Bypassing network connection on boot up.

[Cliff]

We recently got computers from an office that when the computers boot they
first have to sign onto a network and have the password. They are not
actually signing onto the network, put you must put in the password prior to
it going into windows. Is there a way to bypass this or elimate so that the
computer will not think it needs to be on a network to operate and boot up
normal into xp?

 

[John Wunderlich]

We recently got computers from an office that when the computers
boot they first have to sign onto a network and have the password.
They are not actually signing onto the network, put you must put
in the password prior to it going into windows. Is there a way to
bypass this or elimate so that the computer will not think it
needs to be on a network to operate and boot up normal into xp?

It sounds like your machine was connected to a domain and you are now
logging into it with cached credentials from that domain.

The first step is to create some local logins -- at least one with
Administrator privileges.

Only after creating and testing local logins, switch your computer from
"Domain" to "Workgroup".
R-Click "My Computer" -> Properties -> Computer Name -> Change and
click the "Workgroup" button. Give your workgroup a simple name.

HTH,
John

 

[Cate]

How can we do this without being able to access Windows? The school I work
for has recieved new computers, but bad password information and we can't
access them at all. Is there anything we can do about that?

 

[Malke]

How can we do this without being able to access Windows? The school I work
for has recieved new computers, but bad password information and we can't
access them at all. Is there anything we can do about that?

You should do a clean install of Windows with any second-hand computers.
This will take care of any domain settings. Even after you get into Windows
on these machines there will be many domain policies/operating system
customizations that will trip you up. You should have received the XP
installation media (or recovery disks) with these machines. If you didn't
get them - and in that case the machines should have been given to you
without an operating system installed - you will need to 1) contact the
donor and get them; or 2) contact the computer mftr. if OEM (Dell, HP,
etc.) to purchase recovery media; or 3) purchase Windows XP licenses for
all these computers.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke