Windows XP 'starting' - but it doesn't . . .

[G-CPTN]

I followed the following instructions:-
Since loading the driver for my HP1510 printer on my laptop and desktop computer, Win XP now starts with the 'Welcome' screen and user icon for me to click on, which i have never had to do in the past and which is really annoying.
I never set it to change , so why should some 3rd party software decide it was a good thing!

Anybody know how to set it, so on start, it goes straight to my desktop screen as before.

Seemed to have tried all the options on user accounts.

Type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes) into the "Run" box.

Untick the box at the top about "users must..."

The rest is intuitive.

Now my laptop 'beeps' (once) and freezes at a screen which says:- Windows 'starting' - but it doesn't . . .

It seems that it might be a 'permission' issue.

Is there something that I can do that will by-pass this (ie which key(s) should I press during boot?)?
I have dual-boot on this machine, so I can access the hard drive files from the other installation. Can I get into the relevant area from within the 'other' Windows?

Keep it basic, folks . . . (very basic!)

I cannot have both environments running simultaneously - I have to shut down and reboot.

[Jofm5]

This is not so serious so dont panic.


When you power on your computer, just prior to the windows starting screen make sure your holding down F5 (am sure its that if not try F8 as they did change it a while ago).

This will then give you a set of options. Select to start in safe mode which will start up and log you in as administrator with basic VGA settings.

You can then undo whatever it was that you did. After you have done that simply restart your machine and let it boot up as normal.

Cheers

[Blues&twos]

It's F8 on all the PC's I use.

Start in safe Mode, use System Restore.....

[G-CPTN]

Thanks! :ok:

[Parapunter]

Steady on! Safe mode, remove driver, reboot. One foot in front of the other. No need foe the sledgehammer that is system restore until you really need to.

[Jofm5]

Yep system restore is not a good option unless you want to wipe everything on there.

[Blues&twos]

We might be talking about different procedures here...I'm talking about selecting the most recent Windows System Restore point to "go back" to a when the PC was functioning in a stable manner.

I'm not talking about wiping your hard drive!!

System Restore won't affect any personal/data files etc. And it's reversible. I've used it quite a bit and very successfully when dodgy drivers/iffy installations have made my PC unstable.

[Jofm5]

Yep cross purposes...

There is a big difference between a system restore using the disks provided and reverting to the previous restore point. Tho in this instance I am not so sure a restore point will be so useful if it is a security issue as I do not know off hand if the security config will also be restored. As far as I recall restore points are more registry related and only recover those files changed. But again I dont use this enough to know.

Cheers