logon failure

[Mike Powers]

I run Win XP (SP2 now) on a compaq laptap. I usually set it up for one user,
no password. Several times over the course of two
years, I will get in a configuration where XP will boot to the user logon
screen but no further. Even if I boot from the CD
I still am locked out of the installed Windows. I also cannot get further
than the user logon screen from Safe mode or even from
recovery console. Is there a way out of this dilemna, other than a
reinstall? I suspect something has created or contaminatedthea password
file and assigned an unknown password but I could be wrong. Would assigning
a password to one or more user accounts help prevent this?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

On the same screen as access to Safe Mode there be an option for 'Last Known
Good Configuration'. Dependent on the type of XP CD you have, try that to
see if you can access Windows.

 

[Mike Powers]

I believe I tire it and came to the same place. But setting restore space
too small or having fiddled before may have influenced the failure.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

If you can't access Windows at all - neither Safe Mode nor 'normal' mode -
you may be able to perform a 'Repair' install of XP, but that will depend on
what type of XP CD you have. If you have an OEM version, then the 'Repair'
option may not be available to you.