XP-Pro user accounts keep disappearing

[ruebe]

I need help with a strange problem. I have found no help in past
postings.

About every other day, the main user, (with restricted privileges) on
this XP Pro SP1 box cannot log in via the Welcome Screen, because XP
suddenly decides that the password is wrong.

He can then use an existing 'Administrator1' account with full
privileges, to log in.
After the screensaver comes on, and requires a password to resume, XP
now decides that the password for 'Administrator1' is wrong too.

Rebooting, both accounts have disappeared from the Welcome Screen and
sometimes all others. Miraculously, the default 'Administrator'
becomes visible without Safe Mode, and allows log-in.

Going to <Control Panel> <Administrative Tools> <Local Users and
Groups> <Users> <Properties> reveals that all the disappeared accounts
have somehow become disabled, (not locked). This explains why they
have disappeared from the Welcome Screen, but not why the have become
disabled in the first place.

After enabling the accounts, everything is fine for about two days.

I have replaced the keyboard to eliminate the obvious, but no change.

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

The Local Security Policy Snap-In is missing from the Administrative
Tools, so I could not look for any suspicious security settings.
Where is the setting to (un-)hide it?

Thanks for your help.

Ruebe

 

[ruebe]

Hi Dolls and Guys,

is my problem too weird or too trivial for an answer???

ruebe

 

[annanntmoose]

-----Original Message-----
Hi Dolls and Guys,

is my problem too weird or too trivial for an answer???

ruebe

(e-mail address removed) (ruebe) wrote in message

I'd like an answer also as I have this exact problem with
one of my XP Pro machines. My guess is that it is a power
saver feature that is putting the system to sleep and then
not waking it up properly. Unfortunatley I haven't had
time to test this theory yet.