XP logs off immediately after log on.

[harshadd]

Background:
I'm running XP Pro SP2. I use AVG free, and mCafee as antivirus, windows deffendar to protect malwares.
Problem is :
Machine starts up normally, goes to the XP login screen. I enter username and password, and it starts logging into the profile, as soon as the wallpaper comes up, it immediately logs back out to the welcome screen. shows logging off screen and come back on login prompt. When I second time logs in It logs in properly.

[Nepomuk]

I agree with AmbrNewlearner, that the word used was not appropriate in this Forum, although of course I can understand harshadd's point. So I've replaced it with another word, which isn't seen as so vulgar, but still makes the point.

Greetings,
Nepomuk (Moderator)

[harshadd]

Solution for XP logs off immediately after longing in and again go back to login prompt

Let us end this thread with final solution.
This is the sequence:

LOGON SCREEN
USER LOGGING ON BY PROVIDING USERNAME AND PASSWORD
LOADING PERSONAL SETTINGS
LOGGING OFF
SAVING YOUR SETTINGS
LOGON SCREEN again <loop>

Now highest possibilities are

1. C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe , this file is currupt or invalid or infected.
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\userinit, This registry key is tempered by virus/spyware.


To get your originil userinit.exe back in place do following:

Boot with bootable XP CD............
Enter password when asked for ........
Now in command prompt type
expand F:\i386\userinit.ex_ c:\windows\system32

assuming F: is CD drive path.............


If above could not help, that means your registry key value is changed/invalid

This will cause the issue that you are having. To fix it, simply change it back. Of course you will not be able to do this by logging on. You can use another machine (computer A) on the same network (or borrow a friends computer to network with A) and use regedit.exe to remote connect to the machine with the problem (computer B) and make the change that way. Just make sure that the Remote Registry service on machine A is running. That same service may have to be running on computer B (can't remember) but you can start it using Computer Management and remoting from A to B as well. Anyway, that is a bit of a different subject and there are many messages regarding that.

Secondly you can do this by editing registry manually, presently I will prefer to manually edit registry files to solve this problem OR using Offline XP password and Registry editor (although even I have never tried this program personally). or any software that allows you to access windows registry without logging in, such s/w are listed on net. google for it. Certainly You do not need to do Yaaahoooooo when you find it on google. ;)


Hope this helps,


Good luck...HND (HarshadD)