User Accounts Blank!

[Guest]

I've got two possibly related problems on my XP Home desktop. Out of nowhere
(I suspect my 16 year old son) 2 new user accounts appeared on the computer
(each with passwords I do not know). Then, when I went to Control Panel to
access User Accounts, the User Accounts Screen comes up, but it is blank.

Background: I am the only one with an Administrator account, my son is
"limited", so I'm not sure how this all happened.

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

User Accounts applet is completely blank
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/useracc.htm

Several dialog boxes are blank
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831430

User Accounts applet background is in White even with XP Theme enabled
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/useraccbg.htm

Red X mark appears in the User Accounts applet menu links
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/redxaccounts.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Nepatsfan]

In

I've got two possibly related problems on my XP Home desktop.
Out of
nowhere (I suspect my 16 year old son) 2 new user accounts
appeared
on the computer (each with passwords I do not know). Then,
when I
went to Control Panel to access User Accounts, the User
Accounts
Screen comes up, but it is blank.

Background: I am the only one with an Administrator account,
my son is
"limited", so I'm not sure how this all happened.

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Adding to the advice Wes has already given, you might want to
restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode. There you will
be able to access the built-in Administrator account. To start
in Safe Mode, reboot your computer and
start tapping the F8 key as soon as you see anything displayed
on the screen. Keep hitting F8 until the Advanced Startup
Options menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys on your
keyboard to select Safe Mode. Hit Enter. You should now see
Administrator displayed on the Welcome Screen.

If your son did create those two new user accounts he probably
did so while logged onto this account. If he's password
protected the Administrator account you should be able to
change that password while logged on with your account in Safe
Mode.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Guest]

Thanks to both of you. The first link in Wesley's response (about the
applet) was right on the mark - it worked, and I was able to "see" all of the
user accounts in Control Panel. I then was able to delete the two new
accounts. Thanks again.

Steve

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Steve,

(I suspect my 16 year old son)

I would also suspect a 16 year old boy for many problems. LOL But not this
one.

Keep having fun.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In