Win 8.1 does not remember last user after reboot - [Solved]

[Boggin]

Well I'd still go for it.

[Boggin]

I just thought I'd check on activation and from this article you do require a product key, but it gives you some generic ones you can initially use.

https://www.eightforums.com/threads/repair-install-windows-8.26095/

[Boggin]

Belarc Advisor may display your product key or you could use the one on the COA sticker should you need to change it.

https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor

With branded, machines Belarc tends to display the manufacturer's generic key which is usually different to the COA sticker but you can still use your COA sticker key and I would advise making a note of that because those stickers eventually fade.

[JohnCoool]

As mentioned before this one came with a built in Key. There is no sticker.

The 1st time I set up Windows I had to activate it but don't remember seeing a key. The last 2 times I was forced to use the recovery to reinstall windows it just activated automatically.

Some people use the code that shows up in the system properties and call Microsoft to get the windows activated but I would not do such a thing. I would prefer to reinstall it instead.

Here is the latest update.

I found a tool meant for Win 7 and earlier called SMfixer that seems to repair safe mode.

After running it it automatically restarted. Then after that I tried to go into the safe mode list from there and it would just skip over it. No list is showing up.

Then I ran the SFCFix tool and this time I got a report for the 1st time since I have been using it. It was not like what I posted. It showed 6 entries and all had 0 count for errors.

Then tested for Safe mode again but it just skipped over it again......

[Boggin]

See if turning off Fast Startup will resolve - https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-or-enable-fast-startup-in-windows-8-1/

[JohnCoool]

Thanks but I don't use fast boot.

[JohnCoool]

What is the difference between the refresh and reset options in the advanced menu?

[Boggin]

A Refresh reinstalls the OS but gives the option of retaining your personal stuff but not installed programs, whereas a Reset removes the lot.

This is why a repair install is preferred because it doesn't touch personal stuff or installed programs.

[JohnCoool]

I will keep trying until next Sunday then I will consider running the repair.

But most probably by then I would have either fixed it or ruined even further...

I have a couple of months working Back up image. So it is not a big deal.

[Boggin]

Did you have the same Safe Mode problem when you made that back up or don't you know - you could have backed up a corrupt system and given that a sfc /scannow had found problems.

[JohnCoool]

I deliberately disabled safe mode a long time ago. Not sure is that was the cause for it. I don't care about it. However, I am concerned that clean boot is no longer working.

I think the two are related and that is why I am trying to resolve it now. I don't think it was corrupted the old Image because I did not use the logo editor until recently. I will do some tests later on.

A restore point was created yesterday during one of things I was reinstalling and I went back to it successfully but the safe mode list is still skipped over.....

[JohnCoool]

I will suspend updates here until I have some progress because I don't like the feedback.

Nothing is going to deter me from doing this.

[Boggin]

I can't help it you don't like the feedback - I'm just telling it the way I see it.

If you disabled Safe Mode a while back then the system image you created a couple of months back won't help.

I suggest you restore with that to see what you have and then you can decide if you need to perform a repair install.

After all, you had asked about two other extreme measures of a Refresh and a Reset - a repair install is a lot easier and not destructive to what you have installed.

Anyway, it's not my machine that has problems and it's up to you whether you take any of my advice or not - I would have repair installed straight away, but why did you disable Safe Mode in the first place when it's such an useful repair or diagnostic mode.

As former IT support, surely you must have known the value of Safe Mode.

[JohnCoool]

Yes I did disable it but it still worked. This is something new. It is now corrupted.

That is the reason I keep image backups. In-case HDD fails. So that I don't start from scratch.

I asked about the two other solutions because I thought one of the was just repair. I forgot what I did before 2018...

It seems that I am just going in circles. Even though it is now showing errors anymore I am not sure that it fixed them...

I think the reason it is skipping over the boot menu is because I deleted it by mistake. After I tried that safe boot option I showed you in the link I deleted that entry and I think it deleted it all.

I tried to find an option called repair but all I could find was options to refresh or repair, even in the boot media I created.

How is it done? Do I run it from within windows?

What are the risks? Will my system become less stable?

Is there a video I can see about it? I could not locate it on youtube...

Please stop repeating things. I am a perfectionist. I know exactly what I am doing I don't need you or anyone to 2nd guess my work.

You cannot supersede me in my own things.... No one can

[Boggin]

So what exactly are you asking for now ?

I've already described how to perform a repair install and the benefits it has.

I've even linked an article on it.

You say you are a perfectionist, but from what you have described you have done, you have damaged your system.

If you do perform a repair install then I suggest you leave the patches alone and leave the system as is.

[JohnCoool]

Tweaking.com is certainly a unique forum. I have joined many forums and I rarely get support. But not here. You are strangely dedicated to doing this I have never seen anything like it on other Windows support forums, not ever on Microsoft. I am wondering if it is your job or just your hobby.

I can see that you have over 9k posts on here which is a lot. So I can understand why you are pushy and relentless and kind of robotic. You don't really have time to waste on small things.

But that is me. I like to take hours doing each thing for skills sharpening and what not. Each thing that I do wrong is a new chance to learn something new for future reference. So I need to make mistakes... But then I will try to never do them again...

A perfectionist does not mean a person does not make mistakes. It means that he tries to do a perfect job.
Nothing is damaged. The machine has no known errors and I need to make mistakes to learn. Most people just stick the disk in and repair or reinstall everything but I delay that as much as possible to learn more. The reason I am trying to fix something I don't even need or even though there are no errors is because I am a perfection. Otherwise I can just carry on.

Over the past week, I learned so much from your tips and that is of good value to me and will always server and very grateful for it. Maybe I will do a repair and learn something new... For me it is just a new great thing to learn.

I only found a brief post about booting into Win media and going to the repair Menu. I did that be fore the last post and I only saw two options... One is to refresh and one is to reset. The same like what I get in mine.

I also requested for a video about the subject if you know one.

Perfection is not easy. That is my statement

[JohnCoool]

I also want to thank you for the time spent on this.

I do think that you should take a step back when giving tips and allow for a margin of error.

[Boggin]

Thank you for what you have said and I'm glad you say you have learned from my tips.

In some instances it is also a learning curve for me.

For me this is just a hobby as I like to help people where I can.

For the repair install, if you go back to the link I posted on that, you will see pics of what you can expect to see during the process, so you don't need a video.

Most people who post on here with problems just want their machines fixed as soon as possible, which is why I always try to go for the most direct route.

As with you, things were more difficult because of the modifications you had made to your system which had caused other problems.

As this became apparent, I realized that the easiest course would be a repair install to overwrite the mods you had made.

This may be the only course of action that will resolve the residue of problems you still have.

[JohnCoool]

So I am correct, it is done like an upgrade from within Windows...

However, in the screen shot it requires the key before even starting it.

So I am not sure if it can be done as I don't have a copy of it. I think it was on the screen when I started the system the 1st time in 2015.

I saw this in the thread The product key should have been embedded in the BIOS/UEFI firmware and entered automatically during installation. Time will tell as more people report their results.

I gave it a quick run to see if it will ask for it and it did not. It did some checking and then went to Install. So it might have picked up the key. I am not sure.

But I am worried about this.

I know that there is a way to backup the product key from windows files. I never did it but I will try it if I can find the method.

[JohnCoool]

The above is mentioned for pre-installed OEM systems.

[JohnCoool]

Helping people is a very noble feat...

Well done!

[JohnCoool]

I found the tools in the below link for key back up but they don't display the same info which is not good at all...

https://www.raymond.cc/blog/retrieve-serial-numbers-or-cd-keys-from-your-computer/

[JohnCoool]

I tried a couple more and each time the key is not the same...

Maybe the information is encrypted...

It found keys for other programs and they matched...

So I will trust the thread and do it.

I will backup those keys I found just in case...

[JohnCoool]

I will remove AVG and take image backup of the partition.

AVG has blocked system restore when doing it from within windows because it protects system files.

Normal windows does not log into windows during the process but recovery does. Since I never did a repair before I don't want to risk it.

[Boggin]

Yes, that article does advise disabling any AV program.

Did you try any of those generic keys that are in the article.

If you have a COA sticker on the machine where you can read the product key, restore with that system image from a couple of months back and press the Windows key and r together then type Slui 3 into the Run box which will bring up a pane where you can enter your COA sticker key.

You can then use that key to activate when prompted for it.

If you have added any personal stuff since that system image, then back that up onto something like an USB which can be added back later.

As a last resort you can contact Microsoft and ask them to re-activate your system, although I'm not sure what info you need to provide though.

Edited.