User Accounts disappeared from Login screen!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JMT74]

Hi, My uncle cannot log into Windows because somehow the user account names are gone from the Windows XP login screen. I tried booting with the Windows XP installation cd. I got to a point where I thought I was about to reinstall windows but I wasn't sure so I stopped. I would rather not reinstall Windows for him if there is a way to get back onto the Windows desktop. I also tried to boot up in safe mode. That didn't work. Also tried Last known good configuration when the computer worked. Still the same thing. No user accounts. Weird. Is there a way to do a system restore without logging into Windows Desktop?

[Keith Ritchey]

You mean, you now see only the signle administrators account icon?

[jbennet]

try hitting control alt delete twice at the welcome screen and typing in the usernames manually into the box that comes up

[JMT74]

LOL. Don't you think I would have said that if there was an account to login on? There are "No" accounts listed at the Windows Login screen. None.

[JMT74]

Yeah I tried doing control alt delete twice but nothing comes up when I do this. Is there anything else I can try short of putting the Dell Windows XP installation CD in and doing a Repair install?

[Keith Ritchey]

OK. What do you see then?
1. Logon window (old implementation of logon screen; available in NT and above) with two fields for entering account name and password
2. Welcome screen (new implementation of logon screen; available in XP and above) with no icons on it
3. Or you see right the desktop when you log on to Windows and OS simply doesn't asks you for your account info?

Because if you don't see neither it is very very strange as Win32 subsystem should have allready been loaded and Windows should tell you about problems.

If you have access to boot partition (the partition where you have your Windows folder), try looking for the NTUser.dat file (that represents HKCU section in registry), located in %userprofile% folder as well system, software, etc (without extension) files located in %systemroot% folder.

Also check this article.

[JMT74]

Just the welcome screen with no user account icons. Can't get past this screen. If I could get to the Desktop then I wouldn't be posting this problem on here lol.

[jbennet]

so does it go to the NT login box when you do control alt del twice?

[Keith Ritchey]

First of all, try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete again. TWICE! Probably you need to press Ctrl+Alt, hold the two keys and then press the third.
Have you red this? Also read this.

If nothing helps, that means you filtered all accounts and denied interactive logon for all of them. Try doing this.

Additionally. I still recommend trying to access HKLM hive of registry from say BartPE and examine the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\ key. If you see your accounts there, delete them. That will unhide them from Welcome screen.

[davero]

Just installed family safety, rebooted - no accounts showing to login!
ctrl alt del to nt login - entered password for my account, said was locked out! Logged in with admin account, went to user accounts in ctrl panel and NO accounts exist apart from admin & guest???
Help please!!! (I thought I was OK at tech support, but Microsoft like to just bring us all down to size!!!!)

[Bob_180_Bob]

Hi,
If you can access the user account section as administrator, just make new accounts as needed. But it also sounds like you have picked up a virus or malware, don't trust your own virus protection to find all go to:-

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
or:-
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/WelcomePage.asp
Download and run to remove any viruses you may have. (Sometimes a virus will stop you accessing an anti-virus site, so try going through safe mode (Tap F8 on boot up) and see if you can access it there.)
Then go to :-
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
or;-
http://majorgeeks.com
Download, then run a “quick check” your PC for any problems, if still there do a “full scan.”

[davero]

Well ive found the solution (good try MS - but hah!).
ALL the accounts had been locked out?!! (I didnt realsie the graphic login list-view removed a user from the list if locked out, but there you go!)
Reenabled accounts in computer manager view (accounts didnt even exist in 'user accounts control panel icon) and all back to normal.
Question is- WHY did family safety deactivate allaccounts? Am I alone with this problem???
(Antivirus is all activated - pretty sure Im virus free- I jsut let the big ones in = Microsoft!)
thanks for suggestions anyway

[Bob_180_Bob]

Hi,
Glad that everything is OK now, please mark the thread as solved.

PS. It never hurts to be sure and check viruses and malware with another checker.

[xandrani]

Seriously buy a Mac.

I have just bought a PC with XP and I've got this same problem. A Mac is about a third more expensive than a PC, BUT:
1) It has better security... you don't really need anti-virus (firewall is built in). You only need intensive security programs for operating systems where the manufacturer didn't design the security well enough. i.e. if you need to buy a padlock for a safe then you have bought a rubbish safe!
2) The amount of downtime on Macs is a lot less. I worked out that I waste at least 30 minutes a day by using a PC due to downtime. This costs about £3000 a year! So just in short Macs are much much cheaper than PC's!
3) They have unix living beneath the surface... anyone in the know knows that this is the best operating system in the known universe.
4) Oh yeah and Mac's are very quiet... almost silent. PC's are like vacuum cleaners.

Anyone disagreeing this obviously hasn't used a Mac. I have used PCs with linux, many flavours of Windows, and I've used Macs. All the best developers use Macs if they have the option (i.e. not being forced to use them at work).

[caperjack]

my next new computer is going to be a new mac,laptop