Ubuntu asking for username and password

My dad's friend's computer is totally messed up, filled with spyware and garbage, completely unusable, freezes right at the desktop.

I was planning on booting the computer to Ubuntu 7.04 with a LiveDVD my brother has and taking their important data onto my external HDD and then restoring it. I tested the DVD on my dad's computer and it worked fine, booted to the desktop.

But on the messed up computer, it asks for a username and password when it launches into Ubuntu. What on Earth made that happen!? I saw several other people ask the same question as I Googled but no answer.

And I have no knowledge of Linux, have used Windows my whole life. Help!

If it helps, the computer is an HP Pavilion A1129n Media Center.

 

default username should be 'ubuntu' without password

 

I tried it after looking at a forum post suggesting it and it didn't work. I also tried putting nothing in the box, and no go.

I want to know why it didn't prompt me for a username and password on my dads computer but on this other computer?????

 

CTRL+ALT+F1 (text-mode)
type 'sudo adduser bob'
'sudo passwd bob'
set the password and then CTRL+ALT+F7 (graphical mode)

(if it asks you about root pswd, pswd = nothing)

 

did you try root as the username? that may be it, but ive never had this problem, so good luck

 

I think that, by default, Ubuntu has locked root account so it's not possible to log in directly as root...that's why a user has to use 'sudo' with Ubuntu