Win XP Pro Parallel install Administrator Password

I posted in hdwe about this one but now its become a software struggle to get data from drive then nuke the system.

HP Laptop - Factory WinXP Pro install. WinXP corrupted.
NEVER at any time has the user had the wherewithal to set a password on anything. no need to. home sys.

I have fixed this twice. never set any passwords

on this round, i have been through FOUR parallel installs, due to disk corruption, none worked 'til now. This last one took 10 hours from this morning to night [why, I don't know.... things that flash "10 minutes left" take an hour]
But it booted.... first [1st... FIRST boot] boot on this new parallel install with a new directory etc for Win XP Pro.

it comes up understandably with "Administrator" login, so I hit the return key and no go.... it says it cannot login due to domain controller or something. can't work around.

????????

never seen such a botched system

Even tried Ubuntu on a cd... it loads, then freezes with "Starting...... Loading Linux Kernel....." and says 100% but the system is frozen probably due to remaining disk issues.

pls....

 

have you tried the safe mode?..the hard drive could be going bad?

 

safe mode, to my years of understanding, changes nothing with regard to admin or other passwords.
this is the first boot of this load, and it will not take a <return> as pwd.

this one is unreal: tried loading ubuntu.... freezes at 100% kernel load. no keys work
bought two hardware adaptation kits for the hard drive. this is a toshiba drive [80gb] in a HP Pavil. notebook.
none of the MANY adapters work due to the layout of the ide connector and jumper block being inline.
........

over a two day period I loaded four or five [lost count] different parallel Win XP Pro installs using the factory-supplied cd. none worked. most did not complete. this is the first one to even give a prompt!!!!