Re: No boot and no administrator password!

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\) (user_at_#notme.com)
Date: 04/03/04 

Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 12:45:07 -0800

LOL, it's not a secret...it's a hidden account that is called administrator.
Most people don't make a password for it when they install and if XP was
installed at the factory they don't make a password for it so the key would
be, to select Administrator, leave the password blank and press enter.

Well, ok, that didn't work. Two possible options here. First, let's try
"Last Known Good Configuration." Boot the system, start tapping F8, when
the menu appears, select "Last Known Good Configuration," press enter and
see if that resolves it. If that fails, do the same as above but choose
Safe Mode, if you can get in, you'll be able to change the boot.ini file.

If the above fails, I can't see any way out of this but to wipe the drive
and start over. Since you have an OEM install but an XP upgrade CD, you'll
need qualifying media at some point during the installation in order to do a
clean install with the upgrade CD.

Booting from a floppy will accomplish nothing as the floppy is fat and your
drive is likely formatted NTFS. 

-- 
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
"Paul" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:181fe01c419ba$e54a74d0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> Yes, I have tried that to no avail.  I've also tried a
> million passwords that I can ever remember, but also to no
> avail.
>
> My desktop is NOT password protected,(computer boots
> straight to desktop) so I'm baffled as to why it asks for
> an admin password, when one is not in place.
>
> Is this a bug?  I've read about 'secret' administrator
> accounts being created, but not sure if this applies here.
>
> It's really frustrating knowing that I can't boot because
> of a simple invalid value (0 instead of a 1) I put in the
> boot.ini file.
>
> Is it possible to copy a simple boot.ini command onto a
> floppy and boot from that?
>
> Thanks again Michael for your generous support!
>>-----Original Message-----
>>At the Recovery Console, have you tried just leaving the
> password blank and
>>pressing enter?
>>
>>-- 
>>Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>>Windows Shell/User
>>Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>>DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>
>>"Paul" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
>>news:181b201c419af$dce123d0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
>>> Thanks Michael for the prompt reply!
>>>
>>> One problem here.  I'm using an XP Home upgrade CD to
>>> repair an OEM system, thus it finds no previous
>>> installations to repair.  Following your directions, I
>>> arrive at a screen where my only options are to setup,
>>> partition, or delete partition.  I was able to navigate
> to
>>> a screen where I was able to point the console to a
>>> specific folder to install windows to, instead of
>>> C:\windows.
>>>
>>> So now I'm back to a useless recovery console due to a
>>> phantom administrator password that doesn't exist#@#@.
>>>
>>> Any other suggestions would be highly appreciated!
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>Try a Repair Install instead of Recovery Console.  NOTE:
>>> in the instructions
>>>>below, when you come to the screen that asks you to
>>> choose Setup Windows or
>>>>"R" for Repair, you want Setup Windows, this will
>>> ultimately take you to the
>>>>repair option.
>>>>
>>>>Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM
> drive
>>> and you have an
>>>>actual XP CD as opposed to a recovery CD, boot with the
> XP
>>>>CD in the drive and perform a repair install as outlined
>>> below.  If the
>>>>system isn't set to boot from the CD or you are not
> sure,
>>> you need to enter
>>>>the system's BIOS.  When you boot the system, the first
>>> screen usually has
>>>>instructions that if you wish to enter set press a
>>> specific key, when you
>>>>see that, do so.  Then you will have to navigate to the
>>> boot sequence, if
>>>>the CD-ROM drive is not first line, set it first in the
>>> boot sequence.  Save
>>>>your settings and exit with the XP CD in the drive.  The
>>> system will reboot.
>>>>
>>>>NOTE, while a repair install should leave your data
> files
>>> intact, if
>>>>something goes wrong during the repair install, you may
>>> be forced to start
>>>>over and do a clean install of XP.  If you don't have
>>> your data backed up,
>>>>you would lose your data should that eventuality occur.
>>>>
>>>>Boot from the CD.  If your system is set to be able to
>>> boot from the CD, it
>>>>should detect the disk and give a brief message, during
>>> the boot up, if you
>>>>wish to boot from the CD press any key.
>>>>
>>>>Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin.  You
>>> will see a reference
>>>>asking if you need to load special drivers and another
>>> notice that if you
>>>>wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console)
>>> depress F2.  Just let
>>>>setup run past all of that.  It will continue to load
>>> files and drivers.
>>>>
>>>>Then it will bring you to a screen.  Eventually, you
> will
>>> come to a screen
>>>>with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair
>>> Windows Installation
>>>>using the Recovery console.
>>>>
>>>>The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want
>>> and requires you to
>>>>press enter.  When asked, press F8 to accept the end
> user
>>> agreement.  Setup
>>>>will then search for previous versions of Windows.  Upon
>>> finding your
>>>>version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your current
>>> installation or
>>>>install fresh.  Press R, that will run a repair
>>> installation.  From there
>>>>on, follow the screens.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>-- 
>>>>Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>>>>Windows Shell/User
>>>>Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>>>>DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>>>
>>>>"Paul FM" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>>> message
>>>>news:17b1301c41921$647438d0$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>>>>> Ugh... long story, but today I fiddled with my
> boot.ini
>>>>> file (had 2 XP operating systems at OS choice screen)
> in
>>>>> XP Home and now I'm locked out of my computer. (no
>>> boot) I
>>>>> get the error message: <windows root>\system32\hal.dll
>>> is
>>>>> missing or corrupt.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ok, no problem I think, I'll just repair it in the XP
>>>>> recovery console. It asks me for an administrator
>>>>> password -- but I have PW disabled for my
> administrator
>>>>> account, so I have no clue what to do to get in, short
>>> of
>>>>> trying every password that I've ever used.
>>>>>
>>>>> Please help, this is FRUSTRATING!
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks kindly, in advance!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>.
>>>>
>>
>>
>>.
>>

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