Attempt to login goes back to login prompt

[Guest]

Hi all

I am dealing with a real headscratcher. A client gave me their computer
because they could not log on. They put their login info: username/password,
it looked like it was doing some machination then went back to the login
prompt.

Hmm. I tried logging in with the Admin account (which apparently had no
password), and same thing. I then booted to safe mode, but still no luck. I
could not get past the login prompt.

I took out the disk and put it in another machine and was able to see all
the appropriate files are there. Ran antivirus scans/etc, cleaned everything
out, but still not luck.

I even tried to do a boot from CD/Repair, but the start said it could not
find a disk. Strange because it is a SATA disk and is recognized at boot. The
OS does boot to the login prompt.

???? I am stumped.

Any ideas?

Nate

 

[Rock]

Hi all

I am dealing with a real headscratcher. A client gave me their computer
because they could not log on. They put their login info:
username/password,
it looked like it was doing some machination then went back to the login
prompt.

Hmm. I tried logging in with the Admin account (which apparently had no
password), and same thing. I then booted to safe mode, but still no luck.
I
could not get past the login prompt.

I took out the disk and put it in another machine and was able to see all
the appropriate files are there. Ran antivirus scans/etc, cleaned
everything
out, but still not luck.

I even tried to do a boot from CD/Repair, but the start said it could not
find a disk. Strange because it is a SATA disk and is recognized at boot.
The
OS does boot to the login prompt.

Install the drive in another machine and edit the registry remotely to see
what the userinit value is. See these articles.

Editing the Registry for "other" Users
http://www.dougknox.com/

You cannot log on to Windows XP after you remove Wsaupdater.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892893/en-us

If that doesn’t help see this:
A User Logon Request Is Rejected Without Any Messages
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313322

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi all

I am dealing with a real headscratcher. A client gave me their computer
because they could not log on. They put their login info: username/password,
it looked like it was doing some machination then went back to the login
prompt.

Hmm. I tried logging in with the Admin account (which apparently had no
password), and same thing. I then booted to safe mode, but still no luck. I
could not get past the login prompt.

I took out the disk and put it in another machine and was able to see all
the appropriate files are there. Ran antivirus scans/etc, cleaned everything
out, but still not luck.

I even tried to do a boot from CD/Repair, but the start said it could not
find a disk. Strange because it is a SATA disk and is recognized at boot. The
OS does boot to the login prompt.

???? I am stumped.

Any ideas?

Nate

The problem is well known and is often caused by some disk
manipulation software. The solution depens on your setup: It
is simple if the machine is networked and if you know the password
for its admin account, and less simple but still manageable if you
have some other WinXP/2000 PC available. Which one is it?

 

[Guest]

HI Pegasus

I have the admin password (there is none). I do have another PC that I can
use. I was able to pull out the disk and install it into this other PC, but I
can use it for other means.

What suggestions do you have?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I was hoping that you could network the machine . . .

While the disk is in your second PC, take the following
steps. I will assume that it is visible as drive F:.
1. Create the following lines in F:\Documents and Settings\
All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Logon.bat
@echo off
echo %date% %time% >> c:\test.txt
set >> c:\test.txt
2. Run F:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\
Programs\Startup\Logon.bat
3. Check if the file c:\test.txt exists and if it contains information
about your second PC.
4. Put the disk back into its normal case. Reboot and go
through the full logon cycle that you first described.
5. Return the disk to your second machine and report
the contents of Q:\test.txt (not C:\test.txt!).

The next step will require some off-line editing of the
problem PC's registry, based on the information you post
in Step 5 above.

 

[Guest]

Hey Rock. thanks for the suggestions.

Question. If I install the drive in another machine, I boot from a local
disk. How do I edit the registry on this "foreign" disk? It is not "other"
user since the user is not local to this other machine...

 

[Ayush]

Pegasus (MVP) wrote ::

I was hoping that you could network the machine . . .

While the disk is in your second PC, take the following
steps. I will assume that it is visible as drive F:.
1. Create the following lines in F:\Documents and Settings\
All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Logon.bat
@echo off
echo %date% %time% >> c:\test.txt
set >> c:\test.txt
2. Run F:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\
Programs\Startup\Logon.bat
3. Check if the file c:\test.txt exists and if it contains information
about your second PC.
4. Put the disk back into its normal case. Reboot and go
through the full logon cycle that you first described.

5. Return the disk to your second machine and report
the contents of Q:\test.txt (not C:\test.txt!).

Q:\ ??



Good Luck, Ayush.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Pegasus (MVP) wrote ::

Q:\ ??

Thanks for picking up my mistake. This should read "F:\test.txt"
where F: is the drive letter under which the OP's problem disk
appears while installed in his second machine.

 

[Rock]

Hey Rock. thanks for the suggestions.

Question. If I install the drive in another machine, I boot from a local
disk. How do I edit the registry on this "foreign" disk? It is not "other"
user since the user is not local to this other machine...

You follow the procedure in the link from Doug Knox I gave you.

 

[Guest]

Hi Rock, I tried all the options you suggested. The userinit.exe seemed to be
correct and in the right place. There was no file called wsau.. that one of
the options suggested.

I did the regedit but could not find userinit.exe that indicated anything
unusual.

I do have the computer on a network but if I try to RDP, I have the same
problem getting kicked off. I cannot connect to any drive since it looks like
there are no shares open.

 

[Guest]

Hi Pegasus. Did as you suggested, but no file was created. I tested the file
in the test machine and it created a file as expected, however, in the
failing machine - nothing. I tried several times changing permissions, etc,
but nothing happened.

I have put the machine on the net and tried to RDP but with same results.

Any other ideas?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Using the network is actually the preferred method. Try this:
1. Connect the machine to your network.
2. Start a Command Prompt on your own machine.
3. Type this command:
psexec \\ProblemPC -u administrator "" {Enter}
You can get psexec.exe from www.sysinternals.com
4. Make a note of the system drive letter. What is it?

 

[Rock]

Hi Rock, I tried all the options you suggested. The userinit.exe seemed to
be
correct and in the right place. There was no file called wsau.. that one
of
the options suggested.

I did the regedit but could not find userinit.exe that indicated anything
unusual.

I do have the computer on a network but if I try to RDP, I have the same
problem getting kicked off. I cannot connect to any drive since it looks
like
there are no shares open.

Too bad. It sure looked like something to do with the userinit entry.
Hopefully Pegasus' and/or Ayush advice will help you sort it out.