User access (in) control

Good Day
I am running XP Home SP3 and its been ticking along nicely. This am when I booted up it had changed its startup pattern. Up to now it ran straight into my normal screen as I am the only user on this pc. This morning it is asking me to login. When I do so it immediately shows" logging off" and continues this repeatedly.
So I am unable to use the pc. I ran safe mode and got the administrator logon and it did the same. I have tried everything I can think off but am unable to get in there to blast that User Access Control.
The only software I can recall downloading in the last couple of days was from this site. I have removed it as it was not what I wanted on closer look. I am not saying that it has any bearing but my mind immediately leaps to "So you want to get rid of me - well Ill fix you" which is probably unlikely. However I can think of no reason why this should come about. I have never experienced it before.
I am running a second OS on the pc which is what I am using to contact the forum now. Any advice would be appreciated. Only as a last resort do I want to reinstall.

Thanks in advance

Jim

 

If it's what I think it is, I hope you're fast on the keyboard and mouse, Jim!

Safe Mode with Networking > Start > Run > shutdown -a > Enter.

If that works - it should abort the shutdown and enable 'normal' access - run the Malware removal guide.

 

Hi Satrow

Many thanks for your suggestion. I will give that a go. You sound like you suspect malware. I will run something from this disk and try to give it a clean out. Although it was only a week ago that I ran av- done weekly.

Jim

 

Well, something's logging you out as soon as you try to login - that ain't normal

It could be something else - a corrupt User profile, for instance, but try out the shutdown -a and see if you get some access to the PC.

 

Hi Satrow

Tried but it will not let me in under any of the safe modes to be able to carry out. Says it is booting in safe mode then suddenly 2/3rds of the way through it throws up the normal boot screen and invites login. I login and it says closing down. It does not closedown but that is the only action I can take. I have tried several repeat attempts and it just goes through the same cycle. Ran Avast at high level through it and came up with nothing. On reboorting into the second OS Avast/Windows ran a check and showed several CAB files ,mainly in Documents ,which it claimed were corrupt. But I am not sure about that.
Regards
Jim

 

Ok, I think that probably leaves us with a corrupt User profile or the file that calls it, Windows\system32\userinit.exe, is corrupt, infected or otherwise invalid - perhaps the Registry entry that calls it has been changed to set it to load malware.

But how to access an 'offline' Registry, check and fix any errors ...

Which OS are you running from now?

Can you access the logs for the last check that claimed corrupt files and post the locations of them, please?

 

Good day Satrow

I am running XP also on my second disk . I am going to call them XP1 and XP2 . I can access the Windows files on XP1 and tried substituting userint.exe from XP2 but it did not work.
I can access all the sys32 files ON XP1 and also Regedit so can make any substitutions. This may be risky but I see little alternative. Do you know what
registry key call the logon. I see there are several files under the user banner on Sys32. Could I substitute them all.
I opened the reg editor on User Logon and saw all the Users, permissions etc but I am not sure what I could do there if anything. Substitute XP2s logon Reg files for XP1s ???.
I was unable to save the avast files I mentioned but I will chevck Avast.

Thanks

Jim

 

Hi Satrow

My apologies. I opened both windows directories and then the registry editor on XP1. When I tried to open the reg ed on XP2 it would not appear and it was obvious that in facy it defaulted to the already open one. So although I opened it from XP1s disk and directory it must in fact relate to the Disk XP2 that I am presently using. Back to square one just when I though I saw a ray of light.

Regards

Jim

 

You're going to need to be very careful here, a mistake could lead to messing up both Windows installations, so ensure that you've backed up any important files, etc. away from this PC.

Here's a walkthrough that goes part way (we really don't know what your problem is at this stage) to 'fixing' what might be your problem. Substitute any references to UBCD4Win with your working Windows. Double check all Paths to ensure that you really are working with the 'remote' Windows Registry hives.

Boot to the working Windows, open Regedit then follow steps #3 through #10.

 

Hi Satrow

Thank you very much for this method. Quite interesting that he had the same problem. Do you think the easier route ie his second method would be better for me to use rather than the UBCD4Win. I hear what you say and I have no wish to end up reloading two OSs so will be careful.

Thanks

Jim

 

If you re-read my last post, you'll see that you can (or should be able to) do this by using your working Windows, he didn't have the luxury of that option and had to find another way - the UBDC4W method with the second route as an alternative.

So, Boot to the working Windows, open Regedit then follow steps #3 through #10 .

If that fails, then one of the other methods might be useful, which one you decide to use is up to you - whatever you feel most comfortable with.

 

Hi Satrow

I did see that but was a little concerned in following a different route than he had outlined in his website especially after my last abortive effort. I will follow your advice and will let you know in due course ,the outcome. It will be in a day or two before I can tackle it.
Once again thanks for your help and patience. I will do an official one when I can find it

Regards

Jim

 

Hi Satrow

Sorry for being so long. Im afraid I just could not get this together and things went from bad to worse ending with me reloading the OS. Maybe not a bad thing as I made some sensible changes to the Directory isolating the OS from my other files. Still rather annoying as usually I can get it sorted out. Just wanted to thank you for your help and to say I have learned things out of it. I tried to send an official thanks from one of your previous posts. If it does not get through should you reply to this I will resend.

Regards


Jim

 

Hey Jim, I'm pleased you got it all up and running again, fixing whatever the real problem was just looked difficult from any angle; and yes, isolating OS('s) from other data via your own filing method or a partitioning scheme/multiples of drives is a good way of maintaining control and minimising issues should a problem occur.

Yup, the thanks got here