After Auto Update, Password required for Log-in

All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition.

I should have explained in my initial post that I get the following dialog
box when I 'enter' a blank p/w: "The system cannot log you on now because the
domain _____ is not available." The "domain" that is cited I recognize as
the name for my C: drive ... I don't really have a network domain ... just my
desktop and a wireless network I use with my laptop too. At any rate, is
this just telling me that for whatever reason the upgrade I installed has
prevented XP from "seeing" my C: drive? If so, what can I do? Thank you!


"HVTsRMe" wrote:

> All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
> the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
> for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
> should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
> Windows XP Media Edition.

[MikeF]

The same thing happened to me. At the login screen, do control/alt/delete to access the screen where you can change the user name to Administrator. Assuming you didn't enter a password for the Administrator, simply tab to password and hit enter. This brings you to the administrator screen where you can hit start, run, control userpasswords2, and enter. This allows you to change your username password from whatever it's become back to blank or whatever you wish. Now restart and you'll be able to access your own stuff again.

logote=HVTsRMe;639121]All I did was allow a Windows Automatic Update, and suddenly I can't get past
the Log-in screen w/o a password. I've NEVER established/required a password
for Windows access. Ever! I have no idea how to get past this ... I guess I
should never accept Auto Updates again! This is SOOOO frustrating! I'm on a
Windows XP Media Edition.[/quote]