Can't logon-no user account

[paul fleck]

Recently my computer when booting up windows 10 comes up with no login page to put my password because apparently my user account has been deleted or moved. I have tried many things but can't recover/restore it. Can anyone help? I was able to get to safe mode and had to sign in with that user name and password but it doesn't come up in normal mode and none of the recovery options have worked.

 

[Trouble]

I was able to get to safe mode and had to sign in with that user name and password but it doesn't come up in normal mode and none of the recovery options have worked.

Is the account you are using (or attempting to use) a local account or a Microsoft account?
What is the "name" of the account, that is visible and usable in Safe Mode, that is not visible or usable in a normal boot?

I think, the first thing that I would try is....
Go back into safe mode and create a new local user account as a member of the local administrators group and see if I could use that account in a normal boot.
Right click the Start button and from the context menu select Command Prompt (Admin) and in the command prompt window type
net user JohnSmith /add
hit enter
then type
net localgroup administrators JohnSmith /add
hit enter
type
exit
hit enter
Restart and log in as JohnSmith

Obviously, you don't have to use "JohnSmith", it can be Tom, Dick or Sally. Since it is just a temporary account for testing and diagnostic purposes, it really doesn't matter.

 

[paul fleck]

Is the account you are using (or attempting to use) a local account or a Microsoft account?
What is the "name" of the account, that is visible and usable in Safe Mode, that is not visible or usable in a normal boot?

I think, the first thing that I would try is....
Go back into safe mode and create a new local user account as a member of the local administrators group and see if I could use that account in a normal boot.
Right click the Start button and from the context menu select Command Prompt (Admin) and in the command prompt window type
net user JohnSmith /add
hit enter
then type
net localgroup administrators JohnSmith /add
hit enter
type
exit
hit enter
Restart and log in as JohnSmith

Obviously, you don't have to use "JohnSmith", it can be Tom, Dick or Sally. Since it is just a temporary account for testing and diagnostic purposes, it really doesn't matter.

Sorry, I've been out of town....tried what you said and got...."the user was successfully created but could not be added to the USERS group" then did the 2nd one and got "the specified local group does not exist", I had done an scanops earlier and it showed zero operating systems found, yet the OS starts fine in safe mode, I'm no computer guy but is it something with the boot record not knowing how or where to find the OS?

 

[Trouble]

is it something with the boot record not knowing how or where to find the OS?

Nope, safe mode and normal boot both use the same boot configuration data to load.

the user was successfully created but could not be added to the USERS group" then did the 2nd one and got "the specified local group does not exist

Those two things do not sound good.
Back into SafeMode with an admin command prompt type
net localgroup
hit enter
check the list and see what the list contains..... "Administrators" and "Users" should definitely be there

 

[paul fleck]

Nope, safe mode and normal boot both use the same boot configuration data to load.

Those two things do not sound good.
Back into SafeMode with an admin command prompt type
net localgroup
hit enter
check the list and see what the list contains..... "Administrators" and "Users" should definitely be there

View attachment 4378

Yes they are both there

 

[Trouble]

Try activating the hidden "Administrator" user account.
Back in Safe Mode, Admin command prompt type
net user administrator /active:yes
hit enter
see what happens and see if you can log in with the hidden administrator account.

 

[paul fleck]

Try activating the hidden "Administrator" user account.
Back in Safe Mode, Admin command prompt type
net user administrator /active:yes
hit enter
see what happens and see if you can log in with the hidden administrator account.

It says completed successfully

 

[Trouble]

Cool..... reboot and see if it's available to you as a log in option in normal boot

 

[paul fleck]

Cool..... reboot and see if it's available to you as a log in option in normal boot

Nope right back to same thing, it appears to boot windows normally but comes up with the background page (the one with the cool photos) and no space to put your password in, presumably because it doesn't have any users...in safe mode my username comes up and I type in the password fine

 

[Trouble]

it appears to boot windows normally but comes up with the background page (the one with the cool photos)

When Windows 10 launches, it typically brings up the "Lock" screen first, which you will need to dismiss by striking the spacebar in order to see the log in screen.

 

[paul fleck]

When Windows 10 launches, it typically brings up the "Lock" screen first, which you will need to dismiss by striking the spacebar in order to see the log in screen.

Yes, the lock page comes up and when you hit the space bar you can tell it's going to the sign on page just like normal except no empty space to type in your password comes up, and after a minute or so it goes back to lock page (FYI I did try typing password in anyway to no avail)

 

[Trouble]

In the bottom left of the sign in screen do you see "Administrator" or for that matter any account alternatives to choose from.
Typically, when you enable the normally hidden "Administrator" account, it does not have a password by default.

 

[paul fleck]

In the bottom left of the sign in screen do you see "Administrator" or for that matter any account alternatives to choose from.
Typically, when you enable the normally hidden "Administrator" account, it does not have a password by default.

There is nothing on bottom left although I think an adminstrator signing option came up on safe mode sign in screen that I don't think was there before

 

[Trouble]

Do you have a back up of all your critical data, do you have a disk image of the whole disk and installation prior to the problem?
IF so......
Can you boot from the installation media and choose the "Repair your PC" option on the second page after the choose language and keyboard screen and then use the Troubleshooting -> Advanced Troubleshooting options to attempt a System Restore to a point in time prior to the problem first showing up? You may have to check the box that says "Show more restore points"

 

[paul fleck]

There is nothing on bottom left although I think an adminstrator signing option came up on safe mode sign in screen that I don't think was there before

I do not have a saved image or anything but I think I have all the files and such that I need copied off here. When this started happening I had tried this and restored it, it said it restored successfully but when I rebooted it went back to same thing, now when I try to restore it says to restart and choose an operating system or some such message

 

[Trouble]

now when I try to restore it says to restart and choose an operating system or some such message

Are you booting from the installation media as I suggested above?

 

[paul fleck]

Are you booting from the installation media as I suggested above?

No I wasn't , thought we were doing that just to get to the options....I am now

 

[paul fleck]

No I wasn't , thought we were doing that just to get to the options....I am now

FYI system restore, image recovery, startup repair and previous build have not worked for one reason or another

 

[Trouble]

Understood, just trying to think of something that might help to avoid a clean install of Windows 10 to mend the problem.
Sometimes, System Restore will work outside of the OS, that is when you boot from the external installation media on DVD or USB thumb drive, better than when attempted from within the OS.
Just a thought.

 

[paul fleck]

Understood, just trying to think of something that might help to avoid a clean install of Windows 10 to mend the problem.
Sometimes, System Restore will work outside of the OS, that is when you boot from the external installation media on DVD or USB thumb drive, better than when attempted from within the OS.
Just a thought.

Won't restore from media either, I also tried reverting to old OS (windows 7 that I upgraded from) it appeared to be doing it then froze or something in the process, luckily I was able to undo changes...FYI I have to run out for an hour or so, so I'll give you a break, if you think of anything else just post it and I'll try when I get back, I appreciate the effort anyway