Computer Puzzle

When I start my desktop PC (Hewlett Packard Slimline Pavilion 5770: Windows 7 (x64) Home Premium Service Pack 1) I get to the login screen. There is an option to login to my account or the other user account. My account is the administrator account and the other one is set up as a standard account.

If I don't login, after awhile the computer automatically logs in to the other user account.

I don't understand why this should happen. What causes this to happen? Do I need to make some change to one of the settings on my PC?

 

Run

Code:

netplwiz.exe

and check if somehow the properties have been altered to allow login without entering a password...

 

I have checked and the properties have not been altered to allow login without entering a password. There is only a password required on my accout. There is no password on the other one.

 

Is the box "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" checked or unchecked?

 

The problem has got much worse. When I went into netplwiz.exe I just looked. I changed nothing. When I came out it stated you have made changes and these will be applied when you restart. I thought nothing of it. I just assumed it was saying that because I had opened netplwiz.exe. Now, when I turn on the PC and get to the login screen there's only one account to login into and it is NOT mine. What have I possibly done wrong? How can I resolve it?

I would really appreciate help on this as soon as possible. I have a presentation on there I'm giving on Monday. So, my stress levels and blood pressure are through the roof. I have a partial version saved on a flash drive but the final version is on my PC. If I could get access to my account on my PC it will save me having to re-do a whole lot of hard work and enable me to sleep sometime this weekend.

Thank you very much for the help you have provided.

 

The easiest and fastest way to get the file you need is boot the computer using a Linux Live CD.

This would involve going to http://livecdlist.com/ and downloading an .iso file of a Linux OS that you can use to boot the computer with and see the NTFS Windows drives. Burn the .iso to a DVD. Puppy, Mint will work for this. Then insert the DVD and reboot the computer. Be sure to chose the option on boot to NOT INSTALL the OS, rather you are going to use it as a live demo version. Once booted up, you will see your drives, go to where you need to and copy the files to a USB stick.

Are you saying you opened netplwiz.exe, looked around, did nothing and now you have no way to log into the computer at all? What account is it showing as the only one left?

Your problem of not having an account you know the password to can be solved with a Linux Live CD as well, but it assumes you know a bit about the command line and how to navigate and execute commands from the command line. A search for "reset windows 7 admin account with linux" will yield many results for this, some are explained better than others.

 

If you would rather rescue your file in Win 7 rather than in Linux you could try enabling the Win 7 hidden Administrator account. If the other user, the one you are able to access, has the same software you could copy it to their Documents folder and hopefully complete it from there.

Only problem might be if the other user account is not an Admin account it may not let you proceed.

 

Yes, IF the one account he can see is one he can log into as well...

 

I can log in to the other account. There's no problem with logging into that one. I don't know what on earth I have done with my account. Is there anyway of solving this from the other account? I am not that sure I understood what you said about the Linux. I have had to go out all afternoon otherwise I would have responded sooner. As well as doing this presentation I have family commitments so the quickest solution is the one I need. Will the other user account allow me to put my account back? My PC crashed when I was doing my application. I think someone or something is saying you're not getting this job.

 

There isn't a simple solution to recovering your account but providing the remaining user account has the software you need, and providing you can access it ok, then using the hidden Administrator account will give you full access to all files on the computer, including the one you want. Just copy that to the Documents folder and you should be able to access it. Please read the link I provided as the hidden admin account is very simple to activate - takes just a minute or two.

 

I can't activate the hidden Administrator account. Is this because the functioning account doesn't have administrator privileges? I'll just start again I can't spend any more time on this PC. I'll come back to this problem after Monday.

 

Just realised none of us has asked the most obvious question - have you tried/are you able to run System Restore? SR is reversible if you aren't happy with the outcome. If possible pick a restore point preceding this problem.

 

Obviously, I cannot run System Restore on the account that I cannot access. The only account I can access is a 'Standard User'. I don't know if running System Restore from that account will fix things. I don't suppose any harm can come from me trying that. That's what I'll try and will report back in a few minutes.

 

Earthling, thank you so very, very much!!! You deserve a large bottle of an excellent single malt. System Restore has resolved my problem.

I could kick myself all round the house for not thinking of that myself.

Because I was not sure whether System Restore would work from the user account without administrator privileges I will describe what I did for anyone else who reads this with a similar problem.

I rebooted the computer and instead of letting it restart in Normal Mode I pressed the F8 function key to get into Safe Mode. I had a vague hope that my account might be there. It wasn't; however, there was an account with the name 'Administrator'. I opted to go in to that account. I then ran System Restore. When my PC restarted automatically after the system restore my account came back.

I think I'll be able to sleep tonight. Thank you again, Earthling.

 

I'm pleased for you Mark - it was obviously a pretty bad time for this to happen. You might want to think about regular system backups after that experience!

Glenmoranjie will do just fine, thanks

 

Something I have never got into the habit of doing at home. But, which I do at work. I'll have to get my act together.

You have excellent taste!