log in --> auto log out on win XP home

[Scott Nichols]

Hi,

We apparently have some sort of virus/spy ware/ad ware
issue.

I am not completely sure what exatly it is.

What is happening is when we we log into one of our
accounts, the system automatically logs us out.

I have tried to run the System Recovery Console from the
WindowsXP CD I received from Dell, but it asks for an
adminstrator password. I have no admin password. I
enter a blank, and it says that my password is wrong.

I found a potential fix at this website:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6287-0.html?
forumID=47&threadID=154651

Do you have any other advice?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Curtis Koenig [MSFT]]

Hi Scott,
Does the system log you out immediatly or later like when the screen saver
engages? If it is the second option this is by default and is an option on
the screen saver you can change. If you are having a problem with the
Administrator on an OEM machine (ie Dell) then you should contact their
customer support for assistance.

--
Curtis Koenig
Security Support Engineer
Product Support Services, Security Team
MCSE, MCSES, CISSP

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroup so that others may benefit. Thanks!

--------------------

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

This may not be your issue, but I can duplicate the behavior that you're experiencing by removing the registry value indicated in the folloowing:

Is the machine on a network? If so, you can try the following. Boot the affected computer and let it get to the Welcome Screen. Then go to the other computer on the network, log on and click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT File, Connect Network Registry. Enter the machine name of the affected computer and click OK. You may be prompted for a username and password. If so, this must be a user account on the affected machine, with Administrator privileges.

You'll see a new branch in the Registry that corresponds to the affected computer. Expand this branch and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

In the right pane, look for a value called UserInit. If present, this value should read:

C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe,

The comma on the end is intentional and it must be there. If the value is different, double click the UserInit value and change it. If XP is not installed on C: on the affected machine, then change the path accordingly.

If the machine is not on a network, the steps in the following KB article will help you. The steps must be followed exactly.

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307545
How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

And yes, I realize your system will boot, but you can't get past the logon. This will allow you to restore your system back to a point before the change was made that prevents you from logging on. Some users have reported that they ran AdAware and/or Spybot before the problem appeared.