Trying to do a repair and it keeps asking for an adminstration password. I do not have a adminstration password. How do I get around this to do a repair__

What repair are you trying to do? If you are trying to do a Repair Install, you're in the Recovery Console which is the wrong place. Please clarify your situation.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm - Repair Install How-To

The Recovery Console is asking for the built-in Administrator's password. If you didn't set one, then the password is a blank.

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MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

I, too, am having a problem with a forgotten password for Recovery Console.  My daughter's laptop became infected with the Internet Security 2010 bug and in the process of cleaning it and its related garbage from the computer, the winlogin.exe file either became corrupted or delted.  Whenever the computer boots up and I click on the user login icon, it says "loading personal settings, plays the welcome tune, then immediately says "saving user settings" and returns to the main login screen.  When I read up on the problem, I found I needed to enter into the recovery console in order to restore missing/corrupt files.  However, when I enter into the Recover Console, it asks for the password.  I've tried just hitting enter, various forms of "admin" and "administrator", but nothing works. 

I am running Windows XP Home Edition SP3 on an HP Pavillion DV1000 laptop.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.

Sorry, but from step 4 on, none of that is an option.  When I insert the Windows XP Home Edition CD and boot up the laptop, I get the option to boot from CD.  I do that.  It then goes through a series of file loading in at which point it comes up to a screen with three options:  Install XP, Repair Console, or Exit.  I know Install XP will wipe out everything on the laptop and install Windows from scratch.  Repair Console option will bring up the only Windows partition available at which point I enter "1" for that partition/option.  When I select that, Recover Console asks me for the administrator password.  Therein lies the problem - I don't know it, nor can I find if HP placed some generic password here during the factory install.  I spent about an hour online with HP chat but they were no help.  Bottom line they said regardless of what I do, I will lose all data.

if you select install i think it will give you the option of doing a repair.

what hp said is bunk

When you select Install, it should recognize you already have an installation of Windows XP.  Therefore it will or should give you the option to repair by typing R to repair the current installation..

When you select Install, it should recognize you already have an installation of Windows XP.  Therefore it will or should give you the option to repair by typing R to repair the current installation..

I Absolutely agree, and the only thing that will change is that windows update will be updating files for a while after you get back on the internet.  All your files, programs and registrations should remain intact.

Now, after you get your system fixed and running again... Go get a passport drive and keep a current backup available.

You don't want to do the full repair install.. you want to break out of it by doing the shift + f10 to change your administrator password.  It should leave everything else intact with no changes.

When do I do the shift-F10?  Do I do that after I select the Install option when I boot from the Windows XP CD?  I have to confess that I've worked with computers - mainly at the network level - for years, and I don't think I've heard of the shift-F10 option.

Many thanks to all who are helping me on this.