H
Hank Cazorp
My Adventure (after which follows a question):
- Laptop has disk errors - suggests running chkdsk /f. So I do.
- Reboot.
- chkdsk doesn't run
- Try again
- chkdsk still doesn't run. Hmm.
- Search the web: I can try to run chkdsk from recovery console. OK.
- Scrounge up old XP Home disc.
- Boot from CD.
- Select "repair using recovery console"
- Recovery console asks for Administrator password
- What the hell is the Administrator password?
- Blank doesn't work.
- My normal password doesn't work.
- A bunch of random characters doesn't work.
- Recovery console reboots after three invalid password attempts. Sigh.
- Search web for how to set Administrator password
- Type command: net user Administrator 12345 (that's the same combination
I have on my luggage!)
- Reboot from CD. In Recovery Console again.
- Type "12345"
- Administrator password not valid.
- Type "1..2..3..4..5"
- Administrator password not valid.
- Type "1....2....3....4....5"
- Administrator password not valid
- Reboot.
- Swear. Loudly.
- Find knowledgebase article describing a problem with an OEM tool called
"sysprep" that modifies the way the registry stores passwords, so Recovery
Console doesn't work. Swear again. Shake fists in air.
- See that there is a hotfix for this - but you have to contact Microsoft
to get it (!)
- Scour the Internet by the hotfix number to see if it's out there floating
around.
- Instead, find another KB article showing how to disable Administrator
passwords entirely for recovery console.
- Follow those instructions and reboot
- Watch as chkdsk runs.
- Think hmm...maybe it was the Administrator password disconnect thingy
that prevented chkdsk from running.
- Run chkdsk again to make sure everything is okay.
- Better, but still some problems.
- Run chkdsk /f
- Reboot
- chkdsk doesn't run. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Next computer: Mac OSX or Ubuntu. I know Macs really don't "just work" but
holy shit I've never seen anything like this crap. Can't even run chkdsk?
WTF?????
You know what, forget the question. No Microsoft: that's the answer. I
feel like two hours of my life have been murdered.
Hank
- Laptop has disk errors - suggests running chkdsk /f. So I do.
- Reboot.
- chkdsk doesn't run
- Try again
- chkdsk still doesn't run. Hmm.
- Search the web: I can try to run chkdsk from recovery console. OK.
- Scrounge up old XP Home disc.
- Boot from CD.
- Select "repair using recovery console"
- Recovery console asks for Administrator password
- What the hell is the Administrator password?
- Blank doesn't work.
- My normal password doesn't work.
- A bunch of random characters doesn't work.
- Recovery console reboots after three invalid password attempts. Sigh.
- Search web for how to set Administrator password
- Type command: net user Administrator 12345 (that's the same combination
I have on my luggage!)
- Reboot from CD. In Recovery Console again.
- Type "12345"
- Administrator password not valid.
- Type "1..2..3..4..5"
- Administrator password not valid.
- Type "1....2....3....4....5"
- Administrator password not valid
- Reboot.
- Swear. Loudly.
- Find knowledgebase article describing a problem with an OEM tool called
"sysprep" that modifies the way the registry stores passwords, so Recovery
Console doesn't work. Swear again. Shake fists in air.
- See that there is a hotfix for this - but you have to contact Microsoft
to get it (!)
- Scour the Internet by the hotfix number to see if it's out there floating
around.
- Instead, find another KB article showing how to disable Administrator
passwords entirely for recovery console.
- Follow those instructions and reboot
- Watch as chkdsk runs.
- Think hmm...maybe it was the Administrator password disconnect thingy
that prevented chkdsk from running.
- Run chkdsk again to make sure everything is okay.
- Better, but still some problems.
- Run chkdsk /f
- Reboot
- chkdsk doesn't run. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Next computer: Mac OSX or Ubuntu. I know Macs really don't "just work" but
holy shit I've never seen anything like this crap. Can't even run chkdsk?
WTF?????
You know what, forget the question. No Microsoft: that's the answer. I
feel like two hours of my life have been murdered.
Hank