Weird XP password problem

Browser_ICE

<div class="IPBDescription">cannot change it, no *.pwl file found</div>Hi, I am at my brother's house and I see he has a weird Windows XP problem.

He is able to get into windows without entering any passwords at all.

When I go into the user property to change it, since there doesn't seam to be any password I simply do not enter an old password and give a new one but when I hit Change Password, it keeps telling me the new password has a problem.

Also, if I do a general *.pwl search, it doesn't find any such file.

What do I do to successfully enter a password to be used ?

[WHO]Them

You sure he isn't using an auto-input password thingy?

I honestly don't know the first thing about how XP stores it's passwords. But I use TweakUI to automagically login without being prompted for a password.

Zaggy

WinXP stores passwords in a SAM file at C:\WINDOWS\system32\config


<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->but when I hit Change Password, it keeps telling me the new password has a problem.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Has a problem? Is that the exact message?

Browser_ICE

<!--quoteo(post=1668778:date=Jan 29 2008, 02:48 AM:name=Zaggy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Zaggy @ Jan 29 2008, 02:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1668778"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->WinXP stores passwords in a SAM file at C:\WINDOWS\system32\config
Has a problem? Is that the exact message?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


It says (translated from French), 'the password you have entered is incorrect. Try again to enter your password'

I tried just entering anything in the old password field and nothing in the new/new-confirm password field and it says the same thing. So I guess there is realy an old password and not just being empty.

I do not no about any automatic logon.

Here is what I will try. I created another logon-id (was only his) as administrator. Reboot with the 2nd ID and delete the 1st one then recreate it. It should then be able to create a password.

I only have to look for any documents stored in the logon's official folders to move them elsewhere so they do not get deleted.

He told me by the way he sometimes gets the blue screen of death but since he hasn't even reached the Noob level, he does not understand what this is and doesn't write it down.

Browser_ICE

HUmmm, even if I have added a 2nd logon-id, it only gave the choice to make it an admin id and not a user id.

Also, upon rebooting, again, it logs on automaticly to my brother's id. I think that id was the one used to install windows.

If I simply choose Close Session to see all available logon-ids, I only see the 2nd one I just created. My brother's id isn't listed.

So I went back into my 2nd logon and changed his ID to forst a password change the next time it logs on. I reboot and before even seeing the logon-id available list, it asks me to change the password. I successfully change the password but then it goes streight to loggging into windows.

The only way I can logon to any other logon-ids is to close the session and on the available logon-id list, choose another one. All other ways (turning on PC or just restarting) simply automaticly logs on to my Brother's id without asking for password.

I know my brother's PC had fuc.. up one time and that he asked a woman he knows to fix it but I do not know if she knows her stuffs or not. My brother doesn't have Win-XP cd. The store where he baught it 3 years ago, didn't supply him with one and my brother not knowing much about PCs, simply didn't ask for one nor baught one. I have recommended him to go and buy a Windows-XP CD but in the mean time, he asked me to fix his logon problem because I told him it is unsafe.

I tried the following procedure I found on internet but nothing happens when I enter that Control cmd:
<i><blockquote>Go to Start>Run, type in "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes), click OK.

Put a check in the box "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer," click OK.
</blockquote></i>

Any clues <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />

SkulkBait

Its the standard XP auto logon facility. There are several methods to disable it, the one you tried should have worked.

Here are a few others:
<a href="http://windowsxp.mvps.org/noautologon.htm" target="_blank">http://windowsxp.mvps.org/noautologon.htm</a>

Browser_ICE

<!--quoteo(post=1668817:date=Jan 29 2008, 02:22 PM:name=SkulkBait)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SkulkBait @ Jan 29 2008, 02:22 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1668817"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Its the standard XP auto logon facility. There are several methods to disable it, the one you tried should have worked.

Here are a few others:
<a href="http://windowsxp.mvps.org/noautologon.htm" target="_blank">http://windowsxp.mvps.org/noautologon.htm</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Methode #3 worked.

I just realized why his logon-id wasn`t showing up in the list of available logons at boot time, it was probably the same logon used to install windows and those are only visible when you boot in safe mode.

Now I am creating a new logon for him to use and moving all his files out of adm logon into his.

Thx alot !