admin access

This is my first computer. I have an administrator account and a usual use
account. When I first started using my computer, I was often prompted to
type in administrator password to change stuff like Norton security settings
and allowing active-X control. Now, I no longer get the prompt, I just get a
message saying must be administrator to access. Of course if I log in as
administrator I cannot access and use the files that I have in my usual use
and the prompt that warns me that I may not want to go there doesn't come up
as I already have admin approval. How do I go back to the prompts for
administrator password when I am logged on to usual use? Is this at all
related to Protected mode saying off on Internet Explorer even though the box
is ticked that it is on in the area where you change this setting? How do I
fix that? This seems to be related to a posting 11/24/06 about built-in
admin account but that posting and the replies were too technical for me to
follow.