Xp boots but does not allow login

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storyteller

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I recently installed PGP 9.x to my pc running windows xp home. After shutting down for the night I turned on my pc, it booted to my login screen but gave me no option for logging in. All the users accounts were gone all that was there was the login screen bitmap. I rebooted several times and even let the pc sit like this over night thinking that time may heal its wounds. No luck. I tried safe mode in every form it was the same story. I thought perhaps the entire disk was encrypted thus locking me out. So I booted knoppix and walla all my data is still there. I tried to run a repair install but it keeps asking for the admin account pswd, which I have conveniently forgotten I tried to run NT PSWD & REGISRRY EDITOR to change the admin pswd only to receive an error saying the SAM file was not there, which I discovered thanks to Knoppix was untrue.
I really donÂ’t want to wipe the whole thing and reload windows, is there any hope of me ever being able to login into xp again? This is a tough one, thanks for your help.

Storyteller
 
Have you tried bootin in safe mode and then logging into your account?

Or you could try changing the way users log in from the welcome screen to the log-in box.
 
Put your windows recorvery CD in and boot off it

Go into the recovery console
When in the console type the follwing : FIXMBR
Say yes to it

This will re-write your computers master boot records. When done just type exit and your computer will reboot. Hopefully the login screen will come back up with a place for you to login.
 
I'll give this a shot and let you know how it works out. I have one question. To run this command in the recovery console do I need the admin pswd? As I have said previously I have unfortunately forgotten it.
Thanks a million to everyone for their help in this matter, it really has me scratching my head.
 
oh and yeah I have a boot time av scanner. I was thinking it might be a virus also but the night before everything apeared clean.

thx
 
If it does, you can try download a tool called ERD Commander

I have the 2002 version. Its a bootable cd/disk which allows you to log onto an NT based system with no username and password. You can then use the lock smith application to reset passwords for any username including the administrator....its not a free tool but if you have a tech buddy he might have a copy
 
yeah it still requires the admin pswd to even use the recovery console, which seems wierd but I guess thats how it goes sometimes.
 
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