Windows XP Home refuses to let me login

[Yaacov Klapisch]

There are four users on the computer.
Since this morning whichever user I try to logon to, I get the message
"Loading your Settings..." and after three seconds "Logging off" and I am
back to the login screen.
I am also unable to get to the recovery console because I can't login.
I also tried to go back to some restore points in th past but it doesn't
help.
What else can I try?

 

[Tom Porterfield]

There are four users on the computer.
Since this morning whichever user I try to logon to, I get the message
"Loading your Settings..." and after three seconds "Logging off" and I am
back to the login screen.
I am also unable to get to the recovery console because I can't login.
I also tried to go back to some restore points in th past but it doesn't
help.
What else can I try?

You should still be able to log on to recovery console as that bypasses
the standard windows logon and uses its own logon. You will need to
know the administrator password. See this article for how to repair
once at the recovery console:

http://www.lavahelp.com/articles/v6/04/06/0901.html

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

How did you get to system Restore?

Reboot tapping F8 each second.
Select "Last known good configuration" at the menu.

Otherwise check for damaged/missing system files:
Start/Run
Type "sfc /scannow" ENTER
Follow prompts and have the Windows XP CD available.

Otherwise perform a Repair Installation:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/repaxp.htm

 

[Alex Nichol]

How did you get to system Restore?

Reboot tapping F8 each second.
Select "Last known good configuration" at the menu.

Next stage would be, at that point, to try 'Safe Mode - Command Prompt
only' and if this loads give
C:\Windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

which loads the System Restore GUI - and use it to select a restore
point from a day or two back

 

[Guest]

I tried all of this and then some and i still have the same problem. XP Home with NTFS and I can't logon. Many people seem to have this problem recently and noone has a sufficient answer. Tried System Restore/Repair, last known good, the secret replacement of "The Hives" (now I'm a beekeeper). Still same problem. I try to logon, goes to "Loading personal settings", then just hangs, often with a blank (no word at all) box with two places to click a red X. I ran a few utilities and all my files are still on the hard drive, but how do I Resurect the OS

 

[Kelly]

Change your BIOS boot to CD. Then try the Recovery Console. Note: If this
happened after running sypware cleaners, try the measure mentioned here:

Cleaning Up XP: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_c.htm#cleanup

 

[Nathan McNulty]

You could always attempt to re-install Windows XP. Try using F8, and
select safe mode and see if you can log in through that. There may be
something installed that patched a core .dll or similar file.

Also, I would try repairing the installation again if possible. You can
do this through the Recovery Console.

Nathan McNulty
Beta ID - 525676

 

[Kelly]

Nathan, your beta ID is not needed here.

You could always attempt to re-install Windows XP. Try using F8, and
select safe mode and see if you can log in through that. There may be
something installed that patched a core .dll or similar file.

Also, I would try repairing the installation again if possible. You can do
this through the Recovery Console.

Nathan McNulty
Beta ID - 525676

 

[Nathan McNulty]

LOL, part of my sig. I need to change it for this server.
Nathan McNulty

 

[Yaacov Klapisch]

This was the good answer.
Thank you very much. Now everybody in the company thinks I am a genius ;-)

 

[Tom Porterfield]

This was the good answer.
Thank you very much. Now everybody in the company thinks I am a genius ;-)

Glad to hear you got it working. You don't have to "know" to be a
genius, you just have to know where to find out. ;-)
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.