Logon never completes

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Guest

Not really a setup issue, but not sure what other categoy applies. This is a
working Windows 2003 server (stand alone) with Terminal Services Application
sharing. No know chnages made to the server recently.

When I try to log on at the console, I briefly see an Applying Settings
message, then the "Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to logon" reappears. It doesn't matter
if the user is and admin or not.

Not password error, I get a normal password error when I intentionally put
in a bad password.

Cannot connect remotely via RDP (admin or client) so soem major services
must not be running.

I hesitate to use the Recovery Console to restore MBR or fixboot, because
the server DOES seem to boot up.

help !
thanx
 
joeb1950 said:
Not really a setup issue, but not sure what other categoy applies. This is a
working Windows 2003 server (stand alone) with Terminal Services Application
sharing. No know chnages made to the server recently.

When I try to log on at the console, I briefly see an Applying Settings
message, then the "Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to logon" reappears. It doesn't matter
if the user is and admin or not.

Not password error, I get a normal password error when I intentionally put
in a bad password.

Cannot connect remotely via RDP (admin or client) so soem major services
must not be running.

I hesitate to use the Recovery Console to restore MBR or fixboot, because
the server DOES seem to boot up.

help !
thanx
Click to expand...

What's the recent history of your PC? If it is what I suspect
then the news item "Ghosting Win 2003 -- Can't log-in" in the
newsgroup Windows.Server.General might help you.
 
No recent changes to the system, but it's in a Cybercafe and the users
attract a lot of sypware and viruses. Running latest Syamntec anti-virus,
SpyBot and SpyKiller daily.

Regarding the article you referenced, I don't think I can map a drive to it
(certainly can't RDP to it) but will try that. Will also try Last Known
Good.

Regarding the reference to doing a repair install, the link is to an XP
install,not Win2003 Server.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Thanks Much for you suggestion...

It was the userinit reference inthe registry. Rather than userinit.exe it
was pointing to wsaupdate.exe. I was able to remotely modify the registry
and the log now completes OK.

New problem is that the Spooler won't start.

Service Control Manager, Source: None
Event ID 7000
The Print Spooler service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the path specified.

When I do "sc query spooler"
The Win32_exit_code is 3

Can't find similar symptons in Knowledgebase.

any ideas?
thanks
 
Userinit.exe corrected in registry and log on now works.

But
Now Spooler won't start:


"Could not start the print spooler service on Local computer

ERROR 3: the system cannot find the path specified"

Thanks for any advice
 
Run services.msc, then have a look at the print spooler
service. It's supposed to invoke this file:

C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe

In your case either the reference is wrong or the file is missing.
 
The file exists C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe

But when I looked at the properties of the Spooler Servis in services.msc,
the "path to executable" is BLANK and is not an editable field. How do I put
the correct path into the service properties?

Also noticed that (unlike a working server I saw at my office) there is no
dependancies.

Also noticed someone in another group with the same inital problem I had. I
pointed him to the Ghosting post you refered me to. Is this a virus or
trojan going around? If I remember correctly, userinit.exe was replaced with
something like wsaupdate.exe.

Thanks again for all your help
 
You will find the details of the PrintSpooler service in
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler
Have a look at another machine to see what they should
look like. Whether it is sufficient to just duplicate them
I do not know. Something or somebody appears to have
done a few things to your machine.

Seeing that this machine is in a cybercafe, I think it is
mandatory for you to create an image of each machine,
using a tool such as DriveImage (PowerQuest) or
TrueImage (Acronis). When something goes wrong,
you simply re-apply the most recent image. This would
take five minutes of your time instead of the hours that
you have spent so far.
 
I was able to copy the spooler key from a "healthy" win 2003 server and
import it, and the spooler now works.

Regarding imaging the server, you are absolutley correct, I should have this
and all the other PC's imaged.

The sad thing is that I actually bought Acronis 7.0 several months ago
intending to do just that, and never got around to it. No excuse, lesson
learned, thanks for your help.
 
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