Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (
More info?)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;258289&Product=win2000
Windows 2000 Logon Passwords
View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q258289
SYMPTOMS
A new Windows 2000 installation, or a Windows 2000
upgrade from Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows
98, may unexpectedly prompt you for a password. The
following notification occurs when you log on to the
Windows 2000-based computer:
Logon Message:
The system could not log you on. Make sure your user name
and domain are correct, then type your password again.
Letters in passwords must be typed using the correct
case. Make sure that Caps Lock is not accidentally on.
CAUSE
The Windows 2000 security model is based on the Microsoft
Windows NT security model. This security model requires a
user name and password before access to the computer is
granted.
The Windows 2000 security model is different from the
Windows 95/98 security model in that no authentication is
required to obtain access to a computer running Windows
95/98. Users who upgrade from Windows 95/98 to Windows
2000 Professional may not be aware of these differences.
RESOLUTION
If a user password is lost, forgotten, or unknown, the
only method to reset the password is for the
administrator (or a user with administrative access) to
log on and reset the password in Computer Management.
There is no method in the Windows 2000 security model to
bypass, disable, or reset the password.
If the administrator password is lost, forgotten, or
unknown, access to the computer may not be obtainable and
the operating system may need to be reinstalled.
To Reset a User's Password
If a user account needs to be reset, logon as the
administrator or as a user with administrative access,
and then follow these steps:
Click Start, point to Programs, click Control Panel,
double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click
Computer Management.
Expand the Local Users And Groups object under System
Tools, and then click the Users folder.
In the right pane, right-click the appropriate user
object, and then click Set Password.
Type the appropriate password, and then click OK.
Click OK to acknowledge that the password change
succeeded.
Close the Computer Management console and Administrative
Tools windows.
The user can log on with the new password.
To Reset the Administrator's Password
Log on to the computer as a user with administrative
privileges, and perform the steps listed above for the
Administrator account.
If the Administrator password needs to be reset, and
there are no other users with administrative access,
there is no way to recover the password and the operating
system will need to be reinstalled.
Additional Information
A common problem that occurs is using the incorrect case
for one or more of the letters in the password. If your
password is not accepted, try this:
Press the CAPS LOCK key, and then type the password
again. If you remember holding down the SHIFT key when
you originally crated the password, make sure you press
the SHIFT key as appropriate, even if the CAPS LOCK key
has been pressed.
In Windows 2000, passwords are case-sensitive. For
example, the following passwords are all different
because the letters are in different cases in each
password:
password
Password
PASSWORD
Type the password using different combinations of
uppercase and lowercase characters. For example, if the
password "password" is not working, try "Password"
or "PASSWORD".
Sometimes, the prompt to configure the Administrator
password is inadvertently skipped, leaving the
Administrator account password blank. To determine if
this has happened, attempt to log on as Administrator
with a blank password.
If someone else has access to the computer, check with
that person to see if they have changed the password.
If none of these suggestions works, the operating system
may no longer be accessible. Reinstalling the operating
system and restoring from a good backup may be the only
method to restore access to the system.
NOTE: If the operating system is reinstalled, all
previously installed programs and drivers will need to be
reinstalled to operate successfully. Data files such as
Microsoft Money files, Microsoft Outlook mailbox files,
and so on, should not be affected by reinstalling the
operating system, but these files will be lost if the
hard disk is reformatted during the reinstallation of the
operating system.
MORE INFORMATION
The Windows 2000 security framework is designed to
fulfill the most stringent security requirements.
The Windows 2000 Setup program creates a user account
called Administrator on your computer that has
administrative privileges for managing the overall
configuration of your computer. The Administrator account
is intended for the person who manages this computer. For
security reasons, specify a password for the
Administrator account. Leaving the Administrator password
blank indicates no password for the account.
The password you type in the Confirm Password box must
exactly match the password you type in the Administrator
Password box. Take special care to remember and protect
your password. For additional information, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
256070 Deciding Whether to Upgrade from Windows 95/98 to
Windows 2000
>-----Original Message-----
>I have sold my old PC and bought a second hand PC loaded
>with Win 98. I used my OEM Win 2000 Pro to upgrade the
>operating system. Having loaded the software I get to a
>screen which has "Windows 2000 Pro Developed from
Windows
>NT" at the top half of the screen with the bottom half
>asking for an User Name and Password with "OK" "Cancel"
>(greyed out) and "Options". I cannot get beyond this
>screen if I leave it blank and Enter, or make up an user
>name and password.
>
>Any advice most welcome!
>.
>
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