Log In, Restart Loop and Password Probs

[jaymesuk]

Any help on this would save my skin.

I am running Windows XP and have got alot of bands material I have recorded - so i'm in danger of losing some sessions which people are waiting for!!

First off the PC's screen resolution went all crappy and down to the lowest possible settings; when I tried to change it back to normal the only options were the lowest settings and I couldn't move the screen size tab across.

Then a combination of me restarting the PC and the PC restarting itself in a loop, eventually led to normal screen resolution - literally about 15-20 attempts - the PC then ran fine as long as I didnt restart it again.

Then last week whilst I was going through the restart process and trying to start in safe mode, windows suddenly started asking for my login password - I have never had the log in screen appear before, let alone set a password.

I tried ctrl+alt+del so I could get to the administrator log in - I read I could just press enter as there SHOULDN'T be an Admin password - but there is!!

So i'm really stuck with bands waiting for their CD's!!! I'll send money to a charity of someones choice or the Tsunami appeal.

[saphalline]

Welcome to the PC Guide forums!! :D

Ok, this sounds serious. First of all, we're gonna need more info about the system. Hardware in particular, and any history you can give us - like what has been changed on that system lately, if anything.

If you don't know much about the hardware inside, download and run either Everest Home Edition (http://www.lavalys.com/products.php?lang=en) or Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) (or both).

[CuratoR]

Do you remember or know what file system you had on your system partition( you C: drive). Its strange that it has begun to ask for a password out of nowhere. The password can be removed with a few trick.

Do you remember what your login name was? I mean the one that is shown at the top of the start menu. I'm asking this because mostly xp's setup encourages you to use a named account with administrative priviledges other than the "administrator" account. It sets the administrator account also but isn't shown in the logon screen. If someone installed xp for you or you bought it xp installed, chances are that the adminstrator account was passworded. If this is the case and if you remember what your login name is, you can try using that login name to log on.
If guest account was enabled, you can try logging on as guest as well. You maybe be atleast able to copy those band materials this way. This maynot work if ntfs permission were used.
If the primary concern is getting out the band materials, there are other ways to copy data from your hdd to another, like putting your hdd in a different system and retrieving it etc.
Plzz post back!

[jaymesuk]

Thanks for the replies and friendly welcome!!!!

I can't get into the system to run any programs to find out more about my pc. How much/what kind of information would you need?
I recently took some plugins for cubase sx off because i think they were causing the system to crash?
These are some of the errors that were coming up a couple of weeks ago, taken from my yahoo searches. They must of been random bits of the errors i was getting-sorry!

"lsa shell (export version)"
"services and controller app has encountered a problem and needs to close"
"system32\drivers\ntfs.sys"
"pop3trap"

I'm sure i had some errors about "3 dll files missing" and that windows was replacing them???

The PC is not on the internet to avoid getting viruses - so i didnt bother using any decent virus protection - but i've recently realised ive being taking files and programs off my internet pc - so my fool proof plan kinda hasnt worked out?
I would be happy just to get my files off the hard drive - but wouldnt mind trying a few other solutions before hand.

Thanks again guys

[Paul Komski]

Internet or not it sounds suspiciously like the sasser worm
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Security/Win_Security/Q_20975585.html

Is the PC standalone or on a network?

If you cant "get in" using Safe Mode then you might consider running a Repair Installation http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm or of slaving the drive to another PC and attempting recovery of files using GetDataBack from www.runtime.org

[classicsoftware]

The answer to your problem is here (http://www.password-changer.com/ad-google.htm).

This program will have to be installed on a different PC, it will create a boot disk that will run a program which will allow to change the password of any user, including the adminsitrator.

I have used it before for clients who who have lost or forgotten their password. It works like a charm.

Once you can get in, I would suggest a full set of security scans.

You should not have to repair or re-install..

[Paul Komski]

You should not have to repair or re-install
Possibly - but the problem appeared to be due to corruption rather than a lost/forgotten password. Also bear in mind that if any file encryption is already in place permanent data loss can ensue.

[classicsoftware]

He'll know with the pw utility anyway, If the SAM database is corrupted and can't be read, the utility will say so and then you do the repair/reinstall.

[Paul Komski]

If the data is really important and only consists of a few large files then using GDB or similar is probably the safest and a quick way to access the files.

Well it could be quicker than http://www.password-changer.com/techquest-last-config.htm if "Last Known Good" doesn't work that is.

[classicsoftware]

I have seen this several times in the last few months and I have no problem changing the password and getting the pc back in business. I think the info in your link is correct and Windows for some reason assigns a pssword when none is assigned.

The program takes about 5 minutes to re-set the password and your good to go.

Of course dumping the drive into another PC and copying the data off would also accomplish his immediate need to get the data off for his clients.

[jaymesuk]

Thanks again for the advice.

I've decided to go down the path of slaving my corrupted HDD to my other PC and getting my files off that way.

So i'm sitting here now with two pc's open ready to go!!

So far i've linked my buggered HDD to my good PC with those grey serial computer cables, and the PC doesnt quite start up:

1) Does it matter which order the HDD's are linked to each other?
2) I have to set my buggered HDD to be slave, right?? Can't find any jumpers/switches to do this.
3) My master HDD has ME on it - the other one XP - is this a problem?

Can anyone help

Cheers

James (UK)

[classicsoftware]

The way to do this is to NOT play with jumpers.

Install the buggered drive as the master on the secondary IDE controller. Lay something no conductive on top of the CD-ROM, and lay the drive on that. use the power and ribbon cables from the CD-ROM and attach them to the buggered hard drive.

[jaymesuk]

Ok, so sometimes it takes a while with me to sink in.......

I've taken the ribbon and power cable off the cdrom and attached it to the buggered HDD.....now what.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "Install the buggered drive as the master on the secondary IDE controller".

Thanks for your patience

James

[classicsoftware]

Turn on the system and it should boot and show up in my computer as a dditional hard drive. I hope the PC was off when you switched cables....

[jaymesuk]

I'm still not getting anywhere :confused:

I have put the buggered HDD on the same serial ribbon as my good HDD - in both positions the PC does not load up - it gets to the windows ME screen and no further.

When I put the HDD on the CDROM cable the PC runs fine but the attached HDD does not show up in 'my computer'.

Any clue??

[classicsoftware]

Make sure the BIOS is set to auto-detect on the secondary IDE channel.

Also I would download the diagnostics from the manufacturer of the buggered hard drive and run it. It will detect the drive no matter what Windows shows.

When the PC boots what does the bios screen show?

[jaymesuk]

Cheers Ben

Made a bit of progress. I now know what an IDE controller is (its where you plug the HDD in on the mother board? :cool: )

I've got the dodgy HDD on IDE 2; set the BIOS to auto-detect on secondary master; and i've even ran the diagnostics from the HDD site - its a Maxtor Diamond Plus 120GB - the test was ok and detected it.

But windows still dosent want to know :confused:

The PC i'm using is old-ish; could this be anything to do with it not playing ball??

Thanks

James

[jaymesuk]

Just dotted down a few things from the BIOS that i thought could be useful???

In CMOS setup

1st boot is Floppy
2nd boot is IDE0
3rd boot is CDROM

S.M.A.R.T for Hard disk is Disabled

[Dan Penny]

"I've got the dodgy HDD on IDE 2; set the BIOS to auto-detect on secondary master; and i've even ran the diagnostics from the HDD site - its a Maxtor Diamond Plus 120GB - the test was ok and detected it."

By "the test was ok and detected it" do you mean the bios detected the disk or just the diagnostics disk detected it. (I ask because some diagnostics will find the disk even if the bios doesn't.)

If your bios now "sees" the disk, either from windows or the dos command line, run fdisk.

Choose Y for large disk support. (Hit ENTER to accept the Y.)
Choose option 5 - Change current fixed disk drive. Enter 2 to change to the second disk. At the top of the fdisk screen it will show you if you're now on disk 2.
If on disk 2, choose option 4 - Display partition information. Post back here EXACTLY what is shown.

[jaymesuk]

[QUOTE=classicsoftware]
Also I would download the diagnostics from the manufacturer of the buggered hard drive and run it. It will detect the drive no matter what Windows shows./QUOTE]

This is where i'm at - the diagnostics has detected the drive but NOT windows.

Thanks Dan