Help! Can't log into XP after virus clean!

[IronWolf]

There's always an admin password in XP. If you don't know/remember it, it's usually possible to reset the admin password from hardware; your system manual will tell you how to do this (and you can probably get a copy of the manual from dell.com if you've lost it).

There is an administrator account in XP, but the password for the account could be blank. Reset an XP password from hardware? I don't think I have seen this before. There are some cool tools on the net that will let you reset an XP admin password after booting off a CD, but generally not something built into the hardware of the PC itself. Do you have a link to a manual that describes this process (whether from Dell or other computer manufacturer?).

 

[IronWolf]

OK, I can boot from CD-ROM to the Windows Recovery thing. It asks me for the admin password. To my knowledge, there is none (standard DELL install, DELL support warrenty has expired).

I assume you tried just hitting enter, right? If the password was blank it should have let you right in by just hitting enter. Otherwise looks like an admin password got set somehow along the line.

If that still doesn't work and you really want to try to recovery bit and you consider yourself slightly above average tech head wise send me a PM. I might have another offline suggestion for getting around the admin password bit.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

If that still doesn't work and you really want to try to recovery bit and you consider yourself slightly above average tech head wise send me a PM. I might have another offline suggestion for getting around the admin password bit.

Booting in a Linux shell? Eh. I've messed with that before when I swapped out my motherboard and a few other peripherals so that WinXP thought it was stolen and gave me a hard time. I got no love. I ended up reinstalling. That's not an option here.

That said, I'll shoot you a PM anyway. Never know.

 

[ssampier]

If there's not an Admin password, you should be able to hit enter to by-pass. If you had access to another user with Administrator rights, you could reset it.

By the way, there is no physical switch for the Windows XP password. It stored in the software SAM. You must be thinking of the BIOS password which can be usually reset by removing the CMOS battery.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

OK!

I pulled the drive, swapped into my computer, made the requiste changes, and it works like a champ. Thanks all!

By the way, my wife reguarly surfs craft and scrapbook sites. I surf gaming sites. Do I ever get viruses? Nooooooooo! Don't mess with those scrapbooking people, man. They'll frag your drive at the drop of a hat!

Thanks again!

 

[IronWolf]

Great news! Glad to hear you were able to get things up and running. The wife will never have to be the wiser!

 

[Truth Seeker]

Ah...a happy ending.

 

[ssampier]

OK!

I pulled the drive, swapped into my computer, made the requiste changes, and it works like a champ. Thanks all!

By the way, my wife reguarly surfs craft and scrapbook sites. I surf gaming sites. Do I ever get viruses? Nooooooooo! Don't mess with those scrapbooking people, man. They'll frag your drive at the drop of a hat!

Thanks again!

You should convert her slowly to the "geek" side of life