for the windows experts out there ...

[leng]

Has anyone come across this situation - and better still, does anyone know how to get out of it?

A friend of mine reinstalled XP home from scratch. He then added a password to his account and selected the option "do not display user names on startup" assuming this would be a security bonus (why he needs to do this when the only other people with access to his system are his wife and his occasionally visiting adult son is another matter). Anyway, when he rebooted there was nothing to click on to select the user ... and no way to enter the password. He is thus locked out of his own system.


Personally I think that having a windows system that you cannot access is an improvement but he disagrees.

Any ideas?

[Charinida]

Would Safe mode be an option?

Don't recall that option of not displaying User names before...

***

The "Administrator Logon" Dialog Box May Be Hidden Under the Welcome Screen or "The System Could Not Log You on" Message May Be Displayed

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300433/en-us

The Administrator Logon dialog box may be hidden under the Welcome screen when the AutoAdminLogon feature is enabled and the user account is either deleted or missing.

-or-

The Log On to Windows dialog box may be displayed with incorrect credentials after the Autologon feature had been unsuccessful, and you received the following error message:

***

Passwords Are Unexpectedly Assigned to User Accounts After You Upgrade to Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318026/en-us

When you upgrade or install Microsoft Windows XP, passwords may be assigned to user accounts that previously had no password or you did not assign passwords to any user accounts during the installation process. As a result, you cannot log on to the computer.

[EricStratton]

IIRC when you choose the options to not display user names before logging in you *have* to input a user and password to log in as (I do this on my systems but haven't had to do it in a while). It should automatically log him in as that user.

[Greebo]

He will have to boot up in safe mode and fix that flag for that user.

He could also change his system not to use that stupid user screen and use the standard windows login dialog instead but I can't remember how off hand.

[Erudite]

Anyway, then he rebooted there was nothing to click on to select the user ... and no way to enter the password. He is thus locked out of his own system.

Does CNTRL-ALT-DEL bring up a logon box for him?

[leng]

IIRC when you choose the options to not display user names before logging in you *have* to input a user and password to log in as (I do this on my systems but haven't had to do it in a while). It should automatically log him in as that user.
Unfortunately, there is nowhere to input a user name or password.
Does CNTRL-ALT-DEL bring up a logon box for him?
Apparently not.
He will have to boot up in safe mode and fix that flag for that user.

He could also change his system not to use that stupid user screen and use the standard windows login dialog instead but I can't remember how off hand.
Yes, I said change it to the "old" dialog box. Currently he is the only user on the system. I suggested safe mode might get him out of the mud but it is so long since I used it that I could not remember what pops up when you select it.

[DirkDarkBlade]

There is an option to require Ctrl + Alt + Del to log in (when the machine is not in a domain). He may be able to boot in safe mode, and check that box. Then it will make him use Ctrl + Alt + Del and give him a place to type his user name and password.

If he can't get it into safe mode he may have to reinstall from scratch again.

Just an idea.

[Greebo]

Safe mode will give him the standard ctrl-alt-del login box if memory serves.

[Sylvene]

ROFL!!!

I just had a weekend of installing and re-installing windows. So... not much I'm gonna say since I had to do it 4 times, twice from stupidity, once from little "helpers" hitting the wrong button at the wrong time.

[Lycos]

...once from little "helpers" hitting the wrong button at the wrong time.

Your neice and nephew? :lowlol:

[EricStratton]

Your neice and nephew? :lowlol:
No, it's just what she calls her fingers. Yeah, it's weird, I know.

[Sylvene]

Your neice and nephew? :lowlol:

Oh yeah!

"I'm helping you, Auntie Carol! I can press the button for you!"

Out of the mouth of babes...

"I want to screw something. Can I screw something?"
"I want to screw something too!"

[Prescient]

One trick if you have XP set to use Welcome Screen (icons and names) is to hit "Ctrl+Alt+Del" TWICE and it will bring up the old standard login box.

To get the old standard login by default, go to Control Panel -> User Accounts. Click "Change the way users log on or off" and uncheck "Use the Welcome Screen".

[Charinida]

One trick if you have XP set to use the fancy user login (displaying the icons and names) is to hit "Ctrl+Alt+Del" TWICE and it will bring up the old standard login box.

Ooooh, that's a good tip... Thanks... Kinda like at work with Windows 2000 Server...

I'll have to try that out one day when the system resets...

I need to get a new icon...