Reinstalling/Repair Windows XP... In Bios and now stuck....

[Guest Kimla]

Hello,

Thank you for your help in this matter. I could not log on to windows 2

days ago. The welcome screen comes up and then I click on my account and it

acts like it will log on but then flashes and underneath it says logging off.

Anyway, so I read somewhere I need to reinstall windows xp with the cd. I

am in that process right now. In BIOS mode it asks for my adm. password and

it will not accept it. In system set up mode I checked to see what it was

and it said no password selected. So I decided to go ahead and make a

password. But that did not work either. I even shut the computer down for a

minute and still no.

Also, I was told that I would not lose my files and information if I did a

repair and that is what I am doing instead of reinstalling....

thanks so much,

Kim

[Guest sgopus]

RE: Reinstalling/Repair Windows XP... In Bios and now stuck....

 

When there is no password just leave it blank and press enter.

 

"Kimla" wrote:

> Hello,

> Thank you for your help in this matter. I could not log on to windows 2

> days ago. The welcome screen comes up and then I click on my account and it

> acts like it will log on but then flashes and underneath it says logging off.

> Anyway, so I read somewhere I need to reinstall windows xp with the cd. I

> am in that process right now. In BIOS mode it asks for my adm. password and

> it will not accept it. In system set up mode I checked to see what it was

> and it said no password selected. So I decided to go ahead and make a

> password. But that did not work either. I even shut the computer down for a

> minute and still no.

> Also, I was told that I would not lose my files and information if I did a

> repair and that is what I am doing instead of reinstalling....

> thanks so much,

> Kim

>

>

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

Re: Reinstalling/Repair Windows XP... In Bios and now stuck....

 

 

"Kimla" <Kimla@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:80121D1D-F9E0-4164-B7C4-302E6D04352B@microsoft.com...

> Hello,

> Thank you for your help in this matter. I could not log on to windows 2

> days ago. The welcome screen comes up and then I click on my account and

> it

> acts like it will log on but then flashes and underneath it says logging

> off.

> Anyway, so I read somewhere I need to reinstall windows xp with the cd. I

> am in that process right now. In BIOS mode

 

What do you mean by "BIOS" mode? The BIOS is entirely independent of the

operating system, and if you are trying to get into the BIOS you are nowhere

near the OS. The BIOS itself doesn't even care if there is a hard disk.

> it asks for my adm. password and

> it will not accept it.

 

If the BIOS has a password, it is not related to the Windows passwords.

BIOS passwords are on the motherboard and apply whether there's a hard disk

with an OS - or not.

 

If your system has a BIOS password, you have other problems that should be

addressed. If it's a laptop, it may have to be sent to the manufacturer to

be reset.

> In system set up mode I checked to see what it was

> and it said no password selected. So I decided to go ahead and make a

> password. But that did not work either.

 

Again, you need to be clear here. Windows passwords are not related in any

way to BIOS passwords.

> I even shut the computer down for a

> minute and still no.

> Also, I was told that I would not lose my files and information if I did a

> repair and that is what I am doing instead of reinstalling....

 

Repair installs very often *will not* fix what appear to be Windows

problems.

 

This is because many of the things that appear to be Windows problems are

actually problems in the registry or the user account itself, and the repair

install doesn't do much with the registry or the user accounts. That fact

is why repair installs don't cause you to lose installed programs, user

accounts, or data.

 

Considering where you are, and with respect, the knowledge that you have,

the best plan for you is to stop, find another XP system with plenty of

drive space, attach your hard disk to it, and back up all your data.

 

Even better is to also make an image of the drive, using something like the

Acronis TrueImage free 2-week trial version. If you need help doing this -

get it. This backup can take as much as a couple of hours, most of which

you don't have to pay attention to (have dinner, watch a DVD, occasionally

check the progress), and can save you large amounts of grief.

 

If you can get into your user account now, even in Safe Mode, try to export

all your mail settings and passwords, and back those up.

 

If you can get into the Administrator account, and if your version of XP is

Home you can only do this in Safe Mode (press F8 at startup), try creating

a new user account, then restart into that account. If that works, your

old user account is corrupt and you can just migrate the data from it.

 

From the screen where you select Safe Mode - after you press F8 - there's

also a "Last Known Good Configuration" option. Try that.

 

If these don't work, the fastest and most reliable repair may be to simply

reinstall cleanly - which will involve formatting the disk, which will erase

all of the data and settings as well. This is why you will back up now,

before you go any further.

 

An alternate approach is to remove the hard disk, put in a new one, do a

fresh install to that, and then - after Windows is working properly -

attach the old drive and copy your data over. Where I am, 80 gig hard disks

are around $45.

 

HTH

-pk

 

> thanks so much,

> Kim

>

>

[Guest Kimla]

Re: Reinstalling/Repair Windows XP... In Bios and now stuck....

 

Thanks so much Patrick. I just now read your reply to my issue. I wasn't

sure what to call it and I guess I got BIOS wrong. I will face the problem

again tomorrow. It is too late and I can't think right now.

thanks again

Kim

 

"Patrick Keenan" wrote:

>

> "Kimla" <Kimla@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:80121D1D-F9E0-4164-B7C4-302E6D04352B@microsoft.com...

> > Hello,

> > Thank you for your help in this matter. I could not log on to windows 2

> > days ago. The welcome screen comes up and then I click on my account and

> > it

> > acts like it will log on but then flashes and underneath it says logging

> > off.

> > Anyway, so I read somewhere I need to reinstall windows xp with the cd. I

> > am in that process right now. In BIOS mode

>

> What do you mean by "BIOS" mode? The BIOS is entirely independent of the

> operating system, and if you are trying to get into the BIOS you are nowhere

> near the OS. The BIOS itself doesn't even care if there is a hard disk.

>

> > it asks for my adm. password and

> > it will not accept it.

>

> If the BIOS has a password, it is not related to the Windows passwords.

> BIOS passwords are on the motherboard and apply whether there's a hard disk

> with an OS - or not.

>

> If your system has a BIOS password, you have other problems that should be

> addressed. If it's a laptop, it may have to be sent to the manufacturer to

> be reset.

>

> > In system set up mode I checked to see what it was

> > and it said no password selected. So I decided to go ahead and make a

> > password. But that did not work either.

>

> Again, you need to be clear here. Windows passwords are not related in any

> way to BIOS passwords.

>

> > I even shut the computer down for a

> > minute and still no.

> > Also, I was told that I would not lose my files and information if I did a

> > repair and that is what I am doing instead of reinstalling....

>

> Repair installs very often *will not* fix what appear to be Windows

> problems.

>

> This is because many of the things that appear to be Windows problems are

> actually problems in the registry or the user account itself, and the repair

> install doesn't do much with the registry or the user accounts. That fact

> is why repair installs don't cause you to lose installed programs, user

> accounts, or data.

>

> Considering where you are, and with respect, the knowledge that you have,

> the best plan for you is to stop, find another XP system with plenty of

> drive space, attach your hard disk to it, and back up all your data.

>

> Even better is to also make an image of the drive, using something like the

> Acronis TrueImage free 2-week trial version. If you need help doing this -

> get it. This backup can take as much as a couple of hours, most of which

> you don't have to pay attention to (have dinner, watch a DVD, occasionally

> check the progress), and can save you large amounts of grief.

>

> If you can get into your user account now, even in Safe Mode, try to export

> all your mail settings and passwords, and back those up.

>

> If you can get into the Administrator account, and if your version of XP is

> Home you can only do this in Safe Mode (press F8 at startup), try creating

> a new user account, then restart into that account. If that works, your

> old user account is corrupt and you can just migrate the data from it.

>

> From the screen where you select Safe Mode - after you press F8 - there's

> also a "Last Known Good Configuration" option. Try that.

>

> If these don't work, the fastest and most reliable repair may be to simply

> reinstall cleanly - which will involve formatting the disk, which will erase

> all of the data and settings as well. This is why you will back up now,

> before you go any further.

>

> An alternate approach is to remove the hard disk, put in a new one, do a

> fresh install to that, and then - after Windows is working properly -

> attach the old drive and copy your data over. Where I am, 80 gig hard disks

> are around $45.

>

> HTH

> -pk

>

>

> > thanks so much,

> > Kim

> >

> >

>

>

[Guest Lil' Dave]

Re: Reinstalling/Repair Windows XP... In Bios and now stuck....

 

Apparently, to me anyway, you are confusing windows XP safe mode password

with the bios password (if it exists on your PC).

 

--

Dave

 

Speculation on a product or material that is

an obvious need, is not speculation per se

as there is no risk to the speculator.

Common were those selling food and other

supplies in the gold rush days.

In this case, its oil and its everyone who

bites the bullet. And most everyone has no gold

to be made, just business as usual.

 

"Kimla" <Kimla@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:80121D1D-F9E0-4164-B7C4-302E6D04352B@microsoft.com...

> Hello,

> Thank you for your help in this matter. I could not log on to windows 2

> days ago. The welcome screen comes up and then I click on my account and

> it

> acts like it will log on but then flashes and underneath it says logging

> off.

> Anyway, so I read somewhere I need to reinstall windows xp with the cd. I

> am in that process right now. In BIOS mode it asks for my adm. password

> and

> it will not accept it. In system set up mode I checked to see what it was

> and it said no password selected. So I decided to go ahead and make a

> password. But that did not work either. I even shut the computer down for

> a

> minute and still no.

> Also, I was told that I would not lose my files and information if I did a

> repair and that is what I am doing instead of reinstalling....

> thanks so much,

> Kim

>

>