My Daughter has managed to get locked out of Vista Home Premium. I finally found her paperwork – and no system disc, just instructions on making a backup (Yes, you guessed it, “I get a register now message every seven days, but I just tell it to remind me later”)
When I boot the computer it offers a choice between startup repair and start windows normally.
I can’t get any other option (such as safe mode) using F11.
Either choice eventually brings up a lower than normal resolution screen offering only ‘Other User’.
This choices switches to a log on screen.
Entering either <Username> <password> or “Administrator” and <blank> results in a ‘can’t find domain’ message. There is no option to choose a domain or leave it blank. The computer shouldn’t be part of a domain, just an MSHOME workgroup.

Any suggestions for how to get in?



This is an Acer and appears to have two partitions on the HDD; is it possible that there is a mirror of the OS I can use for repair.

Worst case I can load another O/S, such as XP. I have her Home Premium key. Is it possible download premium using that key?

Thanks BFK,

My problem is I can't get past the log on screen! It comes up with the error "the specified domain does not exist or could not be contacted" whatever user and password I put in. It's as if it has decided that the computer should be part of a domain, but there is no way to tell it otherwise.

Neil

You should be able to start the recovery program by marking the recovery partition active and then reboot.

You need a way to do that - this freebie boot cd will do the job fine Partition Wizard Bootable CD allows user to boot computer directly to manage partition.


That will restore to factory condition - if there is valuable data on there , copy it off first with Pargon Rescue Kit Free Edition

select normal mode>file transfer wizard.