A Dell laptop at work with XP Pro just started doing this this morning...worked fine yesterday

When you enter the user's login information, it logs in, playing the corresponding Windows Login sound...then almost immediately plays the logout sound and goes back to the "Press Ctrl + Alt + Del" prompt

I have tried copying userinit.exe to wsaupdater.exe in the WINDOWS\system32 directory with no luck...I CAN successfully start in safe mode, but I don't see anything else in the registry or Startup menu that could be causing it

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon\Userinit\ key seems to be right...any other ideas?

9/26/2006 11:13:16 AM

do you have SpyCatcher installed? (uninstall it): http://forums.techguy.org/security/447404-solved-winxp-login-logout-loop.html

i see you've already attempted to correct for system file corruption, so the next step would be to do a scan for any virus/spyware/malware on your system.

if that turns up nothing, then you'll have to repair your winxp system files:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

**before you attempt to repair your system files, you could try to use an earlier system restore point when your computer WAS working, but barring that ... repair.

[Edited on September 26, 2006 at 11:24 AM. Reason : system restore, too]

9/26/2006 11:22:49 AM

On a guess, a severely screwed up Windows Genuine Advantage. I've seen a couple cases where if your product key isn't validated, you login, (its supposed to give you the option to validate it), and then it logs you out if it's not validated. Typically a time expiration issue.

No idea on how to fix. You can get into safe mode, which is nice, so Google should be able to pull up a solution

9/26/2006 11:22:54 AM

computer was working fine yesterday...i did a system restore to last wednesday but had the same results

i will attempt to uninstall spycatcher if it is installed

9/26/2006 11:41:42 AM

Check you start up processes. While I doubt it's your problem, I know you can put the shutdown command in the startup proesses list and really frustrate the shit out of people. I'd start by turning off everthing but the bare minimum and slowly start adding processes and programs until you find the problem.

Also, try adding another user account and see if it has the same problems.

9/26/2006 11:48:29 AM

i've tried logging in under different account names, both local and domain accounts, with the same results

i'm about to repair the setup off the windows cd without using the repair console...we'll see

9/26/2006 11:57:58 AM

yeah i had this problem on an older machine last week, didn't find an easy fix. biggest problem was i couldn't get the anceint piece of crap to boot to a cd so i ended up throwing it in the dumpster if you figure it out let us know.

Quote :

"know you can put the shutdown command in the startup proesses list and really frustrate the shit out of people."

thats what safe mode is there for tho

Quote :

"I'd start by turning off everthing but the bare minimum and slowly start adding processes and programs until you find the problem."

he can't login into the machine at all...which will make messing with startup commands pretty tough.

9/26/2006 2:27:37 PM

still no luck

^well i can log into the machine, but only in safe mode...i can edit registry, startup menu, etc

but even reparing the install of the original XP cd didnt do the trick...same thing

- "Press Ctrl Alt Del"
- *enters login information*
- *hears windows startup sound...see's screen say "Loading personalized settings"
- *see's screen say "Logging off"...goes back to "Press Ctrl Alt Del"

9/26/2006 2:32:39 PM

check out this problem that seems similar to what you're reporting, do you match any of the symptoms?
http://www.mcse.ms/message1265615.html

another similar but slightly different:
http://www.winxptutor.com/wsaremove.htm

another similar problem as the one right above:
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/software/XP-Pro-logon-loop-screen-ftopict138998.html

check your registry as those posts say, i definitely have to say that all signs are REALLY pointing to malware.

let us know what you find.

[Edited on September 26, 2006 at 3:15 PM. Reason : .]

9/26/2006 3:14:56 PM

Quote :

"^well i can log into the machine, but only in safe mode...i can edit registry, startup menu, etc"

oh when this happened to me i couldnt logon into windows at all...safe mode or not.

was someone playing around in the registry before this happened?

[Edited on September 26, 2006 at 3:48 PM. Reason : ]

9/26/2006 3:47:41 PM

yeah, any amount of fixing/repairing/restoring windows files/registry isn't going to work until you've removed the spyware/malware

boot into safe mode, download and run adaware and/or spybot, then set it to scan on next boot

go back into safe mode, use msconfig tool to view everything loaded upon startup and uncheck items that could be the source of the problem, if/once you find malware, go into registry to permanantly delete it

check event log for unusual items

check program group startup as well as HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run, AND HKCU/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run

*sounds like malware since xp repair didn't work* typically the next time you try to logon the malware will just corrupt the system files again

[Edited on September 26, 2006 at 9:40 PM. Reason : .]

9/26/2006 9:39:03 PM

so i tried all the spyware scans etc and restarted and had the same damn login-logoff loop happen

but i stumbled across an article that said to change the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon\Userinit\

key from "C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe," to "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe," and it worked!!

9/27/2006 11:42:31 AM

Quote :

"I know you can put the shutdown command in the startup proesses list and really frustrate the **** out of people."

Just so people on here know...

Windows will not run start up programs if you hold the 'Shift' key during the boot up process.

9/27/2006 11:59:28 AM

^^thanks for responding with your solution ... such an odd way to fix that problem, but that's windows for you.

^i've found myself doing that on occasion, but i'm pretty sure it just prevents the startup folders from loading, not the registry keys. so you'll still need safemode to disable the regkeys if that's the problem.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/c29621675.mspx

Quote :

"Disabling Startup Programs by Using the SHIFT Key One way to simplify your configuration is to disable startup programs. Hold down the SHIFT key during the logon process to prevent the operating system from running startup programs or shortcuts in the following folders: systemdrive\Documents and Settings\Username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup systemdrive\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup windir\Profiles\Username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup windir\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup The windir folders exist only on computers that are upgraded from Windows NT 4.0. To disable the programs or shortcuts in the preceding folders, you must hold down the SHIFT key until the desktop icons appear. Holding down the SHIFT key is a better alternative than temporarily deleting or moving programs and shortcuts because this procedure affects only the current user session."

...it goes on to talk about how to disable the registry key startup options using group policies or msconfig.

[Edited on September 27, 2006 at 12:15 PM. Reason : more info]

9/27/2006 12:09:35 PM

if anybody with an XP Pro machine gets a chance, go into your registry to that key

(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon\Userinit\)

and tell me what yours says

9/27/2006 12:12:49 PM

there is no 'UserInit' folder in the registry under 'Winlogon' folder, however the 'UserInit' key is a String value of "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,"

9/27/2006 12:14:55 PM

yeah mine was userinit.exe,

but i dunno

the explorer.exe,

fixed it

just spacing like this to stress that theres a comma after the executable filename

9/27/2006 12:30:16 PM