Question Stuck in Safe mode - no local account password

[smencik]

I was debugging another issue and decided to use msconfig to set safe mode boot. Normally I login with my fingerprint.

Well safe mode is trying to get my local account, which I have no clue what the password is. If it is trying to use the Windows login, that isn't working because safe mode puts wireless in airplane mode.

I tried connecting via ethernet, but that doesn't seem to be working either.

Any suggestions for how to get back to normal mode?

I downloaded a boot CD that I can use to edit files, but I am at a loss for what settings or files to change.

Please help!

 

[Dave8671]

Normally if you checked safe mode from inside MSconfig you would would need to go back into MSconfig and uncheck safe mode.

Start type run than select run than type msconfig

 

[smencik]

You obviously missed the part where I cannot login. Therefore I can't simply re-run msconfig. If I could I wouldn;t have wasted the last 8 hours trying to fix this.

 

[smencik]

Problem solved. I downloaded and burned to CD Hiren’s BootCD PE x64.
I was able to get into BIOS to allow the system to boot from CD, which I did.
One of the utilities on that CD is an account/password manager. I was able to connect that to the boot drive SAM, and unlock the hidden Administrator account and verify the local password.
I rebooted the machine to let it go into SafeMode.
Now, I could choose the Administrator account and successfully login.
From there, I could run msconfig and reset back to normal boot.

Moral of the story is not to use Safe Mode in Windows 10, and if you do, make sure you have a viable local Administrator account before you do.