xp repair w/o password

I am trying to repair xp home but I get to a screen that requires a password. I never made one. I have been reading the administrator posts for xp related to my problem. It seems to say I must boot into safe mode as administrator and create a password. Then I should be able to complete the repair. Right now I am stuck at the black screen that is asking for the password. I have clicked enter twice with no luck and space + enter, still no progress. Can anyone straighten me out? Thanks, Sallie

 

Sallie

Appearently you do have a password but forgot it.

Boot to safe mode and change the password for "your own login" not Administrator (won't work in XP Home).

Control panel-User Accounts Click your username if it says "Change the password" then click the next one down "Remove the password ".

Then reboot and the password will be blank so hit enter.

Hopefully this will do it as i am at a clients office working just decided to check in. It may be later tonight before I can check back in.

Good luck!

Mike

 

It sounds like you are trying to use the Recovery Console on your XP Home CD, and maybe it is pre-XP SP1. There was an issue where you do not have a password set for Administrator, and the XP Home CD insists there is.
Your solution is here, it involves creating 5 floppies to use as a series of boot disks.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308402
However, if you can get into Safe Mode, you could log on as Administrator, then set one.

 

Hi Mike,
In user accts in safe mode it said Sallie computer administrator. I had the option to:
change my name
create a password
change my picture
change my acct type
change my net passport


This was probably the wrong thing to do but I created a password and then tried to type that into the prompt for administrator password. It said it was invalid. I went out and back again to user accounts and removed the password. I pressed enter twice at the prompt on the repair screen but it still didn't work.

The reason I think I need to repair windows is because I can't uninstall or reinstall new programs. I always come up with errors. My programs hang or take a long time to come up. My C drive is very full so I un-installed a bunch of programs a month or so ago and didn't reboot between each one as I usually do. I was using AVG and when I installed the latest version I came up with errors for both uninstalling and reinstalling. I don't have an antivirus that works now so I don't use the computer. Do you think it's time to take it to the shop? I'm mad at myself!

At this moment I am finally running a Trend Micro scan which will probably take hours. It has taken me all morning to get it started. Adaware and Spybot both come up clean.

Sallie

 

Hi Sallie

Sorry so long getting back but became burried by work 6am till 11pm last 3 days!

Finally got it under control jut this afternoon late.

So lets do this instead of trying the repair that you may not even need.

If installing and un-installing is your issue lets try to fix that.

Do this:

Download Dial-A-Fix (DAF)
http://wiki.djlizard.net/Dial-a-fix#...C_and_articles

Have XP CD available in case DAF needs a file.

Check all boxes on the screen (if a restrictions box pops up, clear any restrictions if it shows any)

Then click GO!

Give it time when the entire page is finished click the HammerHead at bottom to go to the second DAF page.

Here 1 at a time do the below

Reinstall BITS

Repair Permissions

Watch for any File not found or other errors and make note as this may lead to the fix!

Then check results and get back.

Mike

 

I got your message and am preparing to download and run DAF. I think I should print out all the info. Would it be helpful for you to know my browser, whether I use Firefox or IE, is using 95% of my of my CPU if I have more than 1 page open. I'll get busy. Sallie

 

Hi Sallie

Yes it is good to know the symptoms and any program especially a browser constantly using that much CPU is not normal.

Tell me more about how IE runs with only 1 page open. How about other programs other than your install uninstall issues.

You may have other isssues but lets begin with DAF!

Close all programs and browsers when you run DAF.

You said you were cleaning up to free space. I hope you were using Add/Remove in Control panel to do these and not just deleteing!

Lets do additional deeper cleanups:

D/L install and run ATF-Cleaner clear all except passwords in all browsers you have. Run repeatedly until no more found.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/ATF_Cleaner_d4949.html

D/L and install CCleaner: Clean temps and registry. Run both (temp and registry) repeatedly until no more found.

http://www.ccleaner.com/download/bui...wnloading-slim

After these reboot and lets do preliminary Malware check just to make sure you have no culprits doing this.

So:

D/L Xclean_Micro http://www.xblock.com/download/xclean_micro.exe
No install, run it delete all it finds decline to reboot on each item found, until the program finishes then reboot.

Sallie I have had a rough last 3 days, already I dozed off after dinner this evening so if I go to bed before you get all this done I will be rested and fresh in the morn.

And yes, do you have an alternative browser like FireFox or Opera?

Mike

 

Mike, you are so good! I ran DAF and it worked well. Really made the computer healthy again. I also ran ATF cleaner and Ccleaner and then was able to uninstall AVG. I installed Avast and ran a scan for viruses and was clean. I use Firefox usually but used IE when it used so much CPU but then IE also used lots of CPU. The CPU shows about 90% idle process now. Great!

I use tabs in my browser and sometimes have 5 or 6 running. I don't have programs freezing anymore and everything seems to be running smoothly. BTW I was using add/remove programs to get rid of programs I didn't need.

Hope your schedule improves now and you get some rest. I appreciate all the time you took to help me out, especially when you are so busy.

Was planning to run the xclean micro but need to update the one I tried to run so will leave that until later.

Sallie

 

Hi Sallie

Thought that might get most of it.

The XClean if you downloaded it yesterday or today will give the update warning.

If it does not come up on your screen but stays minimized to the status bar at the botton that is OK.

Run it and if it stays for 5 or 10 minutes and goes away then it found nothing. If it does find something it will pop up on the screen and ask you what to do. If it asks then delete don't reboot and continue.

Not clear but is IE now not taking 90% CPU?

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

I will use your xclean suggestion. My Grandson is presently happily playing a game on the XP. IE only uses about 5% of the CPU now but I am glad to be back to Firefox. It is behaving too. Great job! I'm going to tell my class members what a wonderful site this is for competent help. Thanks again!

Sallie

 

Good!

Allright just let me know if XClean finds anything.

Because if it does we need to take deeper look!

Have a blessed day!

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

X clean never popped up while running so I assume there are no more problems. Thanks again for your help!

Sallie

 

That is correct. If it ran for several minutes and exited that means it found nothing.

Good luck, stay out of trouble for a while!

Mike