Changed network settings and now password is rejected

[Karen]

I was trying to set up my windows laptop to communicate on my Apple wireless
network and something went wrong. I have a Windows XP Pro on an HP Laptop.
This laptop was my business laptop prior to my company closure. I am working
on a tax filing and hoped to hook up this computer so I could use it
wirelessly at home. When the wireless network was not working, I went into
to a wireless setting page and changed my computer to from a business
computer (can't remember the actual name) to a home personal computer. The
system prompted me to restart the computer to change the settings. When I
restarted, I noticed that the Windows login only has two lines: User &
Password. Before the change, I had three lines: User, Password and Domain.
The system had my user name in the proper box, so I typed in my password and
it was rejected. I've tried everything on the help features on-line, but
cannot get in the system. I'm sure that it has something to do with my work
network configurations and security settings, but I'm lost and really need to
get back into my system.

 

[Michael Bednarek]

I was trying to set up my windows laptop to communicate on my Apple wireless
network and something went wrong. I have a Windows XP Pro on an HP Laptop.
This laptop was my business laptop prior to my company closure. I am working
on a tax filing and hoped to hook up this computer so I could use it
wirelessly at home. When the wireless network was not working, I went into
to a wireless setting page and changed my computer to from a business
computer (can't remember the actual name) to a home personal computer. The
system prompted me to restart the computer to change the settings. When I
restarted, I noticed that the Windows login only has two lines: User &
Password. Before the change, I had three lines: User, Password and Domain.
The system had my user name in the proper box, so I typed in my password and
it was rejected. I've tried everything on the help features on-line, but
cannot get in the system. I'm sure that it has something to do with my work
network configurations and security settings, but I'm lost and really need to
get back into my system.

You need to log in using a local account on that computer, preferrably
the Administrator account. If you can't, search for "Windows reset
Administrator password".

 

[John Wunderlich]

I was trying to set up my windows laptop to communicate on my
Apple wireless network and something went wrong. I have a Windows
XP Pro on an HP Laptop. This laptop was my business laptop prior
to my company closure. I am working on a tax filing and hoped to
hook up this computer so I could use it wirelessly at home. When
the wireless network was not working, I went into to a wireless
setting page and changed my computer to from a business computer
(can't remember the actual name) to a home personal computer. The
system prompted me to restart the computer to change the settings.
When I restarted, I noticed that the Windows login only has two
lines: User & Password. Before the change, I had three lines:
User, Password and Domain. The system had my user name in the
proper box, so I typed in my password and it was rejected. I've
tried everything on the help features on-line, but cannot get in
the system. I'm sure that it has something to do with my work
network configurations and security settings, but I'm lost and
really need to get back into my system.

Try this Microsoft Article:

"You cannot log on after you remove the computer from the domain"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317049>

HTH,
John

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I was trying to set up my windows laptop to communicate on my Apple
wireless network and something went wrong. I have a Windows XP Pro
on an HP Laptop. This laptop was my business laptop prior to my
company closure. I am working on a tax filing and hoped to hook up
this computer so I could use it wirelessly at home. When the
wireless network was not working, I went into to a wireless setting
page and changed my computer to from a business computer (can't
remember the actual name) to a home personal computer. The system
prompted me to restart the computer to change the settings. When I
restarted, I noticed that the Windows login only has two lines:
User & Password. Before the change, I had three lines: User,
Password and Domain. The system had my user name in the proper box,
so I typed in my password and it was rejected. I've tried
everything on the help features on-line, but cannot get in the
system. I'm sure that it has something to do with my work network
configurations and security settings, but I'm lost and really need
to get back into my system.

It was not the "network' you changes actually - but its membership in a
"Workgroup" versus a "Domain". You changed it from a computer that was a
member of a larger grpoup to a stand-alone computer.


It being a member of the domain likely had nothing to do with the issue you
were having. ;-)

Unfortunately for you - if the business is closed - you are not logging back
into that computer with the username you were using. If you know the
account information for a local account (non-domain account) you might get
onto it without hacking any password - but if you don't - you won't get back
on that machine without hacking an account or formatting it completely.

If you want to know how to hack the local adminstrative account - please
respond and I will get back to you here (or search with Google.)

Or you can format it and reinstall from scratch - if by some miracle you
have the installation media for the system.