Key determining program to display prior to the logon

T

Tortise@Paradise

Hi
My windows 2000 Professional notebook starts with a VB like window caption
which says "Howdy, Bet you can't guess this!!", with a text box showing
"Message text" and an OK Key.
One clicks "OK" and the window goes and the initial Logon shows.
Antivirus protection is upto date and no viruses detected.
I suspect it is a prank from my brother, however he died...so I cannot
clarify with him.....
Is there a key or set of keys to check that might trigger this?
Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance.
Kind regards,
David Hingston
_________________________________________________________________________
Engines2Go - Now THAT's a Search Engine!
Automated major search engine manager
Makes searching quicker and easier - Have you tried it?
http://www.engines2go.com/
http://www.cheqsoft.com/ The home of Clipboard Express, MP3 Detective,
TimesOwn and Break Reminder.
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Hi
My windows 2000 Professional notebook starts with a VB like window
caption which says "Howdy, Bet you can't guess this!!", with a
text box showing "Message text" and an OK Key.
One clicks "OK" and the window goes and the initial Logon shows.
Antivirus protection is upto date and no viruses detected.
I suspect it is a prank from my brother, however he died...so I
cannot clarify with him.....
Is there a key or set of keys to check that might trigger this?
Any other ideas?

That sounds possibly like a "Legal Notice"

Look at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"LegalNoticeCaption"=
"LegalNoticeText"=

If data is present set those two to be blank (no text) but do not
remove them.
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Hi
My windows 2000 Professional notebook starts with a VB like window
caption which says "Howdy, Bet you can't guess this!!", with a
text box showing "Message text" and an OK Key.
One clicks "OK" and the window goes and the initial Logon shows.
Antivirus protection is upto date and no viruses detected.
I suspect it is a prank from my brother, however he died...so I
cannot clarify with him.....
Is there a key or set of keys to check that might trigger this?
Any other ideas?

That sounds possibly like a "Legal Notice"

Look at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"LegalNoticeCaption"=
"LegalNoticeText"=

If data is present set those two to be blank (no text) but do not
remove them.
 
T

Tortise@Paradise

Hi Mark
That's the sort of thing I was looking for, sadly they are blank.
Can anyone make any other suggestions?
--
Kind regards,
David Hingston
_________________________________________________________________________
Engines2Go - Now THAT's a Search Engine!
Automated major search engine manager
Makes searching quicker and easier - Have you tried it?
http://www.engines2go.com/
http://www.cheqsoft.com/ The home of Clipboard Express, MP3 Detective,
TimesOwn and Break Reminder.
 
T

Tortise@Paradise

Hi Mark
That's the sort of thing I was looking for, sadly they are blank.
Can anyone make any other suggestions?
--
Kind regards,
David Hingston
_________________________________________________________________________
Engines2Go - Now THAT's a Search Engine!
Automated major search engine manager
Makes searching quicker and easier - Have you tried it?
http://www.engines2go.com/
http://www.cheqsoft.com/ The home of Clipboard Express, MP3 Detective,
TimesOwn and Break Reminder.
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Hi Mark
That's the sort of thing I was looking for, sadly they are blank.
Can anyone make any other suggestions?
[ ]

Hmm. This is after Windows starts up but before the logon screen?

How capable was the suspected tamperer? Check at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"UserInit"=
Typically that is "C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe,"
(or similar)

Also look at all the RUN locations in the registry with a startup
manager. AutoRuns is a free one.
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml
If unfamiliar, you may need to post some of the findings.
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Hi Mark
That's the sort of thing I was looking for, sadly they are blank.
Can anyone make any other suggestions?
[ ]

Hmm. This is after Windows starts up but before the logon screen?

How capable was the suspected tamperer? Check at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"UserInit"=
Typically that is "C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe,"
(or similar)

Also look at all the RUN locations in the registry with a startup
manager. AutoRuns is a free one.
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml
If unfamiliar, you may need to post some of the findings.
 
D

Dave Patrick

Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.
 
D

Dave Patrick

Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.
 
T

Tortise@Paradise

And that was where it was!!!!
I did search the registry for "Howdy" and didn't find it, although it seems
to fully search one must first click on the beginning to start from..."My
Computer"...as I did find it just now!
Thank you. How it got there.....Well who knows! I expect its in one of his
VB apps.....
Good on ya Bro....LOL
Kind regards,
David Hingston
_________________________________________________________________________
Engines2Go - Now THAT's a Search Engine!
Automated major search engine manager
Makes searching quicker and easier - Have you tried it?
http://www.engines2go.com/
http://www.cheqsoft.com/ The home of Clipboard Express, MP3 Detective,
TimesOwn and Break Reminder.

Dave Patrick said:
Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]

Mark V said:
That sounds possibly like a "Legal Notice"

Look at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"LegalNoticeCaption"=
"LegalNoticeText"=

If data is present set those two to be blank (no text) but do not
remove them.
 
T

Tortise@Paradise

And that was where it was!!!!
I did search the registry for "Howdy" and didn't find it, although it seems
to fully search one must first click on the beginning to start from..."My
Computer"...as I did find it just now!
Thank you. How it got there.....Well who knows! I expect its in one of his
VB apps.....
Good on ya Bro....LOL
Kind regards,
David Hingston
_________________________________________________________________________
Engines2Go - Now THAT's a Search Engine!
Automated major search engine manager
Makes searching quicker and easier - Have you tried it?
http://www.engines2go.com/
http://www.cheqsoft.com/ The home of Clipboard Express, MP3 Detective,
TimesOwn and Break Reminder.

Dave Patrick said:
Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]

Mark V said:
That sounds possibly like a "Legal Notice"

Look at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\Winlogon\
"LegalNoticeCaption"=
"LegalNoticeText"=

If data is present set those two to be blank (no text) but do not
remove them.
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.

Dang! And I knew it too, just forgot...again.

Thanks Dave. I'm putting on a sleep-learning tape. :)
 
M

Mark V

In said:
Mark,
FYI; For Windows 2000 the path has changed to;
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
I keep forgetting this too.

Dang! And I knew it too, just forgot...again.

Thanks Dave. I'm putting on a sleep-learning tape. :)
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top