly into the desktop, without any of that front-end logon screen thing. But I guess that I have only bypassed it, as there is "All Users", Default User" and "Peter" in the Document and Settings folder.

Perhaps someone else with a clearer understanding of how all that works in XP will correct me.

Anyhow, I'm sorry that I wasn't more helpful.

Peter

Peter, in the Welcome screen where all your accouts are listed, you can gain access to the original built-in Administrator account by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del.  This the nuisance to which I referred.