help authenticating!

ok pretty much every time i try to install an application or something it tells me i need to authenticate by entering the admin's name and my password.

I know my admin name and i know my password but everytime i enter it it says "you must type an administrators name and password to make changes to finder" even though thats exactly what im doing. and i know its correct becuse if i type in the wrong password it syas " you have entered an invalid username or password"


Whats wrong?

you are not an administrator it sounds like. Are you the only account on your computer? Is this Leopard? If so, did the computer come with it or did you upgrade?

If you are the only user on this computer and are the admin, and you started off with tiger and upgraded to leopard then this link will help you : http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306876

If you are not the administrator then call them and tell them you would like to install an application, I'm sure if they approve the application they will be more then willing to assist you.

but i am an administrator.

im the only account on this laptop, its a MacBook. and its very new so it was shipped and preloaded with Leopard so i havent done any upgrades like that.

hmm... try creating a new user account that is an admin then try using that name and password.. just as a diagnostics measure.