Locked out of Windows - Auto Repair Loop and No Admin Account

[LucasAlmeida]

Hello, community

Well... I have a desktop running Windows 10 x64. Yesterday I was copying some files from a folder to another. (no other software open). To have no problems, I did something I've been doing since I installed Windows 10: I'd go to the task manager, close the "explorer.exe" and would open it again as administrator, so I wouldn't have to confirm each folder I'd enter on another drive.
But what happened this time is that the explorer wouldn't open, leaving only the black screen and the cursor.

So I rebooted and then windows entered automatic repair mode. When trying to use any options, it said there are no admin accounts on windows (although there are three).

A few things I tried:
*System recovery from windows boot cd (there is only one system recovery point, and it couldn't complete the recovery, presented an error)
*Automatic recovery from boot cd
*Using Windows boot disk to enter command prompt to allow the hidden administrator account (which worked, but windows still don't recognize it, or don't see it, I'm not sure which)
*Chkdsk on system drive
*Used Hiren's Boot CD to reset password in my account and created a new Admin one
*Tried overwriting "utilman.exe" with "cmd.exe" in order to use command prompt in Windows instead of boot disc so commands there would take effect (I'm guessing many cmd commands won't work from the Windows Boot Disk command prompt)
*MBR fix, boot fix, bcr rebuild

What I can't do:
*Log into Windows or even get to the login screen
*Boot in safe mode (I can't login)
*Use any repair option in system recovery options because it says there are no admin accounts on the pc (so, no command prompt, no system recovery, no automatic repair). I already done all three from the Windows boot media, and none worked

What are my problems:
*Windows says there are no admin accounts on the PC
*Infinite automatic repair loop (doesn't log into Windows)

I used Ubuntu live disk verify the files in the drive and there are no missing or damaged files, so I'm guessing a Register problem?

I really, really don't wanna format and reinstall Windows. It's not only my personal files, but my software which will be very hard to install everything again (I had tons of software... all trusted, no malware here).

Is there anything else I can do?

Thanks for any attention and even more for possible cooperation with this request.
Best regards,
Lucas Almeida

 

[Colif]

I can't think of anyway to get you into windows 10 when you have no admin accounts, and the built in one doesn't work for you. There might be ways but I don't know them and cannot suggest ones that Microsoft may disapprove of anyway - its against Forum rules.

You have the linux live disk so can access your files but just don't want to reinstall everything. I don't think you have a lot of choice.

I would think it be safer to just turn off UAC temporarily rather than that explorer way. Why was it asking anyway as I can copy from any folder to another without needing permissions. Was user a local user that wasn't admin?

 

[LucasAlmeida]

Hello, Colif

Thank you for your attention and help regarding this issue

I've tried some options such as restoring registry through the regback directory on system32, enabling the hidden admin account and other command promt lines... afaik, they are ok method that don't violate Windows. However, no method worked.

I usually disable UAC on the systems I work on as I tend to use external hard drives and UAC usually requires confirmation when copying files into them, but this didn't work on the PC in question, as it still said I didn't have credentials to access folders outside system drive unless running explorer.exe as admin... odd.

Anyway, I've since given up and backed up what I could. I will reinstall Windows, and, hopefully, in a week or two, reinstall most of my software u_u

Thank you very much for the help and attention to this issue. This topic may now be considered solved and closed.

Best regards,