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General discussion

To Ray S. and David (more ?'s) I got lost in new forum,again.

Nov 20, 2003 4:21AM PST
SadNT) Rick, apologies for hijacking your post

no problem Ray, it was a nice "flight" with lots to read while searching for that elusive creature known as the (hidden administator) LOL!!!!!! Now lets see if I have learned anything.. I'm in the same boat as you with no XP cd,just recovery discs. On boot up, my computer goes from the welcome screen, right to my desktop with no logon or place asking which account I want to use. In my user acounts folder, it shows 2 accounts. My wife and I as computer administator and guest account is OFF..So if I understand all this correctly,if I were to safeboot ,I would end up at the same place. My desktop with no logon screen? If this is so,then we have no hidden account and are walking a tight rope with no (safety net).......
I do have today off with only a small "honey do list" and will have some time to spend at my (computer education class) LOL!!!!!!
Thanks to everyone,Rick Be back Later..

Posted by: Rick Posted on: 11/20/2003 6:22 AM

Discussion is locked

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Rick..have you worked on your PC today?
Nov 20, 2003 4:41AM PST

Any luck booting into the Administrator account?

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Re:Rick..have you worked on your PC today?
Nov 20, 2003 5:23AM PST

No I have not tryed yet. To be honest,this safeboot thing has me a little nervous. Don't want to screw something up. My wife would .............well let's say hurt me alittle. Sorry,but I need clearer instructions on how to get into and get back out of (hopefully) safemode. Something and someplace I have never been or tryed.

Rick

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Re:Re:Rick..have you worked on your PC today?
Nov 20, 2003 5:36AM PST

For XP Home it is easier to use this method:

1. Start | Run: msconfig
2. Click BOOT.INI tab.
3. Under Boot Options check /SAFEBOOT.
4. Click Apply & OK.
5. Restart and you will boot into Safe Mode.
6. Once you have finished with it repeat the above steps and uncheck /SAFEBOOT while you are in Safe Mode.

That's all and it's quite safe!
Wink

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Re:Re:Re:Rick..have you worked on your PC today? YES,did the safeboot
Nov 21, 2003 3:47AM PST

and no I did not go to the "bliss" screen you spoke about.. What now???

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Hi Rick..Old Buttinski here again
Nov 21, 2003 4:37AM PST

I tried Davids advice about exploring the Restore disks for i386. No go...
The disks look like some of the Compaq Restore disks I have looked at, and seem to have some propriortary compression scheme.

I do have the i386 folder on my computer though, so tried using Davids info, and pointing to that folder. First pop up window said "blah, blah, cannot update, blah blah......". So I closed that one, but the next one said "Do you want to install Recovery Console..blah". Thought that was great, but when I clicked YES, it tried to go online to Microsoft. At this point I chickened out, since wasn't sure what I would be getting.
Sorry I can't help more, but think maybe we are just screwed.
May be in trouble using SFC also, since that seems to need an XP CD. But that's another story Happy

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Re:Hi Rick..Old Buttinski here again
Nov 21, 2003 5:32AM PST

Hi Ray (Buttinski).. LOL!!!!!!!!!" Sorry I can't help more, but think maybe we are just screwed.." Yeah me too.. Ain't M$ GREAT! Do computers come with a (lifetime) money back gaurentee,If they break????

P.S. I have checked the computer that belongs to our vol.fire department, that is just like mine, with same results. Lights on, but no body home...

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Kind of a Catch22
Nov 21, 2003 6:23AM PST

Never know exactly what you are getting from MS, except for a few big highlighted features. So you get it, then find out you are missing some really useful features, but you can't get them. Plus no warnings about leaving the Admin account alone.
Just to try to be fair, we may have ourselves to blame for not ensuring we got a "real" WINXP disk with our systems. I bought a VPR Matrix from Best Buy, and since it wasn't really a major distributers off-the-shelf system, thought I might get all I needed.
I did actually get a separate Drivers disk, but only Restore disks for the OS. I will definitely try not to make that mistake in the future.
Only advice I can give you now is to make good backups, via CDs preferably. All my vital data is backed up, plus I have backups of all the Install files for all extra programs I have installed. Some may be a bit out of date, but most will work to install, then get updates.
Best of luck to you (us) Happy

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Here I am guys...
Nov 21, 2003 8:01AM PST

So had to go to a client's home to fix her PC.
Just got back.

Rick...when you boot into Safe Mode and log on as Administrator were you able to get to the Desktop?
And did you look in My Computer to see if the Administrator Folder is listed?

If so then your Administrator account does exist.

If you were not allowed in at all then it doesn't exist as the name has been changed?

Let me know asap.

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Re:Re:Re:Re:Rick..have you worked on your PC today? YES,did the safeboot
Nov 21, 2003 10:51PM PST

Hi, David. Under my computer there are 2 folders listed. Shared documents and 1 with our (names) docs.When I booted into safe mode, I got a screen with 2 choices Admin. or our names. I clicked admin., did not get asked for password.Next screen said loading personal setting, computer booted to a blank black screen with the words ( safe mode) in all 4 corners.Got into boot.ini file unchecked safe boot and rebooted. I think I answered all of questions.

Thanks, Rick