Cannot log onto XPPro Laptop locally

[Mick]

Hi, hoping someone can provide a clue here:

Problem with laptop:
I can't log on locally to the machine.

OS: Windows XP Professional

The usual bootup procedure is:
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin
User name: xxxxxx
Password: 123456
Normally it opens up the desktop here

But this time I get:

"The system could not log you on due to the following error: The specified
domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. Please try again or
consult your system administrator." Press OK

Sign on screen comes back waiting for password again but with an extra line:

Log on to: With a drop down box containing: "CPQ44626787252 (this
computer)"

Press on drop down arrow to see what other options are there - get a
dialogue box "Please wait while the domain list is created - it takes about
10 minutes for the list to appear where only my PC is visible.

I do not and have not had my pc connected to a domain ( I do network my PC
at a couple of client sites, but that is just to change TCPIP settings
rather than initial log on sessions and computer IDs. There is nothing in
the drop down list except for "this computer" which appears to confirm that
there is no cached domain information.

I have tried retyping username and password all to no avail. It is as if the
PC thinks it is on a network, when in fact it is not and is not recognizing
the fact that I am trying to log on to the local PC.

I do not have a second user account to log on to the PC
I do not have a password disk to use to bypass the logon screen.

Can anyone advise me why this has occurred and what I can do to resolve it?
Have searched for ages, but everything seems to point to DNS problems
finding an authentication server - which is irrelevant when I am trying to
log on locally to the PC.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

To Logon as Default Administrator on Pro Edition, from Welcome screen, press
Ctrl-Alt-Delete, Twice , type "Administrator" and use a blank password (on
Home edition - boot to Safe mode - F8 on restart , same logon)

Press WinKey-Break,(or start/run 'sysdm.cpl'), Computer Name Tab, click
Change button. remove the domain name, and choose a "workgroup" name.

 

[Conor]

Hi, hoping someone can provide a clue here:

Problem with laptop:
I can't log on locally to the machine.

OS: Windows XP Professional

The usual bootup procedure is:
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin
User name: xxxxxx
Password: 123456
Normally it opens up the desktop here

But this time I get:

"The system could not log you on due to the following error: The specified
domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. Please try again or
consult your system administrator." Press OK

Sign on screen comes back waiting for password again but with an extra line:

Log on to: With a drop down box containing: "CPQ44626787252 (this
computer)"

Press on drop down arrow to see what other options are there - get a
dialogue box "Please wait while the domain list is created - it takes about
10 minutes for the list to appear where only my PC is visible.

I do not and have not had my pc connected to a domain ( I do network my PC
at a couple of client sites, but that is just to change TCPIP settings
rather than initial log on sessions and computer IDs. There is nothing in
the drop down list except for "this computer" which appears to confirm that
there is no cached domain information.

I have tried retyping username and password all to no avail. It is as if the
PC thinks it is on a network, when in fact it is not and is not recognizing
the fact that I am trying to log on to the local PC.

I do not have a second user account to log on to the PC
I do not have a password disk to use to bypass the logon screen.

Can anyone advise me why this has occurred and what I can do to resolve it?
Have searched for ages, but everything seems to point to DNS problems
finding an authentication server - which is irrelevant when I am trying to
log on locally to the PC.

It thinks that it has to authenticate users with a domain controller.
I assume that you have the Administrator password. You're going to have
to log on as Administrator (press f8 when the progress bar appears
before Windows splashscreen) and sort it from there.