Windows 2000 Login changed from domain to workstation

[JayB]

I changed my computer from a domain to a workstation and
received a message saying welcome to the workgroup and a
requirement to restart the system. After restarting the
system I was brought back to the Windows 2000Pro logon
screen with my User Name and Password. After typing in
the password, I received the following error: "The
system could not log you on. Make sure the user name and
domain name are correct. Then type your password
again." It appears that Windows 2000 Pro still thinks
the system is on a domain, even though we can see the
system on the workgroup. It will not let me bypass this
logon and will not start Windows 2000 Pro. I have called
the manufacturer, Microsoft Customer support and have
tried rebooting from every option available in Safe
Mode. Please help!!!

 

[Ray at]

Even in a workgroup, you still have to log on. The difference now is that
you ~have~ to log on with a local account, i.e. administrator. All 2000
machines have local accounts and can be logged on to locally, whether
they're in a domain or not. It's just that you typically log on to your
computer with a domain account when the computer's in a domain.

You should know the local administrator account's password and log on with
that.

Ray at work

 

[dcdon]

As before, but now more important than ever, make sure you have two administor
accoutns in case the primary one is corrupted and you need a way to get in to make
repairs. And be sure that you are keeping an good system state by making an ERD and a
Full Backup(with system state).

good computing,
don
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I changed my computer from a domain to a workstation and
received a message saying welcome to the workgroup and a
requirement to restart the system. After restarting the
system I was brought back to the Windows 2000Pro logon
screen with my User Name and Password. After typing in
the password, I received the following error: "The
system could not log you on. Make sure the user name and
domain name are correct. Then type your password
again." It appears that Windows 2000 Pro still thinks
the system is on a domain, even though we can see the
system on the workgroup. It will not let me bypass this
logon and will not start Windows 2000 Pro. I have called
the manufacturer, Microsoft Customer support and have
tried rebooting from every option available in Safe
Mode. Please help!!!

 

[William]

Is this a corporate computer? The fact that it is in a domain (or more like
was) alludes to that fact. First, when you are in a domain you login using a
domain user account. Remove the computer from the domain the domain user
account is removed also. That means you must know the local administrator
account and password. When windows 2000 is installed the one of the first
pieces of information that it asks is the password for the local
administrator account. If you are not the one who installed windows 2000 you
would not know this information.

If this is your computer then there are tools on the web to reset the local
administrator password

If this is not your computer but a corporate computer then you will need to
take it back to work and have the network admin rejoin it to the domain.