windows 10 boots no user or place for password

Hi, the laptop appears to be from around 2015.

I will assume your friend has not been using disk imaging regularly and routinely as is endlessly recommended here, and would allow quick recovery from this sort of issue, without technical help, even if a new disk was needed.

First thing to do- check the disk.
Hard Disk Sentinel is excellent (functional trial).
Crystal Diskinfo (free) is basic.
Portable versions of both are available.

If that passes you can then run e.g.
chkdsk X: /scan

(normally from an admin command prompt)
where X is the appropriate partition on the disk.
Results on the screen.

You can either
a. remove the disk from the laptop, put it in a USB caddy, connect it to a working PC and so run a check on it.
b. find and download an iso file for one of the well-known live boot disks, create a bootable flash drive from that and try to boot the problem PC from that.

If the disk checks out and you can see what look like the partitions for a valid Windows installation, you could attempt to force the PC to boot to Safe Mode. There are ways to achieve that.

N.B. F8 is Win 7 and earlier. It doesn't work in Win 10.

i have no idea of the version # laptop came with windows 8 it now has windows 10 on it .

Once you have access to the disk you can get a good idea by inspecting the properties of a system file such as explorer.exe



History:

I guess you have no idea what led to this... users typically don't think to state the history.

Has the computer always done this or only recently, in which case what happened before it started?

You do not say if there is anything to stop you just doing a clean install.

These threads might guide you in investigating the problem
No password prompt at login screen. Can not login - TenForums
Search results - no login screen - TenForums
Windows 10 The Logon Prompt Was Disappear(stuck) Windows10Forums
solved No login box at sign in screen on wakeup - HPForum
No Login Prompt - TechNet



Best of luck,
Denis

klein5366 said:

yes the computer did come with windows 8, she did the on line upgrade when it was offered. on one boot it did an update, not the first time i booted it, but one of the many. the update was weird because it is not connected to the internet........... tapping f8 brings up the recovery screen, but it is asking for her email password. and i don't have that yet. it has a bad battery or mother board not charging, has to be plugged in all the time , could of caused this problem. i hear a clunk when shutting down this computer, one good thing i got all personal files copied off.

I only recently learnt that F8 can be enabled in Windows 10. Enable or Disable F8 Advanced Boot Options - TenForumsTutorials

Good to hear that you rescued the user's files before the clunk became terminal. I suppose it has an HDD that you intend to replace anyway or else a fan.

If you are going to do a clean install now then you should just be able to get on with it but if you do need to get access to Windows to get other preparations done then you can use Option 5 of this procedure
Enable or Disable Built-In Administrator account - TenForumsTutorials
You might, for example, want to backup its drivers using
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials
and check that its activation is a digital one [so easing reinstallation]
Check if Windows 10 is Activated - TenForumsTutorials
before you reinstall
Clean install - TenForumsTutorials


Best of luck,
Denis

i got all the info off with booting live linux.
i couldn't find any way to copy off the drives

How did you get the "info" off the drive without "copying" the files off the drive?
I know this is solved, but for future reference, you take the Old HDD/SSD and attach it to the computer with the new Windows 10 on it, using a USB Hard Drive Adapter. It should come up as another drive and you drag and drop to the same location on the new C: Drive.