XP pc logs in and then out again

  • Thread starter Thread starter MSExchange2003Student
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MSExchange2003Student

Hi

One of our pc's has the issue where it logs in after you type in the user
name and password and then it logs out again. You don't even get to see the
desktop. PC is not on a domain. How do i fix this?
 
Boot the PC to Safe Mode ( Log in as Administrator ). Create a new
user with appropriate rights. If successful, then copy the pre-existing
profile data to a new account. If login using Safe Mode fails, then the
OS is likely damaged and a Repair install is called for.
 
MSExchange2003Student said:
Hi

One of our pc's has the issue where it logs in after you type in the user
name and password and then it logs out again. You don't even get to see
the desktop. PC is not on a domain. How do i fix this?
Click to expand...

- Does this happen to all users or just one user?
- What is the recent history of this machine?
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
- Does this happen to all users or just one user? Only, one user
- What is the recent history of this machine?
Click to expand...
Machine was a stand alone pc in a remote site with a internet connection.
Virus possibility not ruled out
 
R. McCarty said:
Boot the PC to Safe Mode ( Log in as Administrator ). Create a new
user with appropriate rights. If successful, then copy the pre-existing
profile data to a new account. If login using Safe Mode fails, then the
OS is likely damaged and a Repair install is called for.
Click to expand...

How do i create a new user when i'm in command prompt mode in Windows...to
do the rest of your answer?
 
Command Prompt mode ? - Can you not boot the PC to Safe Mode.
Once in that mode, you should be able to access the Users applet in
Control Panel.
 
MSExchange2003Student said:
Machine was a stand alone pc in a remote site with a internet connection.
Virus possibility not ruled out
Click to expand...

If it happens to one user only then you should log on as a
different user, e.g. as administrator. You can then create
a new user account like so:
1. Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
2. Type this command:
net user Harry July2007 {Enter}
3. Log on as Harry with a password of July2007.
 
No, i cannot log in into safe mode. I can boor into it yes, but if i put in
the credentials is does the same thing :-(
 
SORRY, i must have misunderatood you. Thought you asked if it happens with
all COMPUTERS or with one COMPUTER only. Yes on this pc it happens with all
the users that you log on with. Sorry
 
I see. This problem is usually caused by the file userinit.exe
not being where Windows expects it to be or by it being
corrupted, perhaps because of malware. The cure is fairly
simple if you can connect to the machine with some other
PC (e.g. a laptop) via a network connection, and much
harder if this is not feasible. What's your setup?
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
I see. This problem is usually caused by the file userinit.exe
not being where Windows expects it to be or by it being
corrupted, perhaps because of malware. The cure is fairly
simple if you can connect to the machine with some other
PC (e.g. a laptop) via a network connection, and much
harder if this is not feasible. What's your setup?
Click to expand...

Hi, i have a 2003 windows domain where evryone logs on. This specific pc is
one that is in a remote site where users just log onto the pc to gain access
to the NET and e-mails. Now the pc is on in my building i.e head office (not
connected to the domain). The pc has win xp pro and all the pc's on my
domain also. Server is win 2003 latest SP's.Hope that explains my setup more
or less. Please post if anything is not clear?
 
MSExchange2003Student said:
Hi, i have a 2003 windows domain where evryone logs on. This specific pc
is one that is in a remote site where users just log onto the pc to gain
access to the NET and e-mails. Now the pc is on in my building i.e head
office (not connected to the domain). The pc has win xp pro and all the
pc's on my domain also. Server is win 2003 latest SP's.Hope that explains
my setup more or less. Please post if anything is not clear?
Click to expand...


This is clear enough but it does not really answer the
question. The question is: If you connect the problem
PC to you network (perhaps by physically carring it
close to a network outlet), can you reach it from another
PC? With "reach" I mean
- Can you ping it?
- Can you make a connection to one of its shares?
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
This is clear enough but it does not really answer the
question. The question is: If you connect the problem
PC to you network (perhaps by physically carring it
close to a network outlet), can you reach it from another
PC?
Click to expand...

OH, i see what you mean now. i haven't tried it though but will now. Seeing
that i cannot get in windows how do i check his IP. Doesn't the ip only gets
assigned if you log on to the profile? or can i go to a command line screen
in safe mode and do a ipconfig from there.wil il work?
With "reach" I mean
- Can you ping it?
- Can you make a connection to one of its shares? -
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if there are shares on the pc and believe it or not if i pick
up the phone now and phone that people who are working on the pc to ask if
they have shares, they won't know either. Thats the people i have to work
with. But for now i suggest i will have to work and get the ip in some way.
 
See below.

MSExchange2003Student said:
OH, i see what you mean now. i haven't tried it though but will now.
Seeing that i cannot get in windows how do i check his IP. Doesn't the ip
only gets assigned if you log on to the profile?
Click to expand...

Ask your network administrator for the NetBIOS name of this
machine, then ping it by this name.
or can i go to a command line screen in safe mode and do a ipconfig from
there.wil il work?
Click to expand...

Since you cannot logon, you cannot get to the Command Prompt.
I'm not sure if there are shares on the pc and believe it or not if i pick
up the phone now and phone that people who are working on the pc to ask if
they have shares, they won't know either. Thats the people i have to work
with. But for now i suggest i will have to work and get the ip in some
way.
Click to expand...

If you can ping the machine and if you know the password for its
administrator account then you can try this command:

net use Q: \\ipaddress\C$ /user:administrator SomePassword

However, if the machine was never networked before then it
is unlikely that Windows will permit this type of access.

In the meantime you can try the following method. In rare cases
it has fixed your problem.
1. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
2. Select Repair when prompted.
3. Select Recovery Console when prompted.
4. Enter the Administrator's password when prompted.
5. Type these commands:
fixboot {Enter}
fixmbr {Enter}
 
I will try the steps mentioned and hope it works. Thank you very much for
your time

Craig
 
If it is a userinit.exe problem then the repair method I would normally use
is to boot from a BartPE or WinPE CD.

You need to examine the Winlogon registry key using the remote registry tool
in BartPE or similar to find out what executable the userinit value expects
to find (assuming malware has changed it) Then, it is generally easier to
copy the genuine userinit.exe to the specified name and location rather than
altering the registry. Once done it shoudl be possible to boot normally,
after which you can put the registry right.

Disadvantage is that you will need a working computer to download the
BartPE/WinPE creation tool, and make the CD on. And a Windows CD, or an i386
folder to get the system files from. Or find someone who has already made one!

All in all, it's a surprisingly tricky problem to fix for just one incorrect
registry key.

BTW, if this is the problem there is no use doing a repair install, you will
end-up with 'repaired' Windows that still won't let you log on.
 
Ian said:
If it is a userinit.exe problem then the repair method I would normally
use
is to boot from a BartPE or WinPE CD.

You need to examine the Winlogon registry key using the remote registry
tool
in BartPE or similar to find out what executable the userinit value
expects
to find (assuming malware has changed it) Then, it is generally easier to
copy the genuine userinit.exe to the specified name and location rather
than
altering the registry. Once done it shoudl be possible to boot normally,
after which you can put the registry right.

Disadvantage is that you will need a working computer to download the
BartPE/WinPE creation tool, and make the CD on. And a Windows CD, or an
i386
folder to get the system files from. Or find someone who has already made
one!

All in all, it's a surprisingly tricky problem to fix for just one
incorrect
registry key.

BTW, if this is the problem there is no use doing a repair install, you
will
end-up with 'repaired' Windows that still won't let you log on.
Click to expand...

Examining/editing an off-line registry is not exactly trivial. I hope you
will take the time and inform the OP how it's done. You might also
mention that while a Bart PE boot CD is a wonderful tool, it takes
several hours to make one.
 
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