I cannot log into my dell laptop. When I go to the username it does not recognize my password and gives the message, "The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted". I tried rebooting in safe mode and still get the same response. It does not matter if I go into administrator or my personal log in. I also hit ctrl+alt+del twice and type in administrator and press OK and still no reponse.

I am running XP pro Service Pack 2. Does anyone have an answer to this? Thank you.

Hello vanj4, welcome to PCHF.

For your laptop to be part of a domain, it must have at one point been connected to an organisational network. Why is it no longer connected?

It never was. It's just a home use laptop, not a part of a network...

If the laptop has a local account, you'll need to change it from the domain your now part of, to local computer. You need to do this at the logon screen, you'll see Username, Password and Logon To. In the Logon To box, you'll need to change it to "This Computer", and use the local account that way. You can even logon locally as Administrator this way.

When I ctrl+alt+del twice to get the log to windows I get username and password.

At the bottom, you have a line of button, OK, Cancel, Shut Down and Options >>. When you click on Options >> does the extra box not appear, as demonstrated below?

no it doesn't