Unable to log on

[Guest]

Running WinXP home on a laptop and I connected to the Internet for automatic
updates (it found 4) and browsed one site (reputable) and my virus dhecker is
up to date. I didn't download anything other than the Microsoft updates.
Unfortunately, when it was applying the updates, I accidently unplugged the
laptop.
When I restarted it, it asked me for my password (I don't have one) and on
pressing the enter key got a message "The system cannot log you on now
because the domain <personal detail> is not available".
Starting in safe mode does the same to both my account and administrator
(also me) and the laptop is not part of anything else nor has it ever been
connected to anything else nor networked or anything similar.
I have tried going to the last successful boot up but with no change.
My son does most of his schoolwork on this so I don't want to have to lose
everything he has done (not all of it has been backed up yet).
I'm pretty new to XP and don't know where to go now. I just can't get into it.
Any help or suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks,
Colin Hill

 

[Guest]

Running WinXP home on a laptop and I connected to the Internet for automatic
updates (it found 4) and browsed one site (reputable) and my virus dhecker is
up to date. I didn't download anything other than the Microsoft updates.
Unfortunately, when it was applying the updates, I accidently unplugged the
laptop.
When I restarted it, it asked me for my password (I don't have one) and on
pressing the enter key got a message "The system cannot log you on now
because the domain <personal detail> is not available".
Starting in safe mode does the same to both my account and administrator
(also me) and the laptop is not part of anything else nor has it ever been
connected to anything else nor networked or anything similar.
I have tried going to the last successful boot up but with no change.
My son does most of his schoolwork on this so I don't want to have to lose
everything he has done (not all of it has been backed up yet).
I'm pretty new to XP and don't know where to go now. I just can't get into it.
Any help or suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks,
Colin Hill

Ok, I found a rescue disc I made when we first got the laptop and it said
something about returning the settings back to the originals without losing
programs or data so I ran it and it seemed to fix the problem although I had
to redownload MediaPlayer. Don't know what other surprises are waiting but I
am presuming that the update was half way through rewriting something
importsnt when the laptop went off.
Still, it's working again and my son's work is now also on CD!