After Update, password required at log-in

All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.

HVTsRMe wrote:
All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.


If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Well, I tried that previously (along with many guesses at a possible p/w,
even though I knew I had not set one). I should have explained in my initial
post that I get the following dialog box: "The system cannot log you on now
because the domain _____ is not available." The "domain" that is cited I
recognize as the name for my C: drive ... I don't really have a network
domain ... just my desktop and a wireless network I use with my laptop too.
At any rate, is this just telling me that for whatever reason the upgrade I
installed has prevented XP from "seeing" my C: drive? If so, what can I do?
Thank you!

"Malke" wrote:

HVTsRMe wrote:
All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.


If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

HVTsRMe wrote:
If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Well, I tried that previously (along with many guesses at a possible p/w,
even though I knew I had not set one). I should have explained in my initial
post that I get the following dialog box: "The system cannot log you on now
because the domain _____ is not available." The "domain" that is cited I
recognize as the name for my C: drive ... I don't really have a network
domain ... just my desktop and a wireless network I use with my laptop too.
At any rate, is this just telling me that for whatever reason the upgrade I
installed has prevented XP from "seeing" my C: drive? If so, what can I do?
Thank you!

"Malke" wrote:

HVTsRMe wrote:
All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.

If you believe this was caused by a Windows Update, you should post this
in the Windows Update newsgroup (or search there).

microsoft.public.windowsupdate

I haven't heard anything about recent updates producing your error, but
I'm not a Windows Update expert. Can you log onto any account? Have you
tried Last Known Good Configuration? If not, perhaps that's worth a try.
Get to LKGC from the same menu as Safe Mode. I'd check with the Windows
Update experts first, though.

Another thing you might want to do is call Microsoft - there is free
support for issues connected with Windows Update.

(866) 834-8317


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Thank you for your helpful ideas. I did post this same item on the Windows
Update group at the same time as I posted it here. I've called the number
you provided now, and nothing (so far) they've been able to do has helped
..... safe mode doesn't even get me past this problem ... the Adminstrator
log-in also required a non-existent password ... now I've got the phone
support guy helping me reload from the installation DVD. No one seems to
understand how this hapopened.

"Malke" wrote:

HVTsRMe wrote:
If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Well, I tried that previously (along with many guesses at a possible p/w,
even though I knew I had not set one). I should have explained in my initial
post that I get the following dialog box: "The system cannot log you on now
because the domain _____ is not available." The "domain" that is cited I
recognize as the name for my C: drive ... I don't really have a network
domain ... just my desktop and a wireless network I use with my laptop too.
At any rate, is this just telling me that for whatever reason the upgrade I
installed has prevented XP from "seeing" my C: drive? If so, what can I do?
Thank you!

"Malke" wrote:

HVTsRMe wrote:
All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.

If you believe this was caused by a Windows Update, you should post this
in the Windows Update newsgroup (or search there).

microsoft.public.windowsupdate

I haven't heard anything about recent updates producing your error, but
I'm not a Windows Update expert. Can you log onto any account? Have you
tried Last Known Good Configuration? If not, perhaps that's worth a try.
Get to LKGC from the same menu as Safe Mode. I'd check with the Windows
Update experts first, though.

Another thing you might want to do is call Microsoft - there is free
support for issues connected with Windows Update.

(866) 834-8317


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

HVTsRMe wrote:
Thank you for your helpful ideas. I did post this same item on the Windows
Update group at the same time as I posted it here. I've called the number
you provided now, and nothing (so far) they've been able to do has helped
.... safe mode doesn't even get me past this problem ... the Adminstrator
log-in also required a non-existent password ... now I've got the phone
support guy helping me reload from the installation DVD. No one seems to
understand how this hapopened.

I've heard about your issue happening when the computer is severely
infected. So your feeling that Windows Update caused this may be in
error. There's no way for me to know from here though. If your data is
backed up on external media then yes, I would simply format the drive
and clean-install Windows again.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

I'm having the same trouble after allowing windows update to install security
updates on my computer. I had passwords to log in, but now cannot log in to
any account even in safe mode.

Did you find a solution to this problem?

Barry

"Malke" wrote:

HVTsRMe wrote:
All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition. I've always accepted Automatic Updates, both
Express and occassionally running Custom updates too ... all my XP and Office
s/w is very up-to-date.


If you never set a password, just hit "Enter" (blank password). Then use
this technique to automatically log into your user account again:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User