XP sign-on/Security log full

My Windows XP Professional has me locked out. It is the security log full message and says a member of the administrator group can sign on and fix this. Not. I am a member of the administrator group and it asks if I have forgotten my password. No. I have not. LET ME IN. It will not do it. It is lying to me. Can I get in?:cry

 

Surely your user account is in the Admin group. They are...by default on installation.

 

I put myself into the Administrators group. I am there.
:banghead :banghead The log-in screen still asks if I have forgotten my password. No. I have not.confused

 

Have you tried a blank password?

Make sure caps key isnt on?

 

Yes. I have tried all of that. I am afraid I must break in.

 

Actually, you've run into a bug.

Let me see if there is a reolution on it.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313322/en-us

I think it may be possible to delete the security log from recovery console, too. I dont have access to an XP machine to verify though, so be careful.

When the security log fills up, it causes huge authetication issues, I dont think the above article is the only one on it, I seem to remember other articles saying similar.

What about using the system Administrator account to log in?

 

I do not remember how to sign on the system Administratoor account. It has been a very long time since i learned that and I never have had to use it....until now.
I keep the software at its most current possible state and all 'fixes' have been applied the moment they are released. Sadly, with Microsoft, when one thing is fixed it causes another to break. Too mank cooks in the kitchen there and none of them working from the same cookbook. Sometimes I wish we were back to DOS. Live and learn!

 

This fix isnt publicly available.

To log in as admin, hit ctrl-alt-del twice to bring up a login screen.

type Administrator and assuming no password, click ok.

Safe Mode also works.

 

Aiii. No good. Went to F2 on startup and verified the administrator password is set to blank. It is. Still no joy.
Safe mode is not here as an option.
Can I use a hammer yet?

 

F2 wouldn't verify the Admin password as being blank...

When you get to the welcome screen...hit ctrl-alt-del twice to bring up the login...

To get to Safe Mode, tap F8 before Windows starts to bring up the startup options for Windows. Im not sure what you are looking at, but it sounds like your BIOS options, which are completely unrelated.

 

I try anything ya know. As soon as the machine lets me try again I will use safe mode. Thanks!!!

 

I got in. Changed things and did a reboot. Cannot get in.
Do ya think I ought to turn off system restore???
I will if I can get in again.
:banghead :banghead :banghead

 

Hmmm. Now the system does not recognize any password. It still uses the same hints on the old passwords although I set new ones. Old hints, but does not recognize old passwords or the new ones. Log one tells me to use smart card to log on...(???) will go to MS to look that one up. I think I will have to format my disk. That is sad....I don't understand why software is written that can cause such a thing. Oh yes, too many hands on the code. That's it. A pitty.

 

Hmmm. You should have cleared the security log while you were in there.

I'll do a little research and see if there is another answer.

 

I increased the log size, cleared the log and told it to overwrite when full. I did not turn off system restore at that point. too late now.

 

RESOLVED!!!
Turning off the System Restore option did the trick.
That is a step we all miss once in a while, I reckon.
Safe mode, edit Event Viewer size, turn off System Restore. :cool Yea!
Thanks so much for the help. Now to get Avira Security Suite to work again....
Later y'all.