Log-in disappeared, Admin login but NO admin privileges?

[Guest]

A very strang thing happened to my computer today (I have a Dell, and running
Windows XP Professional). I've had this computer for ~2 years with no
problems, but when I turned on the computer today, my user account (which was
an administrator account) was not on the login screen. Instead there was a
user account called "administrator", but the password for that was not any of
the passwords I have used before. I therefore could only login through the
Guest account - when I did that something like the following popped-up:
"One of the files containing the system's registry data had to be recovered
by use of a log or alternate copy. The recovery was successful." I clicked
"ok" and logged in as Guest.

Using Windows Password Recovery I was finally able to "recover" the password
for the "Administrator" account (it was "password"), but once I logged in, I
had no administrator privileges!!! Also, none of my original document files
were associated with this account, and all the programs ran as if Windows XP
was just installed. I'm pretty sure my files are not lost though, since in
the "Document & Settings" there is a folder with my previous username, I just
can't access it though I'm logged in the "Administrator" account!

I rebooted and used the F8 function to run the computer in safe mode.
However, in safe mode, NO user accounts whatsoever appeared at the welcome
screen - all I could do there was turn off the computer / re-start. I tried
rebooting the computer to the "last known good configuration" but that just
returned me to the same welcome screen as before (Admin & Guest). Since I
don't have administrator status even when signed into the useraccount titled
"administrator", I only see my own account in Control Panel's User Accounts,
and I can't run System Restore.

I then attempted to use the "Run As" function in Windows Explorer to run a
program with my original username and password, but it's not being
recognized. What's even more strange though is that "Run As" listed the
"current user" as "MyOriginalUsername\Administrator" - but I don't have
administrator privileges and my files are not associated with this user
account so access is denied!

If anyone has any idea what happened or if there's anything to be done to
recover my user account, please let me know! I'm completely dumbfounded.

 

[Galen]

In jiaguo <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

A very strang thing happened to my computer today (I have a Dell, and
running Windows XP Professional). I've had this computer for ~2
years with no problems, but when I turned on the computer today, my
user account (which was an administrator account) was not on the
login screen. Instead there was a user account called
"administrator", but the password for that was not any of the
passwords I have used before. I therefore could only login through
the Guest account - when I did that something like the following
popped-up: "One of the files containing the system's registry data
had to be recovered by use of a log or alternate copy. The recovery
was successful." I clicked "ok" and logged in as Guest.

Using Windows Password Recovery I was finally able to "recover" the
password for the "Administrator" account (it was "password"), but
once I logged in, I had no administrator privileges!!! Also, none of
my original document files were associated with this account, and all
the programs ran as if Windows XP was just installed. I'm pretty
sure my files are not lost though, since in the "Document & Settings"
there is a folder with my previous username, I just can't access it
though I'm logged in the "Administrator" account!

I rebooted and used the F8 function to run the computer in safe mode.
However, in safe mode, NO user accounts whatsoever appeared at the
welcome screen - all I could do there was turn off the computer /
re-start. I tried rebooting the computer to the "last known good
configuration" but that just returned me to the same welcome screen
as before (Admin & Guest). Since I don't have administrator status
even when signed into the useraccount titled "administrator", I only
see my own account in Control Panel's User Accounts, and I can't run
System Restore.

I then attempted to use the "Run As" function in Windows Explorer to
run a program with my original username and password, but it's not
being recognized. What's even more strange though is that "Run As"
listed the "current user" as "MyOriginalUsername\Administrator" - but
I don't have administrator privileges and my files are not associated
with this user account so access is denied!

If anyone has any idea what happened or if there's anything to be
done to recover my user account, please let me know! I'm completely
dumbfounded.

I'd do a repair installation using a DIFFERENT username. I'd then follow the
corrupt profile process and move your old account to the new account.

Corrupted Profile: Windows XP :
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general/corruptprofile.html

Galen
--

"You know that a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his
trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will
come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the suggestion! However, I can't even create a new user
profile because the "Administrator" profile is a guest account. Essentially,
the Windows welcome screen shows 2 profiles: "Administrator" and "Guest", but
both are limited Guest accounts!

What's also odd is that running "lusrmgr.msc" shows that the "Administrator"
user is *not* a member of anything, while the "Guest" user is member of
"Guests". Trying to add "Administrator" to the Administrator group gives an
"access denied" message.

 

[Galen]

In jiaguo <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Thank you for the suggestion! However, I can't even create a new user
profile because the "Administrator" profile is a guest account.
Essentially, the Windows welcome screen shows 2 profiles:
"Administrator" and "Guest", but both are limited Guest accounts!

What's also odd is that running "lusrmgr.msc" shows that the
"Administrator" user is *not* a member of anything, while the "Guest"
user is member of "Guests". Trying to add "Administrator" to the
Administrator group gives an "access denied" message.

Sounds pretty hosed to me, my first guess would, in all honesty, be malware.
Viral or spyware perhaps. How about "crudware?" I'd do a repair install and
see where that gets you.

Repair Installation of XP :
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general/xprepair.html

Galen
--

"You know that a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his
trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will
come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all."

Sherlock Holmes