I was trying to get my daughters laptop on our home wireless network to transfer files to a new laptop. The original laptop was from her college with the domain listed as her college. I was not able to get the laptop on the network and while trying different things I changed the domain to the home network name, and somewhere amongst the different things I was trying the domain box is now missing from the logon screen and the user name/password that was previously working is now not recognized. Lookin at some previous posts I have tried safe mode and also the administrator and no password logon. She is changing colleges and all I need is to get access to the files to copy them off before the laptop is given back to her school. At this point I will copy them to a flash drive so I don't even need it to work on the network, I just need to access the files.
Can't log on to XP Home, Domain changed & now not displayed at logon
- Thread starter georgec1
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The domain login box is only displayed while the computer is a member of a domain. You changed this to the name of you home network which would be what is known as a Workgroup as opposed to a domain. The computer is no longer a member of the domain and can only be rejoined to the domain as the previous post said. The only option now is to login to a "local" computer account as opposed to your daughters "domain" computer account.
When the computer is a member of a domain, when you login the computer tries to connect via the network to a domain controller which verifies the account username and password. If it cannot connect to the domain controller it uses a profile stored on the computer itself to verify the username and password. Now that the computer is no longer a member of the domain, your daughter's user profile, while still there, won't work until the computer is rejoined to the domain.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you were able to change the domain name at all. It's an ability that is normally given only to the Network administrators and technicians.
The bottom line is that you'd have to know, or crack, the local administrator password to access the computer. Can't tell you how to do that. Sorry, wish I could be of more help.
When the computer is a member of a domain, when you login the computer tries to connect via the network to a domain controller which verifies the account username and password. If it cannot connect to the domain controller it uses a profile stored on the computer itself to verify the username and password. Now that the computer is no longer a member of the domain, your daughter's user profile, while still there, won't work until the computer is rejoined to the domain.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you were able to change the domain name at all. It's an ability that is normally given only to the Network administrators and technicians.
The bottom line is that you'd have to know, or crack, the local administrator password to access the computer. Can't tell you how to do that. Sorry, wish I could be of more help.
ender
Posts: 92 +0
You can try to blank the local administrator password using any of the ideeas in this thread . This way you'll be able to log on locally and have administrator privileges. However, you won't be able to access your daughter's profile straight away. 
Maybe someone else can help you with that.
If your daughter has a local account and you know its name then you should simply blank the password for that account and voila... problem solved.
Good luck.
Maybe someone else can help you with that.If your daughter has a local account and you know its name then you should simply blank the password for that account and voila... problem solved.
Good luck.
Previously, when my daughter was home she was able to logon with her user name and password to access the internet through my home wireless router. Obviously she was not logging onto the colleges domain but her user name and password worked. Wouldn't this be considered a local account? Why is the same user name and password now not working? The admin and blank password is also not working. It seems my only option is to contact her college and see if they will tell me the admin password over the phone.
I appreciate your help but there must be something else going on. The school issues the laptop to in coming students and the students keep the laptop as long as they are enrolled. Last year she had the laptop home all summer and had no issues with logging in. Is it your opinion that if this laptop was turned on with in the schools network the laptop would recognize the domain and allow logon?
Nodsu
Posts: 5,451 +7
You removed the laptop from the domain. No, it will not auto-rejoin it. This can only be done by a domain administrator while the machine is connected to the college network.
The number of times Windows lets you log in with your domain credentials, while the domain is not available, is easily configurable. One may set the number to something insanely high and virtually eliminate the need for the presence of a domain controller.
The number of times Windows lets you log in with your domain credentials, while the domain is not available, is easily configurable. One may set the number to something insanely high and virtually eliminate the need for the presence of a domain controller.
WHen you joined her laptop to the workgroup you automatically delete all the user profiles for the domain. I f she does not have a user name and password or know of one for the local machine or her user was not setup on the local computer. You cannot get in. The only way to do it is to be at her school physically and rejoin the computer to the domain, or via VPN.
Other than that you need a local user account or a utility to reset one of the local account passwords. Google up ERD Commander it will help you reset the local admin password and then you can get into the computer.
Other than that call the school and see if they know a local user and password for that laptop.
Other than that you need a local user account or a utility to reset one of the local account passwords. Google up ERD Commander it will help you reset the local admin password and then you can get into the computer.
Other than that call the school and see if they know a local user and password for that laptop.
I spoke to the college today and they said it is not the first time this has happened. He said they set the students account has administrator rights. It will allow a change to the work group and domain but you have to logon as the administrator to complete the change. Without the admin password you are stuck. Of course they would not tell me the password but will backup the files to a CD when I send the laptop back to them. Thanks for all your help.
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