can you help me woth a windows problem?

go bo · 09-11-2006, 03:41 PM

my son changed his password and then proceeded to not write it down and can't remember it now...

one site suggested using f8 to bring up the windows screen that allows you to start in safe mode, which sounds relatively easy...

problem is that when i boot the computer and press f8 frantictly, the menu never appears and takes us straight to the login screen asking for the password that we don't know...

if f8 doesn't do anything, is there some other way to start up the menu that gives access to safe mode?

or is there some other way to fix the problem of the lost password?

preferably something free...

Fish · 09-11-2006, 04:01 PM

Not sure why it won't let you boot to safe mode.... but booting to safe mode still wouldn't let you change the password without knowing what it was.

Here's an option..... NT Offline Password Editor

It's not exactly user friendly, but it will give you step-by-step instructions on how to use it. You're posting here, so I assume you have another computer with which to work... Basically you will download a disk image from that site and write it to a floppy disk or CD.

It's not easy, but it's an option...

Good luck...

**DaFace** · 09-11-2006, 04:10 PM

When you're trying to get into safe mode, make sure that you start hitting F8 immediately after starting the computer. The menu you're looking for should come up just BEFORE you would normally see the WindowsXP logo. In safe mode, there may be an "Administrator" account. If it's not password protected, you can go in through that account and remove the password through the Users Accounts control panel.

Just to make sure, when the password option comes up, is it before or after the WindowsXP logo comes up?

go bo · 09-11-2006, 06:57 PM

yep, hitting f8 all the way to the to the welcome screen...

the welcome screen comes up before the login screen...

f8 works on this computer (the menu to get into safe mode)...

but not on my son's pc...

**DaFace** · 09-11-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

yep, hitting f8 all the way to the to the welcome screen...

the welcome screen comes up before the login screen...

f8 works on this computer (the menu to get into safe mode)...

but not on my son's pc...

Weird. The only thing I can think of is that your BIOS isn't recognizing your keyboard at first. Does the keyboard plug in with a USB connection or something?

SLAG · 09-11-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

yep, hitting f8 all the way to the to the welcome screen...

the welcome screen comes up before the login screen...

f8 works on this computer (the menu to get into safe mode)...

but not on my son's pc...

Try Pressing the CTRL button inplace of F8

go bo · 09-14-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Weird. The only thing I can think of is that your BIOS isn't recognizing your keyboard at first. Does the keyboard plug in with a USB connection or something?

i've got the usb supported in the bios and it responds to other other key strokes normally...

update: today i tried to use my xp disc to run setup and follow some instructions from some website...

it got me into the repair screen once (booting from the xp cd), but the instructions didn't work and somehow i got the damned thing to not start at all...

it tries to boot from the cd but for some reason won't actually read the damned thing, even the usual stuff about memory checks and self-tests don't display, let alone a screen to access the del key to get into the cmos...

i've had troubles with puters before, but this one mystifies me and i'm not yet ready to give up, even though it appears that so far i have made things worse...

i really want to keep this installation of xp working, but it baffles me why it won't read the cd and now won't even start up at all so i could try to deal with the forgotten password...

any magicians in the house?

**DaFace** · 09-15-2006, 07:59 AM

Hmm...when you say it's "not starting up," what specifically happens? Also, what "instructions" did you use prior to it not starting at all?

go bo · 09-15-2006, 09:53 AM

now it just makes some noise, like fairly long beeps...

the lights on the cd-rom come on, but the pc doesn't do anything at all in terms of actually starting up...

nothing appears on the screen at all now...

as far as the instructoins go, i got it to read from the cd once and got into the repair console, which i was supposed to use f10 to access the gui for the two accounts i have on the pc...

the instructions said to press f10 when setup starts displaying the device listing, and to type nusrmgr.cpl at the command prompt...

i did that like they said, but all i got was the command prompt again...

then when i tried rebooting with the xp cd, nothing happened except a few relatively long beeps from the p.c. but nothing at all appears onscreen, no memory test, no access to the setup in cmos...

well, i should say i can't get anything to work at this point...

it won't boot from the cd disk again, it just makes a few beeps but nothing is appearing onscreen and the pc doesn't even sound like the pc is trying to boot from the cd, but nothing happens...

it doesn't even go to the login screen, hell it doesn't go anywhere but a blank (dark) screen...

this is the site with the directions i tried to follow instructions

since the problem began, trying to start in safe mode (pressing f8) has not worked (nothing happened it just continued to boot to the login screen, which it doesn't do anymore...)

**DaFace** · 09-15-2006, 09:59 AM

Strange as it sounds, your inability to boot the PC likely has nothing to do with the instructions you followed. You're getting a POST beep code, which indicates a hardware problem. I don't see any way that the instructions you followed could have caused that. Did you open up the PC or anything while trying to get it going? If not, you may just have a strange coincidence on your hands.

When you turn on the PC, count the number and length of the beeps you get (somewhat like morse code). You may be able to cross-reference that with a reference page like this one to clue you in about the problem.

Fish · 09-15-2006, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

now it just makes some noise, like fairly long beeps...

Now it sounds like you bumped the memory or video card out of alignment or something.

Start it again and pay close attention to the beeps you hear. That's the motherboard trying to tell you what's wrong. Usually it's the video card that got jarred and doesn't have a good connection. You might try to unseat the cards and memory sticks you have in there and try to boot it again.

Here's a reference to the beep codes:

http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml

If you know what type of BIOS you have, you can tell exactly what's wrong. Get it up and booted again, and we'll go from there.

chief2000 · 09-15-2006, 02:44 PM

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321305

Try Microsoft official website. Atleast it's up to date. sp2 update on your computer might have messed with security hole. Just a guess.

Fish · 09-15-2006, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief2000

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321305

Try Microsoft official website. Atleast it's up to date. sp2 update on your computer might have messed with security hole. Just a guess.

Hey rocket surgeon..... he can't even boot to Windows....

chief2000 · 09-17-2006, 09:37 PM

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

**DaFace** · 09-17-2006, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief2000

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

The computer's not POSTing genius. Boot CD's won't help either.

09-11-2006, 03:41 PM
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	can you help me woth a windows problem? my son changed his password and then proceeded to not write it down and can't remember it now... one site suggested using f8 to bring up the windows screen that allows you to start in safe mode, which sounds relatively easy... problem is that when i boot the computer and press f8 frantictly, the menu never appears and takes us straight to the login screen asking for the password that we don't know... if f8 doesn't do anything, is there some other way to start up the menu that gives access to safe mode? or is there some other way to fix the problem of the lost password? preferably something free...
Posts: 36,678

09-11-2006, 04:01 PM	#2
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $1978919	Not sure why it won't let you boot to safe mode.... but booting to safe mode still wouldn't let you change the password without knowing what it was. Here's an option..... NT Offline Password Editor It's not exactly user friendly, but it will give you step-by-step instructions on how to use it. You're posting here, so I assume you have another computer with which to work... Basically you will download a disk image from that site and write it to a floppy disk or CD. It's not easy, but it's an option... Good luck... __________________
Posts: 47,671

09-11-2006, 04:10 PM	#3
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1726899	When you're trying to get into safe mode, make sure that you start hitting F8 immediately after starting the computer. The menu you're looking for should come up just BEFORE you would normally see the WindowsXP logo. In safe mode, there may be an "Administrator" account. If it's not password protected, you can go in through that account and remove the password through the Users Accounts control panel. Just to make sure, when the password option comes up, is it before or after the WindowsXP logo comes up?
Posts: 51,966

09-11-2006, 06:57 PM	#4
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	yep, hitting f8 all the way to the to the welcome screen... the welcome screen comes up before the login screen... f8 works on this computer (the menu to get into safe mode)... but not on my son's pc...
Posts: 36,678

09-15-2006, 07:59 AM	#8
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1726899	Hmm...when you say it's "not starting up," what specifically happens? Also, what "instructions" did you use prior to it not starting at all?
Posts: 51,966

09-15-2006, 09:53 AM	#9
go bo Flop = Man of Steel!! Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: independence Casino cash: $10006405	now it just makes some noise, like fairly long beeps... the lights on the cd-rom come on, but the pc doesn't do anything at all in terms of actually starting up... nothing appears on the screen at all now... as far as the instructoins go, i got it to read from the cd once and got into the repair console, which i was supposed to use f10 to access the gui for the two accounts i have on the pc... the instructions said to press f10 when setup starts displaying the device listing, and to type nusrmgr.cpl at the command prompt... i did that like they said, but all i got was the command prompt again... then when i tried rebooting with the xp cd, nothing happened except a few relatively long beeps from the p.c. but nothing at all appears onscreen, no memory test, no access to the setup in cmos... well, i should say i can't get anything to work at this point... it won't boot from the cd disk again, it just makes a few beeps but nothing is appearing onscreen and the pc doesn't even sound like the pc is trying to boot from the cd, but nothing happens... it doesn't even go to the login screen, hell it doesn't go anywhere but a blank (dark) screen... this is the site with the directions i tried to follow instructions since the problem began, trying to start in safe mode (pressing f8) has not worked (nothing happened it just continued to boot to the login screen, which it doesn't do anymore...) Last edited by go bo; 09-15-2006 at 10:01 AM..
Posts: 36,678

09-15-2006, 09:59 AM	#10
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1726899	Strange as it sounds, your inability to boot the PC likely has nothing to do with the instructions you followed. You're getting a POST beep code, which indicates a hardware problem. I don't see any way that the instructions you followed could have caused that. Did you open up the PC or anything while trying to get it going? If not, you may just have a strange coincidence on your hands. When you turn on the PC, count the number and length of the beeps you get (somewhat like morse code). You may be able to cross-reference that with a reference page like this one to clue you in about the problem.
Posts: 51,966

09-15-2006, 02:44 PM	#12
chief2000 Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321305 Try Microsoft official website. Atleast it's up to date. sp2 update on your computer might have messed with security hole. Just a guess.
Posts: 628

09-17-2006, 09:37 PM	#14
chief2000 Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
Posts: 628