Laptop won't boot up.

matphil

Hi.
Please can someone help.
I have a Dell Vostro running vista.
Last night my laptop instead of being shut down properly was just turned off by someone pushing the on/off button. When I went to put it on this morning it won't boot up.
A screen comes up asking me to input the username and password. I don't have any set on this computer so I just pressed ok but it won't let me in so I tried admin, password and several others that I thought that I may have used but it won't accept any. I had two user accounts on here but they are not showing it's just a blank one.
I went into setup and put a password on then tried to log in using that but it still wouldn't work.
When trying to re start it - I've tried SAFE MODE / SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING / SAFE MODE WITH COMMAND PROMPT / LAST KNOWN GOOD CONFIGURATION / START WINDOWS NORMALLY but none of them work. Whatever I try it just keeps going to the same screen asking for a password.
Am I going to be able to fix this, if so, how, I'm not very techie so please could you explain in basic language.
Thank you.

[Deleted User]

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

matphil

Thank you davidmt83.
Can I just check with you first.. When the laptop starts up a small box appears in the center of the screen, inside the box is blank ( no picture ), with the words 'other user' below it. Before this problem happened this box would have the picture that I had chosen with my name underneath and I would just click this and be able to access my laptop.
When I click in this box a screen appears asking for a username and password. When I click on the arrow to go on to the next page it says :- Windows security, there is a red circle with a white cross inside it next to the words. Underneath it says please enter a username and password. When I click ok it goes back to the previous screen.
So would the suggestion made in post #2 be the correct action to take.

davb

Have you tried clicking 'Other User' and then typing in your original username and clicking ok.

matphil

Yes I've tried that. There was no password enabled on there but I tried the one that I had when I first had the laptop but nothing works.

matphil

I have tried the suggestion in post #2 and burnt the CD. However, my laptop won't let me change it to boot from the CD it tells me its locked and I need to enter the password to change the boot order. Is there anything else I can try please.

debitcardmayhem

Last night my laptop instead of being shut down properly was just turned off by someone pushing the on/off button. When I went to put it on this morning it won't boot up.

I would suggest that the "someone" has probably has had their fun beat the c*ap out of them for the password.

matphil

That someone was my son and he didn't change anything on there he just didn't shut it down properly.

debitcardmayhem

matphil wrote: »

That someone was my son and he didn't change anything on there he just didn't shut it down properly.

That rules out my theory, sorry son, do you have any encryption on the lappy ?Mind you that shouldn't interfere with the BIOS password bit.

debitcardmayhem

As it's a Dell try F12 as soon as the PC boots up, it should enable you to select the CD.

matphil

I tried F12 to boot from the CD but it won't let me it tells me I need a password for that as well.
No I don't have any encryption on it.