Log-In Password Problems - College paper due on 9-29

[Guest]

My daughter is trying to turn on her notebook computer that runs XP home.
The log-in window comes up and she clicks on her user name / icon. The
password window pops up and asterisks start generating in the window before
she can start typing anything. This continues for 5 - 10 seconds and then
stops. If she attempts any other action, the cycle restarts and repeats.
The only thing it will allow her to do is to turn the computer off by
clicking the button at the bottom of the screen. She has a paper due on
Thursday and failed to copy it anywhere else but her hard drive. Immediate
help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

My daughter is trying to turn on her notebook computer that runs XP
home. The log-in window comes up and she clicks on her user name /
icon. The password window pops up and asterisks start generating in
the window before she can start typing anything. This continues for
5 - 10 seconds and then stops. If she attempts any other action, the
cycle restarts and repeats. The only thing it will allow her to do is
to turn the computer off by clicking the button at the bottom of the
screen. She has a paper due on Thursday and failed to copy it
anywhere else but her hard drive. Immediate help will be greatly
appreciated.

Not sure what may be generating those asterisks??? This is worrisome.

Have her start the system in Safe Mode and try to retrieve her document and copy it to a floppy disk.

A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222

She should also run a complete scan with her anti-virus program, while in safe mode to make sure that there are no nasties on the system.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the response. She was able to retrieve the paper. A computer
support group on campus suggested that it looks like it's a keyboard problem,
rather than software. A key may be stuck or damaged, which would explain the
asterisks. She'll have this checked. Thanks for the help.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Thanks for the response. She was able to retrieve the paper. A
computer
support group on campus suggested that it looks like it's a keyboard
problem,
rather than software. A key may be stuck or damaged, which would
explain the
asterisks. She'll have this checked. Thanks for the help.

<snip>

Your welcome.