failed login after win 2000 upgrade from 98

[jamie01]

Problem: The first time I try to login into Windows 2000,
after running an upgrade from Windows 98, the computer
fails to get to the desktop. It accepts the user name and
password then tries to load the personal settings as
normal. After a few seconds it reverts back to the login
screen again, and keeps repeating this behaviour every
time I try to login. I also get the same behaviour from
trying this in safe mode.

Any ideas to what is happening while loading the personal
setting that kicks it back to the login screen time after
time?

I'd kindly appreciated any help on offer!!

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

It sounds a little like the path that Windows has stored for its paging file
is not accessible. If you look very carefully, you may be an error message
pop up just before it kicks you back to the desktop.

There are other things that can cause this issue, but the paging file one is
the one I'd go for first.

I have a method for rectifying it so long as you have another Windows
NT/2000/XP/2003 machine on the network that can gain remote access to the
broken machine while it's at the logon screen.

You can use RegEdt32.exe to connect remotely to the affected machine and
edit the PagingFiles value in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management

Unless you are using Windows XP or above, you must use RegEdt32.exe for
this, as the data type for the value is REG_MULTI_SZ and regedit.exe prior
to XP can't handle this data type.

Otherwise, I'd suggest doing a repair installation of Windows 2000 over the
top of your existing installation. Failing that, and failing any
suggestions from other people, I'd wipe the entire disk and restore your
data from the backup you took right before you installed Windows 2000. You
do have a backup, don't you? If not, connecting the hard disk to
another machine might be a way to get your data back.

It's issues like this that make me recommend never to do upgrades of the
OS -- always install afresh where possible.

Hope this helps

Oli

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

Correction:

If you look very carefully, you may be an error message
pop up just before it kicks you back to the desktop.

you may see*

 

[MF Folz-Donahue]

It sounds a little like the path that Windows has stored for its paging file
is not accessible. If you look very carefully, you may be an error message
pop up just before it kicks you back to the desktop.

I have the exact same problem as the one described below, except that
it was a clean install on a blank HDD. My old HD died, so I bought a
used one that had been wiped clean, and installed Win2K on a 4096 MB
partition. My system has a 200MHz PII and 64MB of RAM.

However, I don't recall seeing an error message after the login
screen. I get a blue screen with a mouse pointer that turns into the
hourglass icon. It freezes at that point and I never get the desktop.

There are other things that can cause this issue, but the paging file one is
the one I'd go for first.

I have a method for rectifying it so long as you have another Windows
NT/2000/XP/2003 machine on the network that can gain remote access to the
broken machine while it's at the logon screen.

You can use RegEdt32.exe to connect remotely to the affected machine and
edit the PagingFiles value in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory
Management

Unless you are using Windows XP or above, you must use RegEdt32.exe for
this, as the data type for the value is REG_MULTI_SZ and regedit.exe prior
to XP can't handle this data type.

I only have the one machine, I'm afraid. Is there any other way I can
fix it? Sadly I don't have a working floppy boot disk any more.

Otherwise, I'd suggest doing a repair installation of Windows 2000 over the
top of your existing installation.

I might do this. Not entirely sure how to accomplish this, though.

-MF Folz-Donahue

 

[mark]

Wow....the first time I ever run into this issue, I find
someone else a day later with the same issue.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

THanks.

 

[DL]

Personally I dont believe upgrading an o/s, when the two are so radically
different is a good idea.
A clean install, is a less problomatic option.
You should ensure yr hardware is supported in win2k, often a problem with
laptops.
Run the compatibility checker first, at the extream remove/disconnect other
hardware. ie monitor,keyb,cd,floppy only.