i have lost my user name on start up

[midwestlady2002]

No very happy this morning and need help badly.  I don't know what happened but I have lost my user name on the start up menu.  All I have is the message "to begin click your user name"--but I have no user names.  I am unable to access a desktop.  I hope the single account on the computer wasn't lost, but I am really at a loss as to what is going on.  Is there any way to get to a desktop from here so that I can see if the user account was deleted?  ctrl/alt/del just brings up a log in box, user name and password, but those only bring up an error message.  I am running Windows XP.

Is there any way to get into the registry except from a desktop "run" so that I can check to see if the missing account was deleted?

[Raptor]

Follow these steps to create a new user name:

1. Before loading Windows, press F8
2. Choose safe mode
3. Select the administrator account (Hidden when not using safe mode)

Safe mode will now be loaded and you will have administrator privileges

1. Start
2. Settings
3. Control Panel
4. Account
5. Create a new account with administrator capabilities

Once done, do the following:

1. Scan for Viruses, Trojan Horses and Spyware
2. Download latest Microsoft Windows XP [SP2] security updates.

[midwestlady2002]

i have tried this and still do not get any user accounts to come up.  The "missing" account was listed as the administrator.

[merlin_2]

thats you......did you enter a password when you installed the system......as a single user there is no need to log on.....i dont? maybe someone did this

Start/Run/gpedit.msc

User Configuration/Administrative Templates/Start Menu and Taskbar/Remove User Name from the Start Menu.