HELP! XP Pro upgrade password problem

[Jim]

I did an upgrade from an OEM XP Home Edition. I bought
the XP Pro upgrade and did the install. After several
install attempts, the upgrade finally completed and took
me to the "Setup Pro" page, where I answered questions
about did I want to set up an internet connection, want
to register, etc. During this process, a prompt asked me
who will be using the computer. I put in my name and my
wife's name. After a few minutes, up came the Windows
login page with my name and the wife's name showing
w/icons next to the names. In the Home edition we both
had PW's set. When I clicked my name, I was prompted to
enter a PW. I tried the one I was using w/Home XP.
Unfortunately, I got an error saying that I could not be
logged on to the domain it was unrecognized, etc. I
tried the wife's and the same result.

After calling MS and them trying several things with me,
their only recourse is for me to do a system recovery
from the CD that shipped w/the computer. When I start
that process, the recovery wants to reformat and create
C: and D: drives and therefore all my data is lost.

The one option that MS used to try and help was for me to
look in my setupact.log and look for the line "Random
password for user xxxxx..." etc. That is found in KB
article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
scid=kb;en-us;318026

I looked in setupact.log file (suggested in the
previously mentioned KB article) and no such line about
a "Random password...." etc is in there. I even copied
the setupact.log file to a floppy and went to my wife's
desktop computer and used windows search for the words
(in notepad) and the words random, password, nor
administrator appear. [As mentioned earlier, I had
trouble with the install and several attempts at the
install were made -- so in the KB article it mentions
about random PW's being assigned when XP install doesn't
complete.]

I've also tried logging on in safe mode and the login
screen comes up w/an administrator account and my name
account. However, no password I try works to let me in
as administrator.

I don't want to lose my data, since I don't have anyway
of saving my data to a mass sotrage device (w/out paying
for it). Can anyone help me? Is there not a file or
directory that stores PW's in XP Pro that can be deleted
and then the upgrade disk be used to do a reinstall and
in hopes that random Passwords would not be assigned
again?

Please respond as soon as possible and thank you in
advance.

Jim

[rifleman]

In article >,
took up the quill and scribed...
> I did an upgrade from an OEM XP Home Edition. I bought
> the XP Pro upgrade and did the install. After several
> install attempts, the upgrade finally completed and took
> me to the "Setup Pro" page, where I answered questions
> about did I want to set up an internet connection, want
> to register, etc. During this process, a prompt asked me
> who will be using the computer. I put in my name and my
> wife's name. After a few minutes, up came the Windows
> login page with my name and the wife's name showing
> w/icons next to the names. In the Home edition we both
> had PW's set. When I clicked my name, I was prompted to
> enter a PW. I tried the one I was using w/Home XP.
> Unfortunately, I got an error saying that I could not be
> logged on to the domain it was unrecognized, etc. I
> tried the wife's and the same result.
>
> After calling MS and them trying several things with me,
> their only recourse is for me to do a system recovery
> from the CD that shipped w/the computer. When I start
> that process, the recovery wants to reformat and create
> C: and D: drives and therefore all my data is lost.
>
> The one option that MS used to try and help was for me to
> look in my setupact.log and look for the line "Random
> password for user xxxxx..." etc. That is found in KB
> article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
> scid=kb;en-us;318026
>
> I looked in setupact.log file (suggested in the
> previously mentioned KB article) and no such line about
> a "Random password...." etc is in there. I even copied
> the setupact.log file to a floppy and went to my wife's
> desktop computer and used windows search for the words
> (in notepad) and the words random, password, nor
> administrator appear. [As mentioned earlier, I had
> trouble with the install and several attempts at the
> install were made -- so in the KB article it mentions
> about random PW's being assigned when XP install doesn't
> complete.]
>
> I've also tried logging on in safe mode and the login
> screen comes up w/an administrator account and my name
> account. However, no password I try works to let me in
> as administrator.
>
> I don't want to lose my data, since I don't have anyway
> of saving my data to a mass sotrage device (w/out paying
> for it). Can anyone help me? Is there not a file or
> directory that stores PW's in XP Pro that can be deleted
> and then the upgrade disk be used to do a reinstall and
> in hopes that random Passwords would not be assigned
> again?
>
> Please respond as soon as possible and thank you in
> advance.
>
> Jim
>
When you log in as Administrator, don't put a password in! XP Home
usually does not have an Administrator password, and if Home has carried
this over to Pro, then Pro won't have one either.

BTW, why did you find it necessary to move to Pro from Home? Are you
going to join a domain?
--
(I may be wrong...I usually am....)
Google is your Friend
Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
www.gbpcomputing.co.uk

[Jim]

Nice thought, but when I press enter at the Administrator
login (safemode) it says it's incorrect.

Just wanted some more file protection features that
aren't available in Home.

Jim


>-----Original Message-----
>In article >,
took up the quill and scribed...
>> I did an upgrade from an OEM XP Home Edition. I
bought
>> the XP Pro upgrade and did the install. After several
>> install attempts, the upgrade finally completed and
took
>> me to the "Setup Pro" page, where I answered questions
>> about did I want to set up an internet connection,
want
>> to register, etc. During this process, a prompt asked
me
>> who will be using the computer. I put in my name and
my
>> wife's name. After a few minutes, up came the Windows
>> login page with my name and the wife's name showing
>> w/icons next to the names. In the Home edition we
both
>> had PW's set. When I clicked my name, I was prompted
to
>> enter a PW. I tried the one I was using w/Home XP.
>> Unfortunately, I got an error saying that I could not
be
>> logged on to the domain it was unrecognized, etc. I
>> tried the wife's and the same result.
>>
>> After calling MS and them trying several things with
me,
>> their only recourse is for me to do a system recovery
>> from the CD that shipped w/the computer. When I start
>> that process, the recovery wants to reformat and
create
>> C: and D: drives and therefore all my data is lost.
>>
>> The one option that MS used to try and help was for me
to
>> look in my setupact.log and look for the line "Random
>> password for user xxxxx..." etc. That is found in KB
>> article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
>> scid=kb;en-us;318026
>>
>> I looked in setupact.log file (suggested in the
>> previously mentioned KB article) and no such line
about
>> a "Random password...." etc is in there. I even
copied
>> the setupact.log file to a floppy and went to my
wife's
>> desktop computer and used windows search for the words
>> (in notepad) and the words random, password, nor
>> administrator appear. [As mentioned earlier, I had
>> trouble with the install and several attempts at the
>> install were made -- so in the KB article it mentions
>> about random PW's being assigned when XP install
doesn't
>> complete.]
>>
>> I've also tried logging on in safe mode and the login
>> screen comes up w/an administrator account and my name
>> account. However, no password I try works to let me
in
>> as administrator.
>>
>> I don't want to lose my data, since I don't have
anyway
>> of saving my data to a mass sotrage device (w/out
paying
>> for it). Can anyone help me? Is there not a file or
>> directory that stores PW's in XP Pro that can be
deleted
>> and then the upgrade disk be used to do a reinstall
and
>> in hopes that random Passwords would not be assigned
>> again?
>>
>> Please respond as soon as possible and thank you in
>> advance.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>When you log in as Administrator, don't put a password
in! XP Home
>usually does not have an Administrator password, and if
Home has carried
>this over to Pro, then Pro won't have one either.
>
>BTW, why did you find it necessary to move to Pro from
Home? Are you
>going to join a domain?
>--
>(I may be wrong...I usually am....)
>Google is your Friend
>Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
>www.gbpcomputing.co.uk
>
>.
>

[rifleman]

In article >,
took up the quill and scribed...
> Nice thought, but when I press enter at the Administrator
> login (safemode) it says it's incorrect.
>
> Just wanted some more file protection features that
> aren't available in Home.
>
> Jim
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >In article >,
> took up the quill and scribed...
> >> I did an upgrade from an OEM XP Home Edition. I
> bought
> >> the XP Pro upgrade and did the install. After several
> >> install attempts, the upgrade finally completed and
> took
> >> me to the "Setup Pro" page, where I answered questions
> >> about did I want to set up an internet connection,
> want
> >> to register, etc. During this process, a prompt asked
> me
> >> who will be using the computer. I put in my name and
> my
> >> wife's name. After a few minutes, up came the Windows
> >> login page with my name and the wife's name showing
> >> w/icons next to the names. In the Home edition we
> both
> >> had PW's set. When I clicked my name, I was prompted
> to
> >> enter a PW. I tried the one I was using w/Home XP.
> >> Unfortunately, I got an error saying that I could not
> be
> >> logged on to the domain it was unrecognized, etc. I
> >> tried the wife's and the same result.
> >>
> >> After calling MS and them trying several things with
> me,
> >> their only recourse is for me to do a system recovery
> >> from the CD that shipped w/the computer. When I start
> >> that process, the recovery wants to reformat and
> create
> >> C: and D: drives and therefore all my data is lost.
> >>
> >> The one option that MS used to try and help was for me
> to
> >> look in my setupact.log and look for the line "Random
> >> password for user xxxxx..." etc. That is found in KB
> >> article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
> >> scid=kb;en-us;318026
> >>
> >> I looked in setupact.log file (suggested in the
> >> previously mentioned KB article) and no such line
> about
> >> a "Random password...." etc is in there. I even
> copied
> >> the setupact.log file to a floppy and went to my
> wife's
> >> desktop computer and used windows search for the words
> >> (in notepad) and the words random, password, nor
> >> administrator appear. [As mentioned earlier, I had
> >> trouble with the install and several attempts at the
> >> install were made -- so in the KB article it mentions
> >> about random PW's being assigned when XP install
> doesn't
> >> complete.]
> >>
> >> I've also tried logging on in safe mode and the login
> >> screen comes up w/an administrator account and my name
> >> account. However, no password I try works to let me
> in
> >> as administrator.
> >>
> >> I don't want to lose my data, since I don't have
> anyway
> >> of saving my data to a mass sotrage device (w/out
> paying
> >> for it). Can anyone help me? Is there not a file or
> >> directory that stores PW's in XP Pro that can be
> deleted
> >> and then the upgrade disk be used to do a reinstall
> and
> >> in hopes that random Passwords would not be assigned
> >> again?
> >>
> >> Please respond as soon as possible and thank you in
> >> advance.
> >>
> >> Jim
> >>
> >When you log in as Administrator, don't put a password
> in! XP Home
> >usually does not have an Administrator password, and if
> Home has carried
> >this over to Pro, then Pro won't have one either.
> >
> >BTW, why did you find it necessary to move to Pro from
> Home? Are you
> >going to join a domain?
> >--
> >(I may be wrong...I usually am....)
> >Google is your Friend
> >Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
> >www.gbpcomputing.co.uk
> >
> >.
> >
>
Well if you can't get in to Administrator, I have a feeling you may have
to do a repair install and re-set the Administrator Password. Are you
SURE that it didn't ask you for one when you upgraded?
--
(I may be wrong...I usually am....)
Google is your Friend
Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
www.gbpcomputing.co.uk