Dell Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 hangs during startup after Welcome screen when user account selected and wallpaper displayed. Next step should have been to display ICONs. If booted in Safe Mode with Command Prompt, it gives a blue screen after listing the drivers and does not provide a prompt.

If you have password protected your User account on your Windows XP system and can't remember the password(s) to Login. Whenever Windows XP is installed on a system, it creates a default account called "Administrator" and by default this account is not password protected. Therefore, if you bought a brand name computer (such as Dell, HP, Compaq or Sony)or you have installed Windows XP yourself. You should be able to Login to the computer through the Admin account.

Method One

Reboot your machine.

Press F8 before the Windows boot screen appears. Do not press F5 as used on the NT/9x ser of Windows. You will be be prompted with a boot options menu.

Select the Start Windows in Safe Mode option.

Click through several self-explanatory screens until your reach the familiar 'Welcome' screen.

Note that this welcome screen is limited to 256 colors and 640x480 resolution because the primary graphics will have been set to the Windows Safe Mode software VGA adapter. You will not be able to change this mode even in Display options, while Windows is running in Safe Mode.

Find the icon for the Administrator user. If the default settings of your system haven't been changed, there should be no password for this account.

The Safe Mode Welcome screen might display some of the other users on your system.

Login as the admin.

Press Yes at the prompt asking if you would like to continue using Safe Mode.

Continue on to the User Settings control panel. Here you can change any of the other passwords for user on the machine. Make any changes you want.

Reboot your computer. As long as you don't press any keys (e.g. F8) during the boot-up the computer will startup normally.

Login as the user for which you set the password.

If the above doesn

• Windows XP Service Pack 2
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 – Update Rollup 2
• Windows Vista Basic
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Ultimate

1. Start Media Center.
2. On the Settings menu, click General.
3. Scroll down, and then click About Media Center.
4. Click Software Version
   
   The version number of Media Center you are running is displayed.

1. On the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the General tab, under System, look for the version of Windows that you are running.

• Click Start, Run and type Regedit.exe
• Navigate to the following key:

• Use the File, Export option to backup the key
• Create a new DWORD Value named Administrator
• Double-click Administrator, and set 1 as its data
• Exit the Registry Editor.

1. Log in with administrator access.
2. Click on Start, Control Panel, and select user accounts.
3. Click on Change the Way Users Log On or Off.
4. Click on the Box "Use the Welcome Screen" so that there is not check mark.