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rwallacej

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XP pro Cannot login with cached user

I have XP laptop. I can no longer logon with cached username /password. This laptop is from an old office network, it has run for months at using cached username. It was never updated to new network settings.
Now cached user doesn't work, giving error about domain no longer available or incorrect username /password. There are two options, logon to this computer & logon to domain but both fail.
I'm stuck and cannot logon anymore. I've tried safe mode & recovery point but doesn't work.
1) how can I login
2) how can I get files back if can not login ?
Thanks in advance
Avatar of Charlie2012
Charlie2012

Early XP machines used to be allow the log in as the local administrator through safe mode without a password. I do not think this applied to professional versions however. I will need to look this up. Also if the local admin account is disabled this would stop this working.

If you do not know the local admin account details you may not be able to log in unless you find someone who can do some kind of brute force which may or may not work.

You can get the files back if you remove the hard drive from the laptop and put in an external USB laptop drive caddy and connect to another machine to pull the files off.
Avatar of rwallacej

ASKER

Thanks for help. My problem isn't I don't know password, I know it from logging in many times

I will get a 2.5" hard drive caddy to read files
It's a reg hack to allow cached logons. It can be controlled by group policy to not allow cached credentials. But, if the user takes it with them, they can't logon to the puter.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172931
Regarding registry, no one could have changed my registry,? No one has used pc & it hasn't been onto network for months r
Nevertheless, it controls how many cached credentials you can use. It doesn't hurt to check the reg key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon\

   ValueName: CachedLogonsCount
   Data Type: REG_SZ
   Values: 0 - 50

0- means no one can logon with cached credentials.
Ok thanks, this leads to another question...how can I check key given I can't login ? I have external caddy now so have removed hard drive
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ChiefIT
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I've been able to connect to network, there was line left after all...so now ok.
Thanks for help, the administrator gave me a line to connect to