Lost win XP boot up password, locked out

[shyleea]

O.K. here's the issue, using one of my husbands older work computers, he hasn't used it in a while and forgot the windows boot password. Now I do not mean the one you get when you are actually IN windows, it's the one to start windows. I get a screen that says to hit ctrl alt delete , I do that and get a login screen, this is where it went south. He gave me a list of his most recent passwords, after two tries it gives me the message "cannot log in to this account, the account is locked please see your admin" or something of that nature. Have tried booting in safe mode, but guess what, I STILL get the same exact screens and prompts, just not as pretty=P. Help! Just FYI, I am doing this alone because my husband is in Seattle at the home company and I am at home in Missouri, he can't help. Is there ANY way to get past this and start windows? All the advice I have found online tells me to go from the start menu..well if I could GET to the start menu...

 

[aford10]

I assume you're talking about the user account password and not the BIOS password. Here's 2 methods for resolving the user account password
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321305

If you're referring to the BIOS password, just reset the BIOS.

 

[shyleea]

No, NOT the user password, I cannot ever get to the point where there are user options, this is to actually finish the windows boot up. Its a secure boot up password.
1. I turn on comp
2. Boot up screen with options to hit tab or delete to enter boot up options such as safe mode etc.
3. windows begins to boot
4. blue windows screen, no background, box in the middle telling me to use ctrl+alt+del to start comp
5. Same plain background with only one account choice and password area, only options available are enter password or shut down comp
6. I enter what my husband was sure the password is and get the message that it is locked and I need to see the admin.

At no time does it get to the full windows user login screen, at no time am I able to log on as admin.
If that is a BIOS issue well I am not tech. enough to "just reset the BIOS"

Windows will not fully boot up, it is NOT just the user account.

But ty for your reply none the less.

 

[aford10]

That sounds like an account password, not a BIOS password. When prompted, try pressing ctrl, alt, + del twice to see if it brings up another login screen.