Windows logon failure

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I recently changed my default user input language from english to japanese
(using files already on my computer, not using my install disc) and of course
was then asked to restart my computer. I did but when I got to the log on
screen, I found that I could not log on. That is to say, I could log on, it
shows the "Loading your preferences..." message for about a half second and
then it returns me to the log on screen. It also turns off my num lock for
some reason.

Here's some random weirdities about my system that may be contributing to
the problem, although the ui language change is when the problem started:

I have two HDDs but C: is my slave and F: is the master.
I reformatted both around 3-4 weeks ago.
That's all O can think about for now
 
ribs said:
I recently changed my default user input language from english to japanese
(using files already on my computer, not using my install disc) and of course
was then asked to restart my computer. I did but when I got to the log on
screen, I found that I could not log on. That is to say, I could log on, it
shows the "Loading your preferences..." message for about a half second and
then it returns me to the log on screen. It also turns off my num lock for
some reason.

Here's some random weirdities about my system that may be contributing to
the problem, although the ui language change is when the problem started:

I have two HDDs but C: is my slave and F: is the master.
I reformatted both around 3-4 weeks ago.
That's all O can think about for now
Click to expand...

Have a look at the thread "Login problem", posted in this
newsgroup about 47 hours ago.
 
Ah sorry I must have missed that one. I see it now. What was the second
solution you mentioned, for pcs not networked?
 
Err I just realized that could be interpreted 2 different ways; I meant case
b, I have other Windows XP PCs
 
Having two non-networked PCs makes it rather tedious
as it involves moving disks from one machine to the other.
Before going there I suggest you try this:
1. Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk from
www.bootdisk.com.
2. Run this command: fdisk /mbr

This will reset the disk volume names, thus forcing
Windows to reassign the drive letters on the next
reboot. Sometimes it works, somtimes it does not.
 
OK, you asked for it:
1. Temporarily install the problem disk as a slave disk in
some other WinXP PC.
2. Find out the current drive letter for the bad disk's drive C:.
It could be D, E, F or whatever - I'll call it X:.
3. Run this command from a Command Prompt: mountvol.
4. Make a note of the volume label for drive X:. It looks like
so: Volume{58273200-dc6a-11d8-9d3a-806d6172696f. I'll call it Y.
5. Run regedit.exe.
6. Collapse the display so that you see only the five hives.
7. Single-click HKLM.
8. Click File / Load Hive
9. Type X:\windows\system32\config\system.
10. Type BadDisk when prompted.
11. Open HKLM, open BadDisk, then navigate to the highest
ControlSet number you have (usually 002 or 003).
12. Navigate to MountedDevices.
13. Locate the value Y in the right pane.
14. Make a note of the value data. It could be something like
25 e3 26 3e 00 7e. I'll call it Z.
15. Navigate down to DosDevices and locate Z. This is your
system drive assignment.
16. Rename its value to DosDevices\C: If drive letter C: is
used by some other value, rename that one first to make room.
17. Close the registry editor.
18. To add braces to your belt, copy X:\windows\system32\userinit.exe
to \windows\system32 on ***every*** other drive on the problem disk.
Make new folders if necessary.
19. Return the disk to its normal home.

If Steps 1..17 do not help then Step 18 probably will. And if you
survive the ordeal, post your result.
 
Ok, so just so I'm clear, I should be taking the drive that has windows
installed on it out of my computer and installing it on some other pc. After
that I find out what letter its been assigned (x) and use that letter to do
X:> mountvol in cmd? and then do the rest of the stuff?
 
Oops I accidentally hit that this answered my question. My bad. Anyway I'm
almost about to kill myself because according to my friend's PC, My disk's
file system is raw. I'm assuming I need to sell my soul to a data recovery
specialist now? or something like that? The Computer Management tool claims
that my 80 GB HD has 1 74.something GB partition and 1 500-something GB
partition unallocated. Please tell me there's something I can do? I need
the computer for just two more weeks before it can be as broke as it wants to
be. ;( I'm close to hysteria...
 
I'm afraid your post makes no sense. Your initial problem was
a looping logon screen. This is in most cases caused by an
incorrect system drive assignment.

In your most recent note you speak about Computer Management
tools, implying that you could finally log on, and raw disks, which
implies that you have destroyed your Windows installation. This is
contradictory.

I suggest you state clearly what you did and what you have. Statements
such as "I accidentally hit that this answered my question" or "My bad"
mean nothing to me.
 
Sorry. I'm on a friend's PC, attempting to implement your solution. Once we
got on, it claimed that my drive (the one i just installed on his PC) was not
formatted. We tried to continue with the solution anyway, getting as far as
step 8. but on step 9. regedit claimed that X:\windows\system32\config\system
did not exst. We then used the Computer Management tool to exam the drive
and found that it supposedly had about 500 GB of unallocated space in
addition to the 70-something GB normal partition, and that my disk didn't
appear to be formatted.
We assumed that my index was corrupt and were considering finding a data
recovery specialist. I put the disk back on my machine and it still booted
up as far as the login screen, meaning my index is NOT corrupt (or else it
wouldn't have recognized that I have windows at all, right?).
Any suggestions?
 
I see. Things are getting a little murky here. If this was my machine
then I would move immediately into "salvage" mode. The easiest
way to do this is by installing the disk as a slave disk in some other
PC but since that "other" PC won't recognise the disk, you cannot
use this option. Here are your remaining options:
a) Repartition & reformat the disk. Install WinXP and all applications.
You will, of course, lose all data.
b) Hand the disk to a recovery service. They can probably fix it
at a price.
c) Create a clone of your disk while on your own PC.

Option c) can be achieved in several ways. Here are two of them:

1. Get a copy of Acronis TrueImage, install it on your friend's PC
and use it to burn a boot CD. Boot your own PC with this CD
and create a clone of your problem disk on some spare disk.
It may even be possible to do this with a demo version of
TrueImage - you'll have to find out for yourself.

2. Burn a Bart PE boot CD on your friend's PC
(http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download),
then boot your own machine with this CD. Now use this
command to create a clone of your disk on some spare
disk:
xcopy /s /e /c /h /d /k /o /y d:\*.* e:\*.*
where D: is the problem disk and E: is the spare disk, which
must have been formatted under WinXP.

Option c) involves spending money or spending two or three
hours to create a Bart PE CD. Since it is unlikely to resolve your
original problem, you might want to go for options a) or b).
 
Alright I used Acronis TrueImage to succesfully clone my drive (I ended up
having to buy the full version but if I can save my computer it's a small
price to pay). As predicted it didn't solve the original problem. But my
friend's PC can now read my drive. Anyways, we tried 1-17 to see if it would
work and it didn't. We were ready to try 18 but we don't really understand
exactly what you mean.:

18. To add braces to your belt, copy X:\windows\system32\userinit.exe
to \windows\system32 on ***every*** other drive on the problem disk.
Make new folders if necessary.

We found the userinit.exe but we are unsure as to where we should copy it
to. What do you exactly mean by every other drive on the problem disk? I'd
appreciate it if you rewrote that step a bit more clearly.
 
Assuming you have drives Q:, R: and S: on your problem
disk while it is installed in your friend's PC (corresponding
to drives C:, D: and E: while it is installed in your own PC),
you must ensure that userinit.exe exists in these folders:

Q:\Windows\system32
R:\Windows\system32
S:\Windows\system32

Create the folders if they do not already exist.

You must also set your ntfs permissions so that all copies
of userinit.exe are readable by "everyone".

If successful, you will need to make some changes to the
registry when logging in the first time.

Have a look at this link too:
http://www.smilecomputers.nl/helpdesk/unablelogonadaware.htm
 
I only have one partition on the problem hard drive, so there's only 1 drive
letter assigned to it. Isn't this solution for paritioned drives with
multiple drive letters?
 
This is correct. When you have a disk with multiple
partitions then the system may be looking for userinit.exe
on the wrong partition. Creating multiple copies overcomes
this problem temporarily until you can apply a permanent
fix. Since you have only one partition, this issue is
irrelevant.

I note that you did not report on the permission setting
for c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe. Furthermore -
does this file have the same size and date samp as the
one on your friend's PC?
 
Alright, at this point the situation has changed somewhat. We decided that
my friend's PC isn't a good choice to be using at this point due to the fact
that during the same session that he was able to read my disk, a number of
hours later it reported that my disk had no file system.

On the recomendation of a different friend, i downloaded miniPE, an
operating system running from a boot disk and used it to save my important
files. It also comes with a registry editor. Right now I've basically
"forgotten" the second disk altogether and am running off of just one, named
C:. My initial problem still exists. I'm planning on repeating steps 1-17
now but could you explain what I need to do regarding the permission settings
 
Run this command from a Command Prompt:

cacls X:\windows\system32\userinit.exe /p everyone:F

where X: is the drive letter for your problem disk.
 
I haven't done steps 1-17 again since it seemed like all I was doing was
renaming the drive o C:, but it is named C: already at this point. I tried
the command you gave and that made some noise but doesn't appear to have
fixed the initial problem still. I don't suppose there's anyway I could send
you the appropriate directory, you could make the adjustments from there and
send it back and I could just replace what I have? I don't know if that's
feasible or not, but its just that everything i've tried seems to not work or
not work right.
 
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