Re: WinXP Home - All User Accounts Lost

From: larryu (lurban_at_cityrider.com)
Date: 09/08/03 

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 11:08:43 -0700

Doug

Thanks again for your help. I started with Google with no
luck except for Photoshop errors.

Do you think it is a registry problem or a supporting
file? I found a good article (307545) in MSDN for
restoring the registry from a previous restore point. But
I am not sure this is a registry problem.

larry

>-----Original Message-----
>Try a search at www.google.com or
http://groups.google.com for the exact
>phrase.
>
>--
>Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
>Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>http://www.dougknox.com
>--------------------------------
>Associate Expert
>ExpertZone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>--------------------------------
>Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>
>"larryu" <lurban@cityrider.com> wrote in message
>news:35ec01c375ae$bc47fea0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
>>
>> Any other place/newsgroup where I can raise this
question?
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >No information on the invalid handle error :(
>> >
>> >--
>> >Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
>> >Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>> >http://www.dougknox.com
>> >--------------------------------
>> >Associate Expert
>> >ExpertZone -
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >--------------------------------
>> >Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>> >Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>> >
>> >"larryu" <lurban@cityrider.com> wrote in message
>> >news:39fa01c375a8$5fd18cf0$a001280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> Doug
>> >>
>> >> Thanks for the quick reply.
>> >>
>> >> Any guesses on 'handle is invalid'? Seems to me like
>> some
>> >> link is broken in the security process.
>> >>
>> >> BTW, the linux program was able to see his account
and
>> >> the administrator's account. He reset the
>> administrator's
>> >> account to a non-blank value but still gets the
error.
>> >>
>> >> There must be a better fix than to reload/upgrade the
>> OS?
>> >> If the upgrade to Pro does not help, is a clean
install
>> >> the only other option? I did read about a registry
>> >> setting that will show/hide a user account on the
>> Welcome
>> >> Page but I don't know how to change the registry if
we
>> >> can't logon.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks for your help
>> >> larry
>> >>
>> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >The upgrade tends to keep user accounts and settings
>> in
>> >> place. I wouldn't
>> >> >count on it correcting a password issue, but it
might.
>> >> >
>> >> >--
>> >> >Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
>> >> >Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>> >> >http://www.dougknox.com
>> >> >--------------------------------
>> >> >Associate Expert
>> >> >ExpertZone -
>> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >> >--------------------------------
>> >> >Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may
benefit.
>> >> >Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>> >> >
>> >> >"larryu" <lurban@cityrider.com> wrote in message
>> >> >news:40f801c375a4$13354390$a401280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> >> Doug
>> >> >>
>> >> >> He did try to login in safe mode with the admin
>> >> account,
>> >> >> and tried from the cd to perform a recovery
repair.
>> Did
>> >> >> not work with the blank password. But the blank
>> >> password
>> >> >> has worked in the past, but he has not used it
>> >> recently.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> But, I just talked to him again and he reminded me
>> of
>> >> >> something I forgot in my posting. The error he is
>> >> getting
>> >> >> when he puts the user name/password in contains
the
>> >> >> phrase "handle is invalid". He gets that error
when
>> he
>> >> >> enters his user account name, as well as the
>> >> >> administrator account.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> One option we are thinking of is to upgrade him to
>> >> WinXP
>> >> >> Pro. Hopeful that the upgrade will 'fix' the
problem
>> >> and
>> >> >> not ask him for the admin password. Any
>> >> thoughts/comments
>> >> >> on this plan would be appreciated.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> larry
>> >> >>
>> >> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >> >XP Home has never supported the CTRL-ALT-DEL
trick
>> at
>> >> >> the Welcome Screen for
>> >> >> >the Administrator account. For XP Home, you
must
>> >> boot
>> >> >> the computer into
>> >> >> >Safe Mode to access this account. By default,
XP
>> >> home
>> >> >> does not prompt you
>> >> >> >for an Administrator password at setup, so for
>> >> Recovery
>> >> >> Console, try leaving
>> >> >> >it blank. Also, if he has a full version of XP
>> Home,
>> >> >> the CD is bootable as
>> >> >> >well, and has its own Recovery Console.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >--
>> >> >> >Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart
Display
>> >> >> >Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>> >> >> >http://www.dougknox.com
>> >> >> >--------------------------------
>> >> >> >Associate Expert
>> >> >> >ExpertZone -
>> >> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >> >> >--------------------------------
>> >> >> >Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may
>> benefit.
>> >> >> >Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >"larryU" <lurban@cityrider.com> wrote in message
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >news:fe7c0fa8.0309071300.67277bda@posting.google.com...
>> >> >> >> My son called from college, said that after he
>> >> >> rebooted his WinXp Home
>> >> >> >> machine there were no User Accounts listed on
the
>> >> >> Welcome Page.
>> >> >> >> Usually he gets his account listed because he
>> has a
>> >> >> password. He tried
>> >> >> >> to use the Administrator's account by ctl-alt-
del
>> >> but
>> >> >> the blank
>> >> >> >> password is not working today (it did in the
>> past).
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> He has tried to do a 'repair' installation from
>> the
>> >> CD
>> >> >> but it wants
>> >> >> >> the Administrator's account and password as
well.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> He is trying to reboot the machine with a
Win2000
>> >> CD,
>> >> >> hoping the
>> >> >> >> recovery console will help him.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> I have found the links to ERD Commander but am
>> >> looking
>> >> >> for a less
>> >> >> >> expense ($199) solution. Next on the list is
the
>> >> boot
>> >> >> disk at
>> >> >> >> http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Any other solutions that you can suggest will
be
>> >> >> appreciated. Also,
>> >> >> >> what do you think has happened to his machine?
It
>> >> is a
>> >> >> year old Dell,
>> >> >> >> is this a hard drive problem, a virus/worm,
or ?
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> thanks
>> >> >> >> larry
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >.
>> >> >
>> >
>> >
>> >.
>> >
>
>
>.
>