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i can't login in XP

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9 replies

by garddave

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when i start XP and i login i get to the desktop, and then it immediately logs out and goes back to the login screen. i tried starting in safe mode and got the same results. i also tried going to the last configuration before this problem started.

9 replies

by unkn0wn f0rces

Will not solve the problem as the registry was saved when you got the computer to boot in to windows again.

by tintoman

If you made some suggestions that WILL work instead of what will not, in any case you are wrong because the last known good configuration is saved at the last successful login.

by tintoman

A damaged user profile. I would start in safe mode again and this time log in as administrator, that way you should be able to do a system restore back to before the problem started

by cmiller5400

After a virus was removed. The key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon value: "userinit" was set to the malware file. Changed the value to "c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe" and it started working fine

by garddave

thanks, this sounds promising. now i only have to get it booted to the command prompt at a minimum and should be able to replace the userinit.exe file.

by camused

Do you have your XP disc. Boot from it and use it to replace the userinit.exe file from
the I386 folder of the disc to your system32
folder on your HDD. Then make sure winlogon
key is set to that new file.

After you are able to log in dont forget to
run your virus scan, malware did affect you
machine.

by garddave

i did start in safe mode and i tried using the administrator login, however i got the same results.

by seanferd

you need to change the registry entry. The file is probably gone, anyway, and the original userinit is probably still there.

Can you start a Recovery Console? Either by booting from CD or a recovery partition? You can execute commands from there. Or, you could get a copy of UBCD if you don't have the XP disk.
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

You can see what the Userinit is currently set to, if you are curious:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"

To fix:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v Userinit /t REG_SZ /d C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe

{!!Note: Make sure the correct drive and windows directory names are used in the file path!!}

This will ask you if you want to overwrite. Hit Y. Hit Enter.

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