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Question

XP Mode in Windows 7 is not working - Please Help

by Jan 18, 2013 6:44PM PST

Windows 7 has Windows XP Mode. As of 2 days ago, I can no longer access it, so all my XP software is not functioning. How can I restore that function? It keeps on asking me for ID and password. I never had ID and password to enter XP Mode before. Why, after 2 years it asks for it?

Discussion is locked

6 Posts
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Answer
My bet is something updated.
by Forum moderator Jan 19, 2013 12:31AM PST

Automatic updates could have added an account and your auto login does not login anymore.

Just like all Windows you always create that spare Admin Account so you can get in and reset passwords. I wonder if this is your first time on this. I can't tell but I have no quick fix if you didn't prepare for this. There are also virus/trojans that do this. Again, you must prepare for this issue.

Try the usual. Press return for the password. And sorry it's in a VM so it's quite an involved process to get the files out (mount the VM as a drive) but as a XP Mode user you should over time acquire the skills for this and Safe Mode to try the usually hidden admin account.

Bob

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No Viruses, No updates, Experienced PC User
by vicstone Jan 20, 2013 6:54PM PST

My compuiter is virus protected, and I do not update my Windows 7 (hundreds patches are waiting). I am also a PC user with 30 years of experience. I never had an admin account setup, nor I ever used it. Microsoft made it impossible for older XP programs to run in Win-7 environment. I did have the same situation happen to me before and Microsoft techs fixed it remotely, but it took him 1 hour to do that mostly because of restarts and reconnects. He could not explain to me what happened, but did admit that this happened to very many customers and he knew how to fix it. He had some patch sent to my PC and manually intalled it. I am out of warranty now.

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The reason for the spare admin account is
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jan 20, 2013 11:58PM PST

Too many. From this issue to the "corrupt profile" issue you must have a spare admin account. I don't want to upset you but it is one of those unsolved issues of Windows 95 to 7. I haven't seen it happen on 8 yet but that one is young.

If it took a MSFT Tech 1 hour to fix, something was busted "real good." I doubt I could have guessed that given the clues so far. But my advice is to have the spare admin accounts for the future.

As to your comment about XP apps in 7, a recent security patch did wipe out apps that used some pre-XP memory methods (EMS for example) so why was that changed? It turned out to be an exploitable hole in the OS. So while we can debate all that, my advice is to get that spare tire in the trunk.
Bob

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Admin Account
by vicstone Jan 21, 2013 1:58AM PST

What do I need to do to get a spare Admin Account? How do I create it?
Thanks

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Over in Control Panel, user accounts.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jan 21, 2013 3:43AM PST

Plenty of tutorials out there for XP and 7.

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Answer
xp mode user
by Jan 22, 2013 2:30AM PST
Back to Windows 7 forum

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