I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.

When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user account,
or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
out again.
I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these accounts
during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but I
still cannot log onto the system.
I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
Any clues?

Have you tried 'Safe Mode'?

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com



"Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
>
> When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
> years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
> account,
> or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
> out again.
> I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
> accounts
> during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
> I
> still cannot log onto the system.
> I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> Any clues?

You do not need to loose your files.

At the very least, you can take the hard-drive out and put it in a working
XP machine as a 'slave' drive (you may have to change the 'jumper' setting
to SL (slave) from either MS (master) or CS (cable select) The 'jumper'
itself is a tiny 'bridge' between two of six pins marked with the before
mentioned letters (SL, MS or CS)).

Once temporarily installed in another machine, you can then copy all of your
files (in an Administrator - level account) to a pen-drive from your
profile's 'My Documents' folder.
(located at "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents")

Once safely on the pen drive, you can then take back your hard-drive back to
your own PC and begin re-installing XP, knowing that all your data is safe
on the pen drive.

A pen drive of about 4GB should be well enough space for such an operation,
unless you have a particularly large collection of music or many video
files.

But do not give up on trying to repair your present installation just yet.

As, "js" asks, have you tried safe-mode?

Or, is that what you meant by "...tried using the command prompt to get
in....." ???


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"JS" <@> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Have you tried 'Safe Mode'?
>
> --
> JS
> http://www.pagestart.com
>
>
>
> "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
>>
>> When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up
>> two
>> years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
>> account,
>> or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it
>> straight
>> out again.
>> I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
>> accounts
>> during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
>> I
>> still cannot log onto the system.
>> I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
>> i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
>> Any clues?
>
>

Boot into safe mode then try "Last Known Configuration" If you can get in
there immediately create a new user with admin permissions just in case.

If that does not work remove your HD and place in a USB Enclosure (or slave
it in another computer) to run virus / malware scanning on it from there.

Ref: http://www.randem.com/virusproblems.html


--
Randem Systems
Your Installation Specialist
The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
Disk Read Error Press Ctl+Alt+Del to Restart
http://www.randem.com/discus/message...tml?1236319938



"Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
>
> When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
> years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
> account,
> or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
> out again.
> I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
> accounts
> during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
> I
> still cannot log onto the system.
> I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> Any clues?

didn'twork

"JS" wrote:

> Have you tried 'Safe Mode'?
>
> --
> JS
> http://www.pagestart.com
>
>
>
> "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
> >
> > When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
> > years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
> > account,
> > or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
> > out again.
> > I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
> > accounts
> > during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
> > I
> > still cannot log onto the system.
> > I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> > i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> > Any clues?
>
>
>

Thanks last known config wouldn'twork - I think i'll nheed to try the slave
approach that had been mentioned earlire

"Randem" wrote:

> Boot into safe mode then try "Last Known Configuration" If you can get in
> there immediately create a new user with admin permissions just in case.
>
> If that does not work remove your HD and place in a USB Enclosure (or slave
> it in another computer) to run virus / malware scanning on it from there.
>
> Ref: http://www.randem.com/virusproblems.html
>
>
> --
> Randem Systems
> Your Installation Specialist
> The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
> http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
> Disk Read Error Press Ctl+Alt+Del to Restart
> http://www.randem.com/discus/message...tml?1236319938
>
>
>
> "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
> >
> > When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
> > years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
> > account,
> > or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
> > out again.
> > I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
> > accounts
> > during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
> > I
> > still cannot log onto the system.
> > I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> > i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> > Any clues?
>
>
>

Thnaks - i may need to try this approach

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

> You do not need to loose your files.
>
> At the very least, you can take the hard-drive out and put it in a working
> XP machine as a 'slave' drive (you may have to change the 'jumper' setting
> to SL (slave) from either MS (master) or CS (cable select) The 'jumper'
> itself is a tiny 'bridge' between two of six pins marked with the before
> mentioned letters (SL, MS or CS)).
>
> Once temporarily installed in another machine, you can then copy all of your
> files (in an Administrator - level account) to a pen-drive from your
> profile's 'My Documents' folder.
> (located at "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents")
>
> Once safely on the pen drive, you can then take back your hard-drive back to
> your own PC and begin re-installing XP, knowing that all your data is safe
> on the pen drive.
>
> A pen drive of about 4GB should be well enough space for such an operation,
> unless you have a particularly large collection of music or many video
> files.
>
> But do not give up on trying to repair your present installation just yet.
>
> As, "js" asks, have you tried safe-mode?
>
> Or, is that what you meant by "...tried using the command prompt to get
> in....." ???
>
>
> ==
>
> Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
>
>
>
>
> "JS" <@> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Have you tried 'Safe Mode'?
> >
> > --
> > JS
> > http://www.pagestart.com
> >
> >
> >
> > "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >>I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
> >>
> >> When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up
> >> two
> >> years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
> >> account,
> >> or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it
> >> straight
> >> out again.
> >> I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
> >> accounts
> >> during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, but
> >> I
> >> still cannot log onto the system.
> >> I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> >> i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> >> Any clues?
> >
> >
>
>
>

On May 31, 8:15*pm, Goobster <Goobs...@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:
> I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find out.
>
> When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up two
> years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user account,
> or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it straight
> out again.
> I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these accounts
> during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank, butI
> still cannot log onto the system.
> I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
> i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
> Any clues?

I suspect you will not be able to boot in safe mode either.

It is not the mode, it is probably just the logon process that is
afflicted. This is a common and usually easily fixed malware problem
if the answer to the following question is yes.

Do you have access to a bootable XP installation CD?

Also goggle for Bart PE CD, you can boot from it to copy your files from the
disk without the problem of the security measures of XP then you can copy
them back to your HD after a re-install if needed.

--
Randem Systems
Your Installation Specialist
The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
Disk Read Error Press Ctl+Alt+Del to Restart
http://www.randem.com/discus/message...tml?1236319938



"Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0EA94664-4A72-4F83-8E7B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks last known config wouldn'twork - I think i'll nheed to try the
> slave
> approach that had been mentioned earlire
>
> "Randem" wrote:
>
>> Boot into safe mode then try "Last Known Configuration" If you can get in
>> there immediately create a new user with admin permissions just in case.
>>
>> If that does not work remove your HD and place in a USB Enclosure (or
>> slave
>> it in another computer) to run virus / malware scanning on it from there.
>>
>> Ref: http://www.randem.com/virusproblems.html
>>
>>
>> --
>> Randem Systems
>> Your Installation Specialist
>> The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
>> http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
>> Disk Read Error Press Ctl+Alt+Del to Restart
>> http://www.randem.com/discus/message...tml?1236319938
>>
>>
>>
>> "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find
>> >out.
>> >
>> > When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up
>> > two
>> > years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
>> > account,
>> > or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it
>> > straight
>> > out again.
>> > I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
>> > accounts
>> > during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank,
>> > but
>> > I
>> > still cannot log onto the system.
>> > I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
>> > i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
>> > Any clues?
>>
>>
>>

After you do what Tim suggested if you
have the time and curiosity you could
put the drive back in the computer and
try a 'Repair Install'.

See: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com



"Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:57D1F6E9-3216-4C06-8FF4-(E-Mail Removed)...
> didn'twork
>
> "JS" wrote:
>
>> Have you tried 'Safe Mode'?
>>
>> --
>> JS
>> http://www.pagestart.com
>>
>>
>>
>> "Goobster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:57A349C3-D384-45F6-BA2F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I think I may have a virus, but I cannot get onto the system to find
>> >out.
>> >
>> > When my XP system boots, it asks me for a user password. During set-up
>> > two
>> > years ago, these passwords were left blank. If I try to load my user
>> > account,
>> > or the Admin account, it says the user is logging in, but logs it
>> > straight
>> > out again.
>> > I have tried using a couple of tools which gave me access to these
>> > accounts
>> > during the boot phase, and they tell me that the passwords are blank,
>> > but
>> > I
>> > still cannot log onto the system.
>> > I tried using the command prompt to get in but that doesn't work.
>> > i don't want to reiinstall and lose all my files,
>> > Any clues?
>>
>>
>>