Can't log in to Windows XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I've been using Windows XP on my computer for 3 years, from the time I
purchased the computer. I've never had the login screen that most people have
where it asks you to choose a user before it opens Windows. When I went to
boot up my computer today, that screen appeared. Unfortunately, there are no
user profiles or icons to click on. So I can't get into Windows. I've tried
clicking around the screen in case I couldn't see the icon. If I hit crtl alt
del twice I get to a dialogue box that lets me login manually, so I've tried
logging in as the adminstrator and trying the obvious default passwords. I've
also tried to login w/out providing a user name or password since I don't
think I have any set up. Nothing works. The only option available to me from
the dialogue box is to shut down, restart or hibernate. So I effectively
can't get into Windows at all. All of the support literature I've read
assumes I can at least get into Windows. I even tried to put in a request to
MS support, but I need the license number, which it counsels me to look for
from within Windows. I would appreciate any suggestions on how I can get back
into Windows. Thanks.
 
At start up,tap the F8 key,select safe mode,enter xp as administrator,open
user
accounts,change the way xp starts..
 
After rebooting and trying in safe mode, I'm still having problems. I went
into safe mode and looked at user accounts. There were two accounts,
Administrator and Guest. I created a new account w/my first and last name and
rebooted. I got the welcome screen showing the new account I'd just created
and a "guest" account. The guest and administrator accounts appear to have
been there all along but had not shown up on the welcome screen until after
I'd made the changes in safe mode. So now there should be three accounts,
Administrator, my first and last name, and guest. However, when I logon in
regular mode and go into User Accounts, I only see the account w/my first and
last name and the guest account. There's no Administrator account visible,
and there's no account w/just my first name visible, even though when I tried
to create an account w/just my first name, it said that account already
existed. While I can access the files from my old account (which is called
"owner"), I'll have to setup Outlook again, including finding and loading the
saved e-mails located on my hard drive. It would be so much easier to use the
existing "owner" account that I've always used, but I can't see it in user
accounts and it won't let me into Windows. Any suggestions on how to either
get back to the original account or quickly and easily access my existing
files and e-mails?
 
Lauren said:
After rebooting and trying in safe mode, I'm still having problems. I went
into safe mode and looked at user accounts. There were two accounts,
Administrator and Guest. I created a new account w/my first and last name and
rebooted. I got the welcome screen showing the new account I'd just created
and a "guest" account. The guest and administrator accounts appear to have
been there all along but had not shown up on the welcome screen until after
I'd made the changes in safe mode. So now there should be three accounts,
Administrator, my first and last name, and guest. However, when I logon in
regular mode and go into User Accounts, I only see the account w/my first and
last name and the guest account. There's no Administrator account visible,
and there's no account w/just my first name visible, even though when I tried
to create an account w/just my first name, it said that account already
existed. While I can access the files from my old account (which is called
"owner"), I'll have to setup Outlook again, including finding and loading the
saved e-mails located on my hard drive. It would be so much easier to use the
existing "owner" account that I've always used, but I can't see it in user
accounts and it won't let me into Windows. Any suggestions on how to either
get back to the original account or quickly and easily access my existing
files and e-mails?
:
Click to expand...

Boot back into Safe Mode and log in to the Administrator account. Then
run System Restore and choose the most recent restore point that is
prior to the onset of this problem.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
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