Vista - Please Help; I'm Locked Out Completely From My Own Computer

Okay, my girlfriend is 100% locked out of her computer where she is running Vista Home edition (premium or basic or 32/64 bit I don't know off the top of my head). After boot up and it comes to the Window user account log-in screen, she types in her password as normal, but it's not working. It just says incorrect password...... We KNOW the password is correct (this just started out of the blue), NO one has access to her computer to change or edit the password either, and the reset password link (below the input box) just simply doesn't work. Her account is the only account on the computer and is considered the "Administrator" also. She has no viruses or spyware overload or hackers, or anything simply because her computer has never been on the internet before. Please, she's going away to college this next month and she NEEDS to be able to have a computer, not a $600 paper weight since she'll never be able to afford a replacement. Is this a common problem? If so, what's the remedy? We've tried this, but it hasn't worked for us like it does everyone else. It says that it works whenever we try it, but when we go to log in, it's in the same state as before; nothing REALLY changes Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

Hello ZoSo0789, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You might try the scenario in Method Four that you feel you fit for System Restore. I'm thinking 1 or 2.

Reset User Account Password

Hope this helps,
Shawn

None of those seem to be whats wrong. None of the passwords were ever reset, changes, no user accounts messed with, the system can't be corrupted because there's nothing to there TO corrupt it, and theres only one account: the administator account Imagine this: as usual, you shut down your computer and go to bed like any other day. The next morning, you decide to get up and check your messages, but suddenly you just simpy log onto your own computer because Vista says you password is wrong when you know for a fact that it isn't. You sit there and blankly stare for 30 seconds and jus sort of mutter "WTF?????" .... thats what's going on in my case But I'll keep skimming through that link you posted to see what all I can find. Thanks for your help

I would still recommend doing a System Restore using a restore point dated when you know it worked. Something went wrong or got corrupted somewhere. It should take it back to that point for you and have it working again.

Shawn

You could install a new hard drive. Install Vista on it. Take ownership of the files on the old hard drive. Make sure all the accounts have passwords. Create a back door account.

Hi ZoSo0789,

Have you checked that 'Caps Lock' is not accidentally on and/or, if your password includes numbers and you use the numeric keypad, that 'Num Lock' is on?
Dwarf

My vote goes for that too, I was frustrated that I couldn't log in, but then realised NumLock wasn't enabled .

Also, there is a way to see how long your password is, if it's equal, the 'Welcome' will take longer to say that it's a false password then when you type a password with less or more letters than the original.

yep, first thing I checked a million upon millions of times; happened to me too before

and how can I do that; I've done it to that computer before, but I can't remember how I did because that was quite awhile back

Try option 2 here:- System Restore - How to