Dell sucks. AKA, laptop OS problem

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 8:59 pm

My sisters laptop is having some significant problems worthy of the Twilight Zone. It's been doing what a normal windoze install will do after a few years of negligence and is well overdue for a reinstall. A few days ago it started crashing whenever the power was plugged in and an Administrator account showed up for no apparent reason after it booted to safe mode. We tried to reinstall windows over it, but you need the admin account password, and no one has any idea what the heck it is or what to do about it.

Any clues?

Vander · Post by **Vander** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 9:33 pm

The administrator account is shown when you boot XP Home in safe mode. That's normal.

fyrephlie · Post by **fyrephlie** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:05 am

i would have posted when the problem was happening... the crashes when plugged in probably had to do with an update that was or wasn't performed causing a conflict with the windows and dell power management, and may easily have been corrected.

there are programs around that allow you to 'hack' the administrator password to install over you current install... but i would point out that it is like putting a sheet over the bed, taking it off and putting another sheet over the bed. you still have the same bed (i.e. same software, and likely the same problems) you would want a fresh install or 'restore' since it really is about time.

(and look guys... i didn't recommend linux!!! aren't you proud!!!)

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 1:01 pm

Just FYI, Dell does NOT distribute windows or restore CDs for their laptops. You have to burn your own using their software. I guess the dime that it would cost them to give you a CD is too expensive for them.

As for the administrator password, you can just reset it manually with ntpasswd. Just be aware that if you have ANY encrypted files, you will NOT be able to access them.