changed network setting, can't Log On

[John]

Attempting to use a shared printer on a local area
network I changed the network configuration to "One that
does not use domains". After rebooting, the user name and
password return the message "The system could not log you
on. Make sure your User name and domain are correct, then
type your password again." There is no way to specify a
domain. A MS support person said I may need to include
the computer name or domain name befor the username
seperated by a forward slash, I do not know either. I
also do not know the administrator password. Is
there anyway to change it back to using domains so the
user name and password will work again? Or do I need to
logon as the administrator after reseting the password?
Any help is very appreciated.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Attempting to use a shared printer on a local area
network I changed the network configuration to "One that
does not use domains". After rebooting, the user name and
password return the message "The system could not log you
on. Make sure your User name and domain are correct, then
type your password again." There is no way to specify a
domain. A MS support person said I may need to include
the computer name or domain name befor the username
seperated by a forward slash, I do not know either. I
also do not know the administrator password. Is
there anyway to change it back to using domains so the
user name and password will work again? Or do I need to
logon as the administrator after reseting the password?
Any help is very appreciated.

If you disconnected your machine from the domain then
you have to ask your network administrator to re-register
your machine on the domain, or to give you a local
account/password.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----



If you disconnected your machine from the domain then
you have to ask your network administrator to re-register
your machine on the domain, or to give you a local
account/password.

Thanks for the response! I do not have a network
administrator. The machine is no longer part of a network
that uses domains. Is there no way to log on as my user
anymore after making this change? If not, any way I can
access my files?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks for the response! I do not have a network
administrator. The machine is no longer part of a network
that uses domains. Is there no way to log on as my user
anymore after making this change? If not, any way I can
access my files?

If you acquired your machine legally then you simply ask
the organisation where it came from to give you the required
details. It's the same with a car: When you buy one then
you always get the keys.

You can access your files without a password by temporarily
installing the hard disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000
PC, then copying them to a suitable backup medium.

 

[John]

-----Original Message-----



If you acquired your machine legally then you simply ask
the organisation where it came from to give you the required
details. It's the same with a car: When you buy one then
you always get the keys.

You can access your files without a password by temporarily
installing the hard disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000
PC, then copying them to a suitable backup medium.

Pegasus, thanks. I understand your legal/security
concerns. The woman who "owns" the laptop has left the
company that supplied it to her. I don't know how
succesful we will be at aquiring those details. I
unfortunatley am now on the hook to try and get her re-
aquainted with her files.

It is a laptop (of course) and installing the HD as a
slave in another Win2000 machine is beyond my resources.

So what can I do? Can I upgrade to XP and have access to
the files? Can I reset the admin password using third-
party tools, or will I still need to know the computer
name/domain details. Is it possible to make the drive a
slave on another Win2000 pc given its a laptop drive?

Hope you can point me a way out of this jam, thanks.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Pegasus, thanks. I understand your legal/security
concerns. The woman who "owns" the laptop has left the
company that supplied it to her. I don't know how
succesful we will be at aquiring those details. I
unfortunatley am now on the hook to try and get her re-
aquainted with her files.

It is a laptop (of course) and installing the HD as a
slave in another Win2000 machine is beyond my resources.

So what can I do? Can I upgrade to XP and have access to
the files? Can I reset the admin password using third-
party tools, or will I still need to know the computer
name/domain details. Is it possible to make the drive a
slave on another Win2000 pc given its a laptop drive?

Hope you can point me a way out of this jam, thanks.

Normally you can upgrade to WinXP without file loss.
However, I have heard of cases where people lost the
lot. If the owner followed standard IT practice then this
would not matter, because standard IT practice says
that all important files must be backed up to an
independent medium on a weekly basis. Most users
reject this advice until they get a strong incentive to
think again. It's called "total loss of all files".

About third-party password tools: The answer was there
all along in the post titled "Locked-out!" where you
piggy-backed your own query. In there I wrote:

Reset the password with this boot disk:

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

After you have fininised your job, and if you have any
influence on the owner of the machine then urge her to
plan ahead and do this:

- Never buy a PC or a laptop without all the media (ie.g. CDs)
the account names and their passwords.
- Create a second admin account now and lock away
the password so that she never gets into this mess
again.
- Back up all her important files to an independent
medium every week.

 

[John]

-----Original Message-----



Normally you can upgrade to WinXP without file loss.
However, I have heard of cases where people lost the
lot. If the owner followed standard IT practice then this
would not matter, because standard IT practice says
that all important files must be backed up to an
independent medium on a weekly basis. Most users
reject this advice until they get a strong incentive to
think again. It's called "total loss of all files".

About third-party password tools: The answer was there
all along in the post titled "Locked-out!" where you
piggy-backed your own query. In there I wrote:

Reset the password with this boot disk:

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

After you have fininised your job, and if you have any
influence on the owner of the machine then urge her to
plan ahead and do this:

- Never buy a PC or a laptop without all the media (ie.g. CDs)
the account names and their passwords.
- Create a second admin account now and lock away
the password so that she never gets into this mess
again.
- Back up all her important files to an independent
medium every week.

I am of the same opinions and I know better than to touch
a machine for which I do not have these...I screwed up
and just want to get out of a bad position.

Hopefuly last questions for you. When I reset the local
admin password will I be able to log on with the user
name=administrator, or will I need to know the computer
name or domain to prefix it?

Thanks again Pegasus! I hope I can finish my "job" (I was
just trying to use a network printer). I will never touch
another persons computer again after this experience.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I am of the same opinions and I know better than to touch
a machine for which I do not have these...I screwed up
and just want to get out of a bad position.

Hopefuly last questions for you. When I reset the local
admin password will I be able to log on with the user
name=administrator, or will I need to know the computer
name or domain to prefix it?

Thanks again Pegasus! I hope I can finish my "job" (I was
just trying to use a network printer). I will never touch
another persons computer again after this experience.

Your best chance at succeeding is to reset the administrator's
password to a blank. Since you took the machine off the
domain, you will not be able to select any domain or computer
name. There will be exactly two fields on the log-on screen:
User name, and Password. If, against all expectations,
you have three then you must select the local computer
name. I think it is suffixed "(this PC)".

About touching other people's PCs - it depends on where
your interests lie. Mine lie with PCs, and I get people out
of self-created messes all the time . . .

 

[John]

-----Original Message-----



Your best chance at succeeding is to reset the administrator's
password to a blank. Since you took the machine off the
domain, you will not be able to select any domain or computer
name. There will be exactly two fields on the log-on screen:
User name, and Password. If, against all expectations,
you have three then you must select the local computer
name. I think it is suffixed "(this PC)".

About touching other people's PCs - it depends on where
your interests lie. Mine lie with PCs, and I get people out
of self-created messes all the time . . .

and you are helping! I am logged on as the local
administrator. Now, can I somehow log back on as the user
(she is not listed as a user), or do I need to start
moving her files (I can see them). THANK YOU!!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

and you are helping! I am logged on as the local
administrator. Now, can I somehow log back on as the user
(she is not listed as a user), or do I need to start
moving her files (I can see them). THANK YOU!!

You cannot log on as the user, because her account
only existed on the domain, never on this PC. You should
do this:
1. Create a user account for her.
2. Create the second admin account.
3. Get her to keep the passwords for both admin
accounts in a safe place.

A "safe place" is a place that is accessible even
when the laptop is down. A sheet of paper, kept
in her filing cabinet, is a good starting point. It
should also contain all her software licensing
numbers - another area badly neglected by most
users until they get caught.