Question How to escape Windows Repair loop + ostensibly no administrator account?

[dgreenberg1987]

The latest Windows 10 update, after restart, doesn't let me log in to my computer. Windows seems to be stuck in a Windows Repair Mode loop, where every option simply results in Windows restarting and winding up at the same place.

A complication is that while "Continue to Windows 10" results in a restart, "Troubleshoot" and all the options it gives say "You need to sign in as an administrator account to continue, but there aren't any administrator accounts on this PC." (Sounds absurd, but okay).

The "forgotten your password or can't see your account?" option results in a restart and Windows Repair.

I've also tried booting Windows from the installation USB flash drive, selecting on restart "boot from USB-FDD," but no luck (maybe it's not in the correct USB port? Idk). Update: I can do this now, so last resort I guess is to reinstall windows and everything

Would greatly appreciate advice.

 

[Colif]

Anything on PC you want to save?

choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type notepad and press enter
in notepad, select file>open
Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

See if this works

You need to reconcile the above report with your own claims. Here is how to do it:

1. Press the Windows key + R
2. Type cmd.exe and press Enter.
3. Type mode con lines=50 and press Enter
4. Type net localgroup administrators and press Enter.

You will see something like this:


d:\>net localgroup administrators
Alias name administrators
Comment Administrators have unrestricted access to the computer/domain
Members
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator
Config



Now grab the account you believe to be your admin account and type this:

net user "JohnM"
Is the account active?
When was it last used?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...t/f942bb11-ae89-490e-acc1-381ac212ea99?auth=1

use the command prompt found in troubleshoot to do above

 

[dgreenberg1987]

Anything on PC you want to save?

choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type notepad and press enter
in notepad, select file>open
Use file explorer to copy any files you need to save to USB or hdd

See if this works


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...t/f942bb11-ae89-490e-acc1-381ac212ea99?auth=1

use the command prompt found in troubleshoot to do above

Thanks for the response! Troubleshoot options including command prompt require administrator access, but I was able to access command prompt through installation media startup options.

However, this linked advice seems incomplete. I got the expected message, and got a valid response when I put in my email address as a user name (the other user names didn't work, and I think this is my Microsoft username), but not sure what the next step is.

I found another site mentioning something like this, suggesting I then input the command

Net localgroup administrators [name] /add

And received a response: "There is no such global user or group"

 

[Colif]

were you able to backup everything you want to save off Boot drive?

I feel that instead of messing with trying to add a new admin to PC, that it would be safer to fresh install win 10 and start again. It is very unusual for an update to lose a user account

I think you got that error because you currently not logged into an admin account. If you ran same command from inside windows, it would work fine. - https://superuser.com/questions/680519/how-to-add-user-back-into-administrators-group-in-windows-8-1

there is a built in admin in WIn 10 but from what this says, you need to be able to access at least the login screen, to enable it - https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable-disable-built-in-administrator-account-windows-10/

 

[dgreenberg1987]

were you able to backup everything you want to save off Boot drive?

I feel that instead of messing with trying to add a new admin to PC, that it would be safer to fresh install win 10 and start again. It is very unusual for an update to lose a user account

I think you got that error because you currently not logged into an admin account. If you ran same command from inside windows, it would work fine. - https://superuser.com/questions/680519/how-to-add-user-back-into-administrators-group-in-windows-8-1

there is a built in admin in WIn 10 but from what this says, you need to be able to access at least the login screen, to enable it - https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable-disable-built-in-administrator-account-windows-10/

Sounds about right, thanks.

 

[dgreenberg1987]

Weirdly, my PC is now stuck in a Windows installation loop. During the process of installation from a usb flash drive, the pc restarts and of course goes to the initial installation setup screen. Uh oh.

 

[Colif]

Weirdly, my PC is now stuck in a Windows installation loop. During the process of installation from a usb flash drive, the pc restarts and of course goes to the initial installation setup screen. Uh oh.

what motherboard do you have? I have seen this before, its cause you have USB as 1st boot drive and PC just following instructions... there should be a way to overcome this but need to look in bios.