Windows 10 Password Box not showing up on startup (and can't Sign-in).

The password box won't show up for me when starting Windows 10 (19045.3393).

It tries to load the password box, but then it just reverts back to the username over and over.

You can see what is happening here:
Windows 10 Sign-in Issue - YouTube

It also shows the Welcome text and "New User" for a split-second, which is not at all normal
(i only have one user on that computer, so that should not be happening).



This all happened after trying to fix a problem with the UAC i was having, which you can read about here:
Annoying UAC prompts after installing KB5029331 (19045.3393)

The issue with UAC have since fixed itself.



But before that, i followed Step 3 in this guide on one of my computers:
Bypass “Administrator Blocked You From Running This App” in Windows 10 - EaseUS

and now the password box on that computer is broken (happened on the very first reboot after using gpedit).



I have tried the following to fix it:

-Press CTRL-ALT-DEL to try to bring up the password box
-Tried using Safe Mode (with all it's 3 different modes)
-Press the restart-button on the computer case 2-3 times during startup (to trigger recovery and safe mode).
-Used bootrec.exe with the commands "bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd" and "bootrec.exe /fixmbr"
-Used the "net user username password /add /domain" command in cmd (i typed "c:" first and pressed enter)
-Tried activating the built-in administrator account through the command line startup option
(net user administrator /active:yes)

I also followed this guide to properly use DISM and sfc /scannow
Windows Won't Boot!? Try System File Checker From Recovery!! - YouTube



None of these things have worked, is there any other way to get it to work again?

Assuming you have a recent 3rd party disk image (which a wise person would have created before attempting the changes you have) then restore that.

Alas, since you are seeking help here, I'm assuming you may not yet have learnt the value of regularly using 3rd party disk imaging, which would save you a lot of time and frustration.

There's an outside chance you might be able to revert changes using offline System Restore- assuming you have a recent restore point.

See No password prompt at login screen. Can not login - TenForums
and search for other threads on the subject - Search results - no login screen - TenForums

And, when you've finished, disable the Built-in Admin account.

Best of luck,
Denis

I cloned the drive with "Acronis True Image 2020" to an empty drive (so i can try some things on the clone).


On the clone i tried the following things today:

-Press the restart-button on my computer case 2-3 times during startup (to trigger recovery and safe mode).
-Used bootrec.exe with the commands "bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd" and "bootrec.exe /fixmbr"
-Used the "net user username password /add /domain" command in cmd (i typed "c:" first and pressed enter)

The two first steps didn't do anything, but after running the "net user" command,
Windows 10 suddenly started working on the clone.


I got really excited about this, and decided to plug in the original drive and do the same steps there.

That didn't work for whatever reason and I'm not sure why the clone would start working, but not the original.


This is what i did that caused the Sing-in to stop working in the first place:



After doing this, the option to Sign-in has been broken on the original drive.


Since it was Gpedit/Regedit that caused the Sign-in to break on the original drive to begin with,
can't i just copy the registry somehow from the now working clone over to the original drive?

SuperConker said:

This is what i did that caused the Sing-in to stop working in the first place

[Sorry, missed that.]

Denis

It does say that in the first post.

No evidence you've tried what I suggested - no response- so I'm out.

All sounds like self-inflicted injury- for which you should have made due preparation and taken due precautions if you're going to do things lke this.

You could use offline editing to copy the relevant section of the Registry from the clone.
But you'd have to experiment to find the Registry Keys that the change affects. I'd use RegShot for that.
my RegShot ditty - #19 - TenForumsTutorials

Edit Registry on an Offline Image [DISM] - TenForumsTutorials
Modify Registry from InstallUSB [SIW2 #19] - TenForums

Or you might try undoing all the changes you've made to the clone and then re-cloning the clone back to the original disk.


Best of luck,
Denis

@dalchina

That guide said it would help with the UAC problem Microsoft created the other day where some Apps won't open
(Microsoft have silently fixed the UAC problem, but only after I had tried fixing the few apps I couldn't get to work).

There is nothing in that guide that says it could break windows Sign-in, so I had no reason to think it would do that.

I don't have any other backups, so that's why I asked here if it can be undone.


I'm not sure why people have to be rude.

Did you miss #8?

Denis