Help I think I am F##ked

Ok I am a Mac guy and decided I wanted a small notebook for travel. Tired of lugging my Mac Book around for web access, movies, music etc... I picked up a new Acer Aspire one 8.9". Got everything loaded up and then decided I didn't like that every time I started it up it asked me for a password and that I had to hit enter and then it would go into XP SP3 home edition.

Goggled how to get around this and went to Run typed in "control userpasswords2" unchecked user must enter username and password to use this computer. Hit OK and then I remember the Administrator window coming up to enter a password and of course being the idiot that I am left it blank and proceeded.

Now when I boot up I get the Log On window with Administrator and asking for a Password. Hit enter and it won't let me in. Tried a variety of passwords and no luck.

Could get in under safe mode and tried to go through the cycle again and this time assigned a password for the Administrator rebooted and still the same problem persists. Tried going back in under safe mode and to get into safe mode I have to enter the Password I assigned. Tried System restore in safe mode without any luck.

This little machine does not have an optical drive. I tried the Acer eRecovery in safe mode and it doesn't even work in safe mode.

So as you can see I am stuck big time. Any XP experts out there shed some light on what I have to do to gain access and if possible could you provide me with a link or give me step by step as remember I am a MAC guy..

Thanks in advance.. JC

Acer Aspire One 160 GB with 6 cell battery running Intel Atom 1.6

 

maybe I missed something here but what does the bios have todo with his windows password?

 

oops, second night running I've posted a nonsense reply. sorry

Ignore post #2 - in fact I'll delete it.

 

Alt F10 at bootup did the trick. Had to reload everything but at least I am in and didn't have anything really installed yet.

 

You can use TweakUI to have XP automatically enter your password and login for you.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/down ... rtoys.mspx

Scroll down a little and you'll see it there.

Also since you're a Mac guy, you can load OSX on the Acer if you wish. Google it. I came across a quite a few videos showing it running.

 

Why did you just not go to control panel and then users and remove the password for administrator. This would have sent you straight in rather than having to enter a password. Maybe I am not understanding your problem correctly. I am assuming you are talking about the Windows username that you are trying to log in as.

If you could have gotten into safe mode I would think you could have created another user with administrator rights and then logged in normally with that ID and then deleted the original account with administrator rights. I have never tried this so I am just assuming it would work.

No offense intended, but this seems too easy for me. I feel that I am misunderstanding the problem that you were having.

 

First thing I tried in safe mode. Problem is that this change only worked in safe mode. once I left safe mode and rebooted it would not recognize the new admin password I assigned in safe mode. When I tried to go back into safe mode again it then asked me for the admin password, lol... just reinforced why I love my Mac... Now if I could load Leopard on here and get everything to work I would be a happy guy...

 

I see. Just remember that if it happens again, you can disable the password in control panet under users. No sense in having a password if you do not want to use it.

 

did you enter a username the 1st time windows started up? if so u should be login into that not the administrator login - if i remember right under xp home the administratior account is disabled under normal condisions. if you can change where it says "Administrator" to the name you gave it and then try your passwords (including the blank one)

if not a boot disk made up with a password reset util would work, just need to make it a usb bootable device - myself i have a bood cd with tools on and a usb dvd drive to plug in. - makes fault fixing a lot easyer.

 

mini pe is a great utility to boot to for problems that you encounter. I would recommend everyone have a copy.