new install, can't use - need password for postgres user - Mailing list pgsql-novice

I have just completed a first installation on Windows 2008 Server. I was very keen to work with PostGreSQL. I can't
evendo the basic things in pgAdmin III that I installed with the database, as I don't have a password and the
documentationdoesn't provide one. All that is mentioned in my digging is changing the pg_hba.conf file, but no details
onhow  - the manual says: 

"19.1. The pg_hba.conf file
Client authentication is controlled by a configuration file, which traditionally is named pg_hba.conf and is stored in
thedatabase cluster's data directory. (HBA stands for host-based authentication.) A default pg_hba.conf file is
installedwhen the data directory is initialized by initdb. It is possible to place the authentication configuration
fileelsewhere, however; see the hba_file configuration parameter...Each record specifies a connection type, a client IP
addressrange (if relevant for the connection type), a database name, a user name, and the authentication method to be
usedfor connections matching these parameters. The first record with a matching connection type, client address,
requesteddatabase, and user name is used to perform authentication. There is no "fall-through" or "backup": if one
recordis chosen and the authentication fails, subsequent records are not considered. If no record matches, access is
denied."

These instructions do not seem to be about the password for an individual users, but rather the instructions to allow
clientsand users associated with clients to be allowed access - pgAdmin is one of those?  Knowing it probably wouldn't
work,I tried to edit that file, adding localhost and all users (followed guidance in the manual) and then PostGreSQL
wouldn'trestart. When I run pgAdmin, it presents me a password challenge, so that client seems to be connected to the
server.There are several command line references to add new accounts, but they use unix commands (do those work in
windows,and how do I get to command line in windows) and they also seem to require a user. So I have no password, don't
knowhow to add one, or add a new user, and now have no documentation on what to do. Why wouldn't pgAdmin know the
defaultpassword for the user "postgres" - I am not stupid, at least I don't think so, and would know to change that
rightaway. I am now having my doubts about postgreSQL, as someone really should make this much simpler - starting off
onthe wrong foot.  

Bottom line, how do I add a user with superuser privileges without spending several hours reading online to start using
thissystem? I just want to log in folks, and create some databases and tables...that should take like 2 minutes. Does
anyoneelse think this is ridiculous? Help please.  

Thanks.

Doug