Standard User Logoff Demand Re-Boot

[Tom Baxter]

Hi all,

I'm seeing a very strange problem that's forcing me to re-boot after a
Standard user logs off.

Here's the situation: I have an XP Pro, SP2 machine. This is a stand-alone
machine (no domain involved). There are two Standard Accounts (S1 and S2) and
one Administrative Account (A1).

After S1 or S2 logs off, the machine needs to be re-booted before *anyone*
else can log on. Every time S1 or S2 logs off, no one else can log on. This
weird behavior does not occur after A1 logs off.

Now, what do I mean by, "needs to be re-booted"? After XP boots up (or after
a user logs off) I see the standard screen that lists all user accounts with
separate password fields next to each user name. Well, after S1 or S2 logs
off, the cursor cannot be moved to any of these password fields. It is
impossible for the next user to enter a password! This is why I have to
re-boot.

Does anyone have an explanation for what might be causing this?

Thanks

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi all,

I'm seeing a very strange problem that's forcing me to re-boot after a
Standard user logs off.

Here's the situation: I have an XP Pro, SP2 machine. This is a stand-alone
machine (no domain involved). There are two Standard Accounts (S1 and S2)
and
one Administrative Account (A1).

After S1 or S2 logs off, the machine needs to be re-booted before *anyone*
else can log on. Every time S1 or S2 logs off, no one else can log on.
This
weird behavior does not occur after A1 logs off.

Now, what do I mean by, "needs to be re-booted"? After XP boots up (or
after
a user logs off) I see the standard screen that lists all user accounts
with
separate password fields next to each user name. Well, after S1 or S2 logs
off, the cursor cannot be moved to any of these password fields. It is
impossible for the next user to enter a password! This is why I have to
re-boot.

Does anyone have an explanation for what might be causing this?

Thanks

You write "the cursor cannot be moved to any of these password
fields." Do you mean to say that the cursor won't move at all or that
clicking in the password field has no effect?

Also: The standard WinXP logon screen shows pictures for the
various logon accounts. The password field appears only after
you have clicked one of the pictures. Are you saying that you
can click a picture but not the subsequent password field?

Do the CapsLock or NumLock indicator lights still work when
the problem occurs?

 

[Tom Baxter]

You write "the cursor cannot be moved to any of these password
fields." Do you mean to say that the cursor won't move at all or that
clicking in the password field has no effect?

Right -- I actually meant the the caret, not the cursor but I didn't think
most people would know what the caret is. I should have said something
like, "the blinking I-bar". I cannot get the caret to move to any of the
password fields.

Also: The standard WinXP logon screen shows pictures for the
various logon accounts. The password field appears only after
you have clicked one of the pictures. Are you saying that you
can click a picture but not the subsequent password field?

Yes: After I click the picture the password field appears but I cannot get
the caret to move to the password field. It seems after I log on and log off
once or twice this problem happens. I've never seen anything like it.

Do the CapsLock or NumLock indicator lights still work when
the problem occurs?

Yes, these keys are working even thought the password fields cannot accept
the caret.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Right -- I actually meant the the caret, not the cursor but I didn't think
most people would know what the caret is. I should have said something
like, "the blinking I-bar". I cannot get the caret to move to any of the
password fields.



Yes: After I click the picture the password field appears but I cannot get
the caret to move to the password field. It seems after I log on and log
off once or twice this problem happens. I've never seen anything like it.


Yes, these keys are working even thought the password fields cannot accept
the caret.

To ensure that there isn't some rogue program on your machine,
I would boot the machine into Safe Mode and check if the
problem occurs there too.

If this is a recent problem then I would use System Restore to
return the machine to a healthy state.

The logon process is initially handled by userinit.exe. There is
a remote chance that it got corrupted. You could run sfc.exe
to check your various system files, or replace userinit.exe
directly from your installation CD.

 

[Tom Baxter]

To ensure that there isn't some rogue program on your machine,
I would boot the machine into Safe Mode and check if the
problem occurs there too.

If this is a recent problem then I would use System Restore to
return the machine to a healthy state.

The logon process is initially handled by userinit.exe. There is
a remote chance that it got corrupted. You could run sfc.exe
to check your various system files, or replace userinit.exe
directly from your installation CD.

This was a freshly installed machine. No one's touched it but me. The
userinit.exe does not seem to be the problem. I'll just live with it. Thanks
anyway.

 

[Olórin]

This was a freshly installed machine. No one's touched it but me. The
userinit.exe does not seem to be the problem. I'll just live with it.
Thanks anyway.

Tom -

I have very similar, perhaps identical, symptoms to this on one of my PCs.
It only happens when trying to log in, never when unlocking; is inconsistent
(doesn't *always* happen); and only on accounts that are password-protected.
Accounts without a password can just click on their "picture" and they're
in.

The workaround I use that always works is to hold down Ctrl + Alt and hit
Del twice. This bring up a "standard" (old-fashioned, Win2k-type) log in box
where you'll have to enter your user name (overtyping the name of the last
account that logged in) and password.

I put it down to something having gone squiffy with my having done a custom
XP install using the nLite utility. I did a bit of hunting around on the Web
at the time and plenty of folk are having this problem - generally thought
to be caused by a Windows update. Many sites recommended doing an "sfc
/scannow" as Pegasus suggests. As that version of nLite was having problems
with sfc I just let it slide as it wasn't too much of a problem.

I found no definitive works-for-all fix, but other things that have worked
for some people are as follows:-

- Start > Run > regsvr32 shgina.dll

- Reduce size of cache for IE's temp files. (Worked for someone - maybe
same could be achieved by just clearing your IE cache).

- Remove KB923191 - although be aware of what security risks doing that
might expose you to. Maybe remove it when SP3 is finally out (which I think
is any day now) and then install SP3, although that might of course break it
again. I personally won't be installing SP3 until it's been around a while.
If you do remove the KB, don't forget to not let it reinstall through
Windows updates (you can tell it to not ask you about it again if you go to
the Custom option).

- Run the User Profile Hive Cleanup service from Microsoft
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en).


Hopefully one of these will work for you!

 

[Michael Alachouzos]

I have exactly the same problen as Tom (except that in my case there's only
one standard account, not two) after installing Win XP Pro (32-bit) with SP3
slipstreamed via nLite.

I looked for any reference to this problem on nLites's forum, but found none.

Michael Alachouzos

 

[Olórin]

I have exactly the same problen as Tom (except that in my case there's only
one standard account, not two) after installing Win XP Pro (32-bit) with
SP3
slipstreamed via nLite.

I looked for any reference to this problem on nLites's forum, but found
none.

Michael Alachouzos

Did you try all the things I suggested earlier to Tom? Does Ctrl + Alt +
(Del x2) get you to the login screen?

 

[Michael Alachouzos]

Did you try all the things I suggested earlier to Tom? Does Ctrl + Alt +
(Del x2) get you to the login screen?

Yes, the Ctrl+Alt+(Del x2) thing did work for me. Thanks.

Before reading your posts in this thread, by the way, I had assumed that the
problem was due to my having used nLite. But it now seems to me --- from your
suggestion of removing KB923191 and from various messages which I've now
found elsewhere on the Internet --- that the problem is in fact attributable
to KB923191 (as included, in my case, in SP3) and that my use of nLite (in
installing XP) is in fact irrelevant. Am I right, do you think, about that?

Michael Alachouzos

 

[Olórin]

Yes, the Ctrl+Alt+(Del x2) thing did work for me. Thanks.

Before reading your posts in this thread, by the way, I had assumed that
the
problem was due to my having used nLite. But it now seems to me --- from
your
suggestion of removing KB923191 and from various messages which I've now
found elsewhere on the Internet --- that the problem is in fact
attributable
to KB923191 (as included, in my case, in SP3) and that my use of nLite (in
installing XP) is in fact irrelevant. Am I right, do you think, about
that?

Michael Alachouzos

There have been a slew of suggestions which have worked for some people and
not others - but no panacea. Removing KB923191 has worked in some cases (for
a few other ideas see my earlier post). If it works in yours, then - well,
yes, the problem *was* attributable to it, and nothing to do with nLite. The
proof of the pudding is in the uninstalling. Be sure to check what removal
of the patch will/might expose you to first, though.

Not sure if the KB is available for individual removal if installed as part
of SP3, though - can't check right now.