Help - can't log in to computer

I imagine this has been asked a zillion times before . . .
I've looked through several tutorials but have still not succeeded in being able to log on to my toshiba satellite 4+yr old laptop with 32 bit vista home premium.

It thinks my password is incorrect, but of course it's not. At first I just thought it was dirty sticky keys. But after a zillion tries it can't be that.

I have recent restore points on the computer (which i can't access), and have backed up the computer about 2 wks ago onto a cd. i tried to boot from that, but it still wouldn't accept my password.
I have trendmicro max security, and lavasoft, and ccleaner on the computer, so probably have a restore point from them also.
i also have the original toshiba recovery disk, which I haven't used. Will I lose everything from the last 4 yrs if I use that?

I also partitioned the computer after I got it, if that makes any difference.

Everything seems to ask for a password, including trying "repair mode" from safe mode log in.

Any idea what's causing this? and more to the point, what I can do?

Somehow I must have picked up on some bad juju coming, because i recently just bought a macbook pro, which is what i'm typing on now. I hope that doesn't excommunicate me from getting any help here :-)
I suppose i could find another computer and make a recovery disk?

Don't think i made a password recovery disk since i have it written down and didn't think it could get corrupted. Ha!

thanks so much for your input.

Hello.. try this : http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

Thanks for the reply.
Maybe I'm missing something, but step 1 says: "log in as administrator . . .", which is what i can't do.
I think if i could log in, i could do a scan, or system restore, or something, i just can't get past the log in.

Here's How:

"1. While logged in Vista as an administrator",

My bad, sorry bout that.. I read your post.. but forgot about that part. looking now for something else for you .

When you press the F8 key at start up , can you get the Command Prompt screen ? Is that an option for you ? Try this if you can . http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html

Whether I start up in "repair your computer", "safe mode", "safe mode with networking", it does the same thing - load a bunch of stuff, then take me to the inpenetrable log in screen.

I was hoping i could get to a place where i could manually tell it to do a scan, but i can't.

What about debugging mode; i have't tried that one. what does it do? Or how about "last know good configuration", that sounds promising.
or directory services restore? or boot logging?

Last known should work.. give that one a shot . There are drastic last resorts.. so. I am not even going there yet..

I already tried "last known good configuration". Same thing. Takes me to log in.
I'm trying it now with HD booting instead of my cd backup. same thing - log in. ugh

I'm trying "debugging mode". Just took me to log in.
I'm getting frustrated.

Can you make a rescue disk .. using nother computer ? http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/141820-create-recovery-disc.html
How bout also.. using Linux live cd to access files : Use Ubuntu Live CD to Backup Files from Your Dead Windows Computer - How-To Geek

I guess I could try to find another computer to make a rescue disk.
I'm using a macbook pro to write this, which i'm assuming i couldn't use, right? Otherwise I could try a library or something, but those computers are probably set up to prohibit messing with them.

hadn't thought of linux.
What happens if i use my recovery disk that came with the computer?
will i lose all my files and info on the computer?
or lose the files in the partition i created?
or will it even let me in without passing my friend the login screen?

Also, it's just me on the computer, using the admin, which is blocked.
Is there another log in option, like guest or something, without a login? or maybe a default log in that comes with the computer? I don't think i ever set another password, other than for the admin.

Do you when you see that screen .. have a drop down option to select another account.. ?

I'll try to find it again.
I think there was "guest" or something. so i tried various things for password, like "password", "guest", etc. no go. That's why i wondered if there was some default that came with the computer.

On mine.. I have options.. one I have uses a password.. one does not.. so. check what other accounts will let you get in .

The regular log in just comes up automatically with the computer's name and a blank spot for my password.

But i found where i saw the options - it was under "repair mode". after it asks for "US", it then goes to log in. There i have the option to scroll down and log in as guest, which of course, doesn't log in either. It also is disabled.

It says admin log in is disabled; i guess from too many log in attempts.

I just backed up my whole computer on a CD like 7 days before this log in thing happened. And i have recent restore points on the computer. And I have alot of files on flash drives.
It's just frustrating that I can't access anything. Makes me wonder what's the point of doing all that?

Any chance you have got " infected " somehow.. you could set BIOS to cd/dvd and use a bootable disk to run a check on virus/malware
Free Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs Download List

Yeah, that's kinda what i'm thinking too - some kind of malware.
I have current and multiple protection, but it does kinda look like something got to my computer.
Kinda creepy - accessing my computer and then locking me out.

Thanks for the list (and all the other links as well). I'll look into it. Seems like a better first choice than the recovery disk, if it actually is some malware.

thanks also for hanging with me while i try to deal with this.

Is it possible to download any of these onto a apple mac?

Ya got me on the apple mac download question.. but. everyone here enjoys helping out, I am a member of 3 other Forums. I like this one the best tho. You could try to . seems like it would. Give it a shot. get one of those. Kapersky is real good ..

I'll try to download one and let you know if that fixes the problem.

Any suggestions on which of the disks to try/not try?

Kaspersky should do ya .