Vista - log in help please!

swebb

I've just had a power cut at home and now got the electricity back and have switch my PC back on. When booting up it goes to the log in page - Admin or other user.

When I click on Admin it says my account has been disabled!

It has NEVER done this before and I don't have account details for either of these. Is there a generic password or a way around this?

The PC always boots directly into Windows (until now that is).

Thanks

swebb

To add...

I've gone in via safe mode. The admin account has no password on it. I then disabled the UAC via control panel. Then rebooted...

No difference - same as before. I then enabled the guest account and rebooted. This let me in as a guest, but then of course I can't use the PC is the same way as before i.e. can't see the files I had previously and the desktop settings are different.

So still no further forward...

swebb

A further update - I've created a new account, as an administrator. I can get into that account, but haven't got access to the set up of the original adminstator.

I can access the files of the administator account, although it defaults to the new account (so I can navigate in explorer to it).

So as before... any way to get that admin account alive again, without going through into safe mode?

GunJack

yes, hang on while I find the link....

GunJack

knew I had them somewhere, read & try these:-

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html?filter

http://www.techexams.net/blogs/jdmurray/what-is-the-windows-vista-administrators-password/

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

sounds like your original account was the "hidden" admin account.....

swebb

Trying with a reboot in progress...

(using my work laptop for posting on this forum - in case you're wondering how!)

swebb

OK... the very first link you posted seems to have done the trick! Thanks - you're a star.

The only thing is that we I've just rebooted, I had to select the admin account. Presumably this is because the other account that I created (with admin access) now exists... (Previously I didn't need to select a user). So I will now delete that account and reboot - hopefully I'll be in the state pre-power cut again.

GunJack

sounds about right

swebb

Confirmed - all back to normal. Thanks again.

GunJack

Glad to hear it