could not login to any account

WaterCat · 30 Jun 2021

dup removed

WaterCat · 01 Jul 2021

A very serious problem happened to me today after an "update". After reboot, I was presented with a login screen and could not login to any acccount. Error message was: "Security policies on this computer are set to show info about the last interactive sign-in, but Windows couldn't retrieve that info." User pictures for admin and user acounts were shown but passwords did not work. There was also a 'new' default account I did not create.

I tried every login since the laptop began. I logged into live.com (on another computer) no problem, then changed my Microsoft password. Still can't log in. I restored a backup image from last week. Nope. The only backup I have from before Win10 v2004 is from October 2020 - haven't tried it yet but if by some miracle it works how do I prevent this from happening again??? Never seen anything like this in decades of using Windows. What the hell do I get into my computer?

I am working my way through various suggestions but I have Windows Home. Other suggestions assume I have forgotten my password - I have not. I cannot login to Windows and have no access to anything!

Try3 · 01 Jul 2021

It's not that your keyboard has somehow been switched to a different layout is it? Call up the on-screen keyboard using the Ease of access icon you see on the sign-in screen and see if that can get you through.

If that does not resolve matters then:-

I suggest you enable the Built-in Admin account so you can use that to get into the computer.
Enable or Disable Built-in Elevated Administrator Account - TenForumsTutorials - use Option 5

You'll then be able to create a new password-protected local Admin account then disable the Built-in Admin again. Personally, I have two of these additional [spare, emergency] Admin accounts
my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] - TenForums

If you do decide to change the passwords for the other accounts then you can use this procedure -
Change Account Password - TenForumsTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

WaterCat · 02 Jul 2021

Try3 said:

Best of luck, Denis

Thank you for all the resources to try, but it was the luck you sent that I needed. I found this fix that worked:

I unplugged the ethernet cable (or you can unplug the router). Once disconnected from the internet, I could log in to my admin account. I had to use the pin as I had changed my microsoft password twice and none worked. (I normally use a standard account set to never ask for a password.)

Then I ran regedit. The registry key that controls the option to display the last login is located in:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

The value of DisplayLastLogonInfo was "1". I changed it to "0".
After rebooting the computer, I was then able to log in to the "corrupted" account.

I have no idea what caused this rather serious glitch, but hope it never comes back. So I'm back in business.

Try3 · 02 Jul 2021

I use local user accounts.

I created an MSAccount-linked user account so I'd be ready if they turned to be worthwhile but I have not logged into it for years.
- I can still use MSOffice Outlook to check my MSAccount email and I can still access it online in a browser.

I did once have a problem of not being able to log in to the MSAccount after having changed its password online.
- I had assumed that being logged in to the MSAccount-linked user account on my computer whilst I did the online change would be sufficient but that was not the case.
- I left it alone for an hour or so and just used my local account instead. I then found that the problem had resolved itself without my having taken any remedial action whatsoever.
- If I had to change its password again, I'd use Change account password - TenForumsTutorials [I had not been aware that simply going online and changing it there was at all risky]

Even more than the best of luck,
Denis

WaterCat · 04 Jul 2021

Try3 said:

I did once have a problem of not being able to log in to the MSAccount after having changed its password online. ...I then found that the problem had resolved itself without my having taken any remedial action whatsoever

Since I have two systems using the same Microsoft 'admin' account, I had to log in to the admin account on the second one, click on "Forget password" to change the password to the new one created online. (BTW I used the Microsoft Authenticator app to facilitate all the changes and logins)

I also had to remove a 'phantom duplicate' account that had been created of my Standard (auto-login) account. I held my breath and deleted the one that didn't have a user name. I also had to reset my "auto-login" setup so it would login to the Standard account:
Run netplwiz.exe; click OK
CHECK: User must enter a user name and password. Click Apply.
UNCHECK: the User must enter a user name and password. Click Apply.
Now, enter the username and password to save the credentials for automatic login.

Try3 · 04 Jul 2021

Other people have also reported phantom accounts appearing in their login screens. They reported that their phantoms also had their username, they were able to resolve matters by undoing then redoing netplwiz.
Sign in User Account Automatically - TenForumsTutorials

- Many have had to use this as well in order to get the netplwiz checkbox to appear
Enable or Disable Passwordless Sign-in - TenForumsTutorials

Denis