David Simpson,

Nothing in that procedure would alter the System Administrator password from null (blank). Are you sure it is asking for that password? You should be booting into Windows where I would expect it to ask for your user password.

Denny

thanks for fast response.  sorry I am slow on my end.  took a few minutes to move the PC to my office where I won't disturb the rest of the family.

yes, it is definitely asking for Administrator password.

hitting return (blank password) as used previously to launch recovery console comes back with password invalid.

dave

Dave,

I know of no mechanism for changing the Administrator password other than for a user to deliberatly do so. The procedure you followed for recoving from a corrupted registry should have had no effect on the password. I would suggest a Repair Reinstall but since that does not rebuild the registry I am not at all sure that it would enable you to boot to Windows again (at which point you could set an Administrator password to a known value). The only option that seems available at this point is a complete clean reinstall of Windows.

Hi,
one way to do it is to go to
http://www.sysinternals.com and get NTFS 4 Dos Pro versio so you can read/write to an NTFS partition from a dos prompt
then once ur NTFS partition is mounted you have to go to the
%systemroot%\system32\config
and delete files called 1.) SAM, 2.) SAM.log, 3.)SAM.sav [this may or may not be there]

Once this is done all passwords are blank

==rohini

You could try a Windows Repair from boot of XP CD.
Start new install by pressing "Enter" key then select R when displayed.

Failing that you probably need to do a Clean Install.

Use the below links for info on a Clean Install then install Drivers from DELL Drivers & Utilities (Resource) CD with Windows XP started ,
 just insert Driver CD & click OK.

I have shown  Supersite & Elder Geek links last as they assumes Clean Install status so doesn't include step to delete existing partition  & so achieve Clean Install status.
(Clean Install status , ie: no Windows OS installed on HD).

Use  this link & select XP Home or PRO then method , ie: Used Hard Drive , Multi_Page has text & large pictures of Clean Install.
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/

Use this link for Clean Install of XP , if you click on Pictures they Expand for easy view
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html (Delete existing partition at step 10b for Clean Install)

or use this link ( *** Delete existing partition at step 5 for Clean Install ***)
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp

or use this link (***Delete exiting partition at Fig 06 for a Clean Install**)
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm

Clean Install deletes existing partition (like FDISK)  &  Formats HD during Install of Windows XP  from XP CD.
Set BIOS to use CD-ROM as 1st boot device usually by pressing "F2" key during boot (startup),
for some Computers press "Del" key. (the Key should be shown on first screen displayed at startup)
Re-start Computer & when message "Press any key to boot from CD" shows do it & let subsequent messages "Press any key...." time out to Windows setup.

Thanks to all who responded.

Since there does not seem to be a resolution to this problem, I have reinstalled Win XP.

dave