Please Help me.....HUGE windows problem.

pop80_uk · 21-09-2005, 08:29

Hi Guys & Gals.
I really need your help now!

I installed windows 2000 on my girlfriends PC by doing the upgrade feature as she had Windows 98SE and wanted 2000. So all went well.....everything installed. And Windows 2000 starts to boot.....then....

I get the user log on box, with administrator in the top line (as username) and no password. I started to panic, as previously her Windows 98SE had no password on this screen and you just pressed escape and it booted. And no admin password set up at all.

So I tried escape and it beeped at me, I tried default, password, everythign I could think of that was Windows linked. But it stayed on and I could not find a way to get past it so it would boot into the desktop, So currently we have a totally useless PC.

So where has this admin box come from?
How can I get past it without the password (what ever it may be is there a default)
I did not set this up so why has it appeared?

There must be a way around it surely.

I dont know what the solution is other than a fresh complete wipe and re-install, although this PC has her files on it so this is not really an option.

There must be a way around this! This box appears in safe mode, every mode.
I spent nearly all night trying.

Can someone help me please!

kobuskint · 21-09-2005, 08:33

It sounds simplistic, but I think that the password box comes as a default and there will be no password set. Therefore, when it pops up, just press enter and ignore the password request.

It should just let you carry on from there.

Angua · 21-09-2005, 08:35

Did you press/click enter (ignoring the request for a password alltogether)?

There may also be some help elswhere in the site IIRC. Will have a look and get back to you

**Paul** · 21-09-2005, 08:46

W98 does not force you to log on, in W200 you must log in as something, that's its nature. The default user is administrator and as above - I would expect the password to be nothing unless you were asked to set it.

pop80_uk · 21-09-2005, 08:55

Tried just pressing enter and it did not work

__________________

Never asked for any password to be set, surely there must be another way around it other than wiping (thats a last resort as my girlf will loose all her files) hence the update.

Jon M · 21-09-2005, 08:58

I'm sorry to say this, but I doubt this will be the last problem you get with this install.

Both professionally and privately I've never known an upgrade of 98 to 2000 go without a problem (usually pretty terminal ones). If you went from NT4 to 2000 I'd be far more confident.

It's useless advice to get in hindsight, so sorry

, but it may be worth keeping in mind that a clean installation will always be better.

21-09-2005, 08:58

try getting into safe mode (although you may well have same problem here) set up a new admin user with a password you know and log on using that. My experience with win2000 is a tad short but might work

**Paul** · 21-09-2005, 09:01

According to what I remember when I did this, and the documentaion I have checked today - it asks you to specify a password as part of the upgrade.

Jon M · 21-09-2005, 09:02

You don't necessarily need to wipe it to do a fresh installation.. you can actually install into an existing partition without upgrading it. (that may not be the case if it's FAT rather than FAT32, not sure though)

pop80_uk · 21-09-2005, 09:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

try getting into safe mode (although you may well have same problem here) set up a new admin user with a password you know and log on using that. My experience with win2000 is a tad short but might work

Safe mode displays the same box.
Thats the problem

There must be a way......

**Paul** · 21-09-2005, 09:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon M

Both professionally and privately I've never known an upgrade of 98 to 2000 go without a problem (usually pretty terminal ones). If you went from NT4 to 2000 I'd be far more confident.

My secondary PC started life as W95, then upgraded to W98, and then to W2000 - and it's still going strong.

21-09-2005, 09:04

There is a time consuming option to save the files if all else fails and thats to reinstall win2000 without formating.This will create a second windows install in a folder labled windows000 or somthing of the ilk.It will most likely say its a bad idea to do this but you can save the files.It should create a dual boot system one the broken install and 2 the new clean install(obviously most programs will not work and program lists etc will be incorrect)

Jon M beat me to it

**Paul** · 21-09-2005, 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pop80_uk

Safe mode displays the same box.
Thats the problem

There must be a way......

If you do not know any password then there is no way, that's the point of a login box ......

Angua · 21-09-2005, 09:06

There might be something that will work in this thread https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=31175

pop80_uk · 21-09-2005, 09:21

Thanks I will check it out.
Please keep the soloutions coming though.