Getting out of diagnostic boot OR starting credential svc w/o admin

Ifuqtup · 05 Apr 2021

So my laptop was given to me by a family member and I created a new standard user account for myself while using their pin to do admin things.

Today I was trying to minimize what loaded at startup and kind of accidentally restarted in diagnostic mode. Problem is it disabled credential manager (along with everything else) and now the pin doesn't work, and I don't know the password, nor does the person who gave it to me remember it, so I can't do any admin task. Can't get back into msconfig to switch back to normal boot, cant enable the credential service, cant use system restore or bcdedit, im not even sure if I can reset as a last resort without the password.

Im just stuck with a basically unusable PC. Any ideas?

spunk · 05 Apr 2021

Try to Login Safe Mode
If they have a Microsoft Account, On another computer have them go to https://account.microsoft.com . Try to login, if it fails, choose Forgot Password. It will ask security questions, or send a code to their Cell Phone to allow you to login. Then they can Reset their password.

Try3 · 06 Apr 2021

Built-In Administrator account - Enable or Disable - TenForumsTutorials [Option 5]

Use that to create a local, password-protected Admin account and write its password down somewhere secure yet accessible. Then disable the Built-In Admin when you've finished.

Then you can use the new Admin account to address the other problems.
- You can use it to reset the passwords of other local accounts but this removes many of their saved online logins.

If you remain stuck in the diagnostic mode, this procedure will probably get you out if it but it was tested against a different condition:
How to - Escape from an MSConfig-induced Safe mode boot loop - TenForums

Denis

Ifuqtup · 06 Apr 2021

Ended up solving it by running chntpw from a linux live boot and enabling the built in admin account from that.

EdTittel · 07 Apr 2021

@Ifuqtup: Good fix! If you find yourself in this situation again, try to lay hands on Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset 10 (DaRT 10). Note: you must be an MS Assurance customer to obtain access to the necessary download(s).
HTH,
--Ed--