Problem with login in Windows XP

[Guest]

I was recently going through my list of programs/processes that start on
login - I was doing this through the new Norton System Works software I got.
I was trying to unselect certain items that don't need to start on login
(like qttask and other processes). Somehow I selected something that I
shouldn't have, and now everytime I go to log in, before it even starts to
bring up the desktop, it shows me as logging off, then just sits on the
Welcome/Login screen.

I think I may have unchecked the desktop.ini process, but I'm not positive.
Have anyone ever done this before, or know of a way to resolve this? I've
tried logging-in in safe mode, and using the last known good configuration
options - but I had no success with either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I was recently going through my list of programs/processes that start on
login - I was doing this through the new Norton System Works software I
got.
I was trying to unselect certain items that don't need to start on login
(like qttask and other processes). Somehow I selected something that I
shouldn't have, and now everytime I go to log in, before it even starts to
bring up the desktop, it shows me as logging off, then just sits on the
Welcome/Login screen.

I think I may have unchecked the desktop.ini process, but I'm not
positive.
Have anyone ever done this before, or know of a way to resolve this? I've
tried logging-in in safe mode, and using the last known good configuration
options - but I had no success with either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Your problem is much the same as the problem described in
the thread "Log-on Log-off", posted in this newsgroup two
days ago. Have a look there about ways to resolve it!

 

[Guest]

I read through that thread some. A couple problems... I don't believe that my
problem is a drive letter problem, since I never replaced/changed a hard
drive. All I did was disable some startup processes from the list. The other
problem is that I can't remember the computer ID for that computer (and I'm
on a simple home network so no Admin to help me out.

I do however have another computer, and I've taken the hard drive from my
bad computer, and placed it in my working computer. Is there any way for me
to get at, and edit that startup processes list on the 'bad computer' hard
drive while it's plugged into my 'good computer'?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You can do this with the "bad" disk:
- Click Start / Run / cmd{Enter}
- Type these commands:
notepad "X:\documents and settings\all users\start
menu\programs\startup\netlogon.bat"{Enter}
@echo off
echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> c:\test.txt{Enter}
echo %SystemRoot% %UserProfile% >> c:\test.txt{Enter}
tasklist >> c:\test.txt{Enter}
mountvol >> c:\test.txt{Enter}
xcopy c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe Y:\windows\system32\{Enter}

where X: is the drive letter of the first partition of the "bad" disk
and X: is the drive letter of the second partition (if you have one).
Now return the disk to its normal home and try logging on, then
take it back to your second PC and report the contents of
X:\test.txt. There is a chance that it contains some useful information,
if it exists at all.

If it does not exist then you will have to perform some messy
off-line registry editing.

 

[Guest]

Well, I put the file in, places in back in the 'bad computer', started it up
and tried to login. As always it wouldn't let me log in, though for some
reason it showed me the number of unread messages I had now (which I don't
remember it doing before). However when I shut down the 'bad computer' and
put the drive into my 'good computer' and looked there was no test.txt file
on the drive. It did apparently run through in my 'good computer' because I
had a text.txt file on that drive after rebooting with the other hard drive
in it. I double checked in the .bat file I made wasn't in the all users
folder on my good drive like it is on my bad drive.

So is there someplace I can find instructions for the "messy off-line
registry editing" that I'm now going to have to do? :-/

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

While I would not mind explaining in detail how to edit an
off-line registry, I can't help thinking that your problem is
different from the other poster's problem. You did not
manipulate any disks - instead you used Norton System
Works to modify your PC's profile. My concern is that
by going for the wrong fix, you might make a bad situation
worse.

I recommend you check the Norton FAQs and/or post
your question there. I am not familiar with this product
but I suspect that people who are will be able to assist
you immediately.