Requirement For "Maintenance Password" on Boot Up

  • Thread starter Thread starter AtlantaBill
  • Start date Start date
A

AtlantaBill

XP PRO == We are using WinXP in a mining environment.
Recently, XP, upon boot, at the point I would expect to see
user selection, XP makes the statement " 'pc name'
maintenance password _________". It will not release
without it. None has been assigned.

This request for a maintenance password never existed
before. We have operated for about four (4) months
without this showing up.

Can anyone tell me what's happening??? How can this
message be inhibited?

Your assistance is greatly appreciated. HELP.
 
For xp passwords such as yours,or in recovery,when prom-
pted,just press the enter key if none have ever been
assigned.
 
-----Original Message-----
For xp passwords such as yours,or in recovery,when prom-
pted,just press the enter key if none have ever been
assigned.
.
No password for a "Maintenance" function was ever assigned.
Click to expand...
1. This request now comes up after months of operation
without it -- up until now, it has always made a clean boot.
2. Concurrently with the appearance of this malady, a
direct communication connection was established, requiring
a password. The comm. function was given a password. It
is this same password that the "Maintenance" function
requires on boot just before it should enter the User ID
screen.
3. What is the "Maintenance" function?? I can find no
reference to it in any of the HELP screens, nor can I find
a reference to it on Microsoft Support sites.
4. I'm flustered.
5. Thanks very much for your response.
 
Hey Atlanta Bill

Great place Georgia.

Is XP definitely up at this stage, its not something that the pc
manufacturers have on disk that has got activated accidentally ? What make
and model pc is it ?

This isn't the normal username/password box you would get if you went into

control panel/user accounts/Change the way users log on and off

And unticked use the welcome screen ?
Check this setting just in case.


What password are you keying in ? The Administrator's ?

Will it accept anything as the maintenance password ?
Try a random string.

If it accepts anything I'd suspect some kind of trojan/virus trying to mine
account passwords.

Do you run anti virus software ?

Paul
 
-----Original Message-----
Hey Atlanta Bill

Great place Georgia.

Is XP definitely up at this stage, its not something that the pc
manufacturers have on disk that has got activated accidentally ? What make
and model pc is it ?

This isn't the normal username/password box you would get if you went into

control panel/user accounts/Change the way users log on and off

And unticked use the welcome screen ?
Check this setting just in case.


What password are you keying in ? The Administrator's ?

Will it accept anything as the maintenance password ?
Try a random string.

If it accepts anything I'd suspect some kind of trojan/virus trying to mine
account passwords.

Do you run anti virus software ?

Paul





.
Hi, Paul. Thanks for your reply.
Click to expand...
Yes, Windows is up. But, this request for " 'pcname'
Maintenance Password _______" comes just B4 the user
selection screen should pop up.

The computer is a special purpose, dedicated industrial
computer with no access to the internet, & no drives of any
sort. So, the likelyhood of a virus is virtually zero.
No, there's no virus software installed, since we have
virtually total control over what goes into the OS.

It's a 3M 3510 industrial computer with an NFI touch
screen. 3M has very recently divested itself of this
manufacturing arm. We're running five other computers in
different sites with no difficulties.

I have not unticked the welcome screen -- that's a good
thing to try.

As well, I will try junk stuff in the password -- seems
like I did that once, only. The password I'm using is one
set up for the Direct Connect, Incoming. We connect to a
remote computer to transfer data via external modems.

I'm very confused about the source of this Maintenance
requirement, for I cannot find any references to it in any
of the Windows Help files. But, we're all aware of
Microsoft's penchant for undocumented "features".

Again, thanks for your response. I look forward to hearing
from you again on this.
 
Yes, Windows is up. But, this request for " 'pcname'
Maintenance Password _______" comes just B4 the user
selection screen should pop up.

The computer is a special purpose, dedicated industrial
computer with no access to the internet, & no drives of any
sort. So, the likelyhood of a virus is virtually zero.
No, there's no virus software installed, since we have
virtually total control over what goes into the OS.

It's a 3M 3510 industrial computer with an NFI touch
screen. 3M has very recently divested itself of this
manufacturing arm. We're running five other computers in
different sites with no difficulties.

I have not unticked the welcome screen -- that's a good
thing to try.

As well, I will try junk stuff in the password -- seems
like I did that once, only. The password I'm using is one
set up for the Direct Connect, Incoming. We connect to a
remote computer to transfer data via external modems.

I'm very confused about the source of this Maintenance
requirement, for I cannot find any references to it in any
of the Windows Help files. But, we're all aware of
Microsoft's penchant for undocumented "features".

Again, thanks for your response. I look forward to hearing
from you again on this.
Click to expand...
 
I don't suppose you've got a digital camera handy so you could take a
picture of the screen ?

This connection to the remote system, do you dial in to them, or do they
dial in to you.
What software do you run to conntect to the remote system to do the file
transfer?

When you say you get "pc name" does it actually display the hostname or
netbios name of the pc, or the actual string "pc name" prompting you to
enter the name of the pc ?

Is there just 1 pc per site, so there is a local area network which this pc
is connected to ?

Is the pc setup to be a member of a workgroup or a domain ?

Paul
 
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