Cant login after repair install

[Waldy]

Hi there,
after a hardware failure, I had to do a repair install as XP
would not boot. Before the install I could enter the recovery console and
logon with a blank password. When I got to the end of the install it
prompted me to create users but I clicked Skip as I was hoping the the old
user profiles would still be intact. Now when I try to login with
Administrator, I get an logon failure error message "The specified domain
either does not exist or could not be contacted." This is a home PC which
was not part of a domain, although it is XP Pro, not home. Any ideas?

 

[Waldy]

I should point out that only the Administrator user is available on the
Welcome page. Entering any password results in the "Domain specified either
does not exist..." If I Ctrl-Alt-Del and get the login dialog, there is no
Domain option.

 

[yaro137]

I should point out that only the Administrator user is available on the
Welcome page.  Entering any password results in the "Domain specified either
does not exist..."  If I Ctrl-Alt-Del and get the login dialog, there isno
Domain option.

No domain option? So you're saying that the window where you're
typing in your username and password doesn't have the Options
button? Really odd. Would try u/n administrator leaving the p/w
field blank.
Cheers
yaro

 

[Waldy]

No domain option? So you're saying that the window where you're
typing in your username and password doesn't have the Options
button?

There is an Options button, but when you click it, there is no domain drop
down. I guess that is because it was setup as Workgroup member rather than
Domain.

Would try u/n administrator leaving the p/w

field blank.

u/n?

It won't login with a blank password or the password that was set before the
repair install.

 

[John John]

How about Safe-Mode, can you logon there?

John

 

[Waldy]

How about Safe-Mode, can you logon there?

Hi John,
I get the same error message in safe mode.

 

[John John]

Hi John,
I get the same error message in safe mode.

I think that you are up the creek with this. I wouldn't waste much more
time trying to fix this, my thinking is that the SAM (Security Account
Manager) database is corrupt. The only way to fix a corrupt SAM
database is to replace it with a good copy or to perform a *clean*
install of Windows. You can wait and see if someone else has a better
prognosis, if you get no other suggestions salvage your files and format
the drive then reinstall Windows.

John

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi John,
I get the same error message in safe mode.

If the SAM is corrupt, as John suggests, then you can probably
replace it with a backup copy without suffering any ill effects.
Boot into the Recovery Console, using your WinXP CD, then
do this:
- Rename SAM to SAM.bad
- Copy c:\Windows\Repair to c:\Windows\System32\config

If this does not work, e.g. because the Recovery Console
does not accept your password, then you can do the same
thing by booting the machine with a Nordahl boot diskette
and executing a few commands (which I cannot remember
right now but which I will "rediscover" if you intend to go
down this path.
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

 

[Waldy]

Boot into the Recovery Console, using your WinXP CD, then
do this:
- Rename SAM to SAM.bad
- Copy c:\Windows\Repair to c:\Windows\System32\config

I assume you mean copy c:\Windows\Repair\SAM to
c:\Windows\System32\config\SAM as copy does not do directories and there is
no xcopy. Anyway that didn't work, so I will try a repair install again and
add a user this time.

 

[Waldy]

so I will try a repair install again and

add a user this time.

only I didn't get offered the chance to add any this time around?

 

[John John]

so I will try a repair install again and



only I didn't get offered the chance to add any this time around?

Try this:

How to Use a Command Prompt During GUI-Mode Setup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/242380/EN-US/

Try entering NUSRMGR.CPL at the command prompt.

John