Help!Unable to login w/password,will not boot into safe mode....plz help!

Question

I am totally lost.Not sure if this a hardware problem or what!When I rebooted my Dimension 8200-Windows XP-sp2 it will not take my login password.If I try to reboot in Safe Mode it runs through a list of drivers and programs quickly.Takes me right back to my login screen which I can not get past.Do I have a virus,a hardware problem or what's going on. I've tried everything I can think of.This is what I see when I try to boot to safe mode: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2);followed by a driver or program name on each line.Is my hard drive failing,motherboard,processor.Please some one help.By the way I am entering the correct password. Has anyone seen this behavior before? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.-Susan :smileysad:

steigerhouse · Answer

Susan - When you first boot up, for about two seconds or so at the top right corner of the screen you will see that if you hold down the F2 or F12 key during boot sequence it will take you to Setup or Utility.  On of these offers a place where you can reset or remove your passwords.  You might try that.  When you make changes like this however, always write down what everything was set at before you make any changes so that you can go back if necessary.  Good luck.

khatarnak · Answer

Hello susan You can try login using the administrator and please do not type any password and leave the field blank. Do this in the safe mode. Go to the control panel and then change the password. Try this once and if this doesnot works we will try something else. okay.

dunedin · Answer

Susan :smileyhappy:

Just in case you don`t know how to access the Main Admin Account

If you are at the Welcome screen and want to log on with the Administrator account, but it’s not listed, Press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice to bring up the Windows 2000 logon window, which then allows you to log on as Administrator.

If you have XP Home you need to do this in Safe Mode

suzeq_72 · Answer

I've tried all suggestions listed here,but none of them work. Everytime I try to boot in safe mode I get a message: We apologize for the inconvenience...etc. and it suggests starting in normal mode. I have used every option on the list and none of them work. I've gone into the F2 menu and changed that to unlock password. NOTHING. I can not get it to boot in safe mode to save my soul. I don't know what to do next. Any suggestions? Help...help.:smileysad:

dunedin · Answer

Try this then http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=305

suzeq_72 · Answer

I just don't believe this! Excellent website by the way...Thank you. I changed the bios to boot from cd. Followed all instructions for this. Perfect...right? Wrong....the darn thing came right back up to the logon screen. Unbelieveable. You can hear the disc spinning,but nothing on my screen,but the logon. I'm about to send this thing to the dump. By the way, I was using my reinstall cd that came with the computer. Any other suggestions other then the dump. At my wits end. Thank you for your excellent help..Susan

dunedin · Answer

If the CD was booting up you should not get the logon screen.   When you made the changes in the BIOS did you SAVE and EXIT? Then reboot

suzeq_72 · Answer

Yes I saved,exit and rebooted. Still got the logon screen. It's just unreal. I wonder if this is some sort of virus. I'm not sure what to do. Maybe take it to pc repair to see if they can get any where with it. Thanks for all your help. Susan

dunedin · Answer

Try cleaning the CD using luke warm water with a few drops of detergent in it. Scratches can sometimes be gently polished out with some toothpaste. Always polish from the centre to the outside edge. Never round and round in a circular fashion.

If you can`t get the CD to boot you can use a startup floppy.
Boot up with the floppy and choose CDROM support, then navigate to the i386 folder on the Windows CD

(at the A:> prompt type the letter of the CDROM drive, then type
CD i386)

Then at the X:i386> prompt type
Winnt.exe

That will run the normal Windows Setup.

Get a Win98 floppy here

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Windows General

Help!Unable to login w/password,will not boot into safe mode....plz help!

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