no LOCAL machine login available, only domain

[pdecker]

Hi,

This is a new problem for me:

We have a machine that has been given to us from another department. When booting up the machine, the login screen only provides login to a list of domains in the drop down box. There is no local machine option. I have the password to the administrator for the local machine, but can not use it because I cant select local machine. When I try to enter it on any domain it of course says login failure because domain is unavailable. We do not have access to any of these domains, as they do not exist anymore. I want to get the data off this computer, and utilize the OS (WIN NT 4) rather than reinstall another. Is there a way to delete the login configuration? so that I can access the local machine? Any suggestions?

 

[wolluf]

Are you sure the local machine isn't on that drop down list (ie, you've just read it as a domain name)?

 

[pdecker]

I am pretty sure as all of the names in the list have DOMAIN appended to them.
ie: CDSDOMAIN, IESDOMAIN, etc.

Unless of course the computer was called xxxDOMAIN? which i doubt. Any other ideas?

 

[wolluf]

Other than trying local Adminstrator/password with each, just in case...

Do you have username/passwords for logons to any of those domains - because it may allow you to logon with cached details (doesn't require server to be present) - then perhaps you could remove it from domain.

Or, is it connected to a network still? Can you access it over network when its at the logon prompt? Connect to its registry? (I'd have to do some digging to see if/how you can remove machine from domain by editing registry).

You can obviously retrieve data by mounting as slave in another machine.

PS. Can't you just reinstall NT once you've got stuff off? There's always a repair - but not sure what that would do - and if install disk & installation service pack levels far apart, that can cause more trouble than its worth.

 

[MrTickle]

If you just want the data of the PC, why not take a ghost image and then use Ghost Explorer to browse the image file and copy the data that way. You can then do what you like with the PC.