User accounts not starting

[tandlj]

Restarting a PC (DELL Inspiron 530 running Vista Home Premium) after
check-disk run on start-up starts Windows to the 'Welcome' screen. However,
logging into any of the user accounts initially produces the next 'Welcome'
screen and the little 'wait' circle but then it goes black and only the white
cursor is displayed, nothing else happens.

In safe mode, the user account loads normally.

Prehistory: The PC had started to do odd things a while ago: take very very
long to shut down, more or less freeze on some of the limited user accounts
(the boys'), not shut down at all, and similar.

Today, as a further attempt to right things, I ran the MS Disk Cleanup
(normally I use CCleaner) and Check Disk option on start-up. That
reported quite a lot of problems and fixes and took a long time.

 

[tandlj]

1.) Are your boys' user accounts ok in normal mode now after "disk
cleanup etc.", or still no go ?

When UAC is switched off, all accounts are now accessible as long as they
are 'Administrator' accounts, but not as 'Limited' accounts.

2.) " That reported quite a lot of problems and fixes and took a long
time ". So, is everything fixed now ? If not, what are the current
problems ?

That happened as part of the scan-disk, or disk cleanup - run at start up.
There are no known problems other than the account access one.

3.) How long is " awhile ago "? ( If not too long ago, a system restore
might help.)

Probably 1-2 months.

Thanks, Joseph

 

[tandlj]

Thank you for the clarification. Can you not remove your boys'
admin.accounts---- I mean Remove ,not change account type ---- then set
up user accounts for your boys with passwords ---- in normal mode ?

Do I delete all their files as well or only the accounts? If yes, will the
systems restore bring their files and data back, or do they need to be
backed-up before deleting their accounts (and then restored separately) ?