Cant get past login screen

Siggy

Hi all - Desperate help needed here in Aus!!!!!!!

I am cleaning a PC for a client - Ran antispyware - trend Micro

deleted all it found.

Rebooted and now cant get past the login screen, it loads - see the desktop for a fraction of a second and then immediately says logging out, and goes back to the login screen.

It does this in both Safe mode and Normal

Can i do anything with the Safe Mode options to get into the desktop?

Running Windows XP Home

Any questions please ask!

Many thanks

Siggy

Siggy

OK Update -

I tried to run repair via the XP Disc - however I seem to have Fu**ed it up!!

It was doing a full install - Which i have interrupted by pulling the plug! {so shoot me - I panicked}

I didnt want to lose all of the data etc on the hard drive - If I reboot now it just wants to go into the setup again.

Have I toatally messed this up?
Can I recover this instal to leave all the folders and settings intact?

I can connect the HD to another computer and everything is still there - in the worst case I will just back everything up onto a dvd and let it finish the instal.

HELP - -please?

tcith

Siggy,

a full install will just install the OS ontop of the other - you will have to re install applications but data will still be there - as long as you do not format the drive - also if your using profiles use a different user name as the one where the data is installed just to be sure that profile your saving on the hard drive is not over-written.

Now you've tried a repair install you may as well plow on

profdlp

Boot from the WinXP CD and proceed as if you were doing a fresh install. When it gets to the point where it figures out that there is a copy of Windows already on the computer, tell it to repair it. If your aborted attempt at a full install got far enough you may see two instances of Windows, make sure you pick the original when repairing.

While Windows is doing its thing, you might want to download all the removal/detection tools for the viruses found, just to be sure you've driven a stake through their heart.

Good luck, Siggy.

Siggy

Thanks guys - Windows is trying to repair as we type!!!

I will keep you informed

I ran anti virus - 74 - infected files 9 virii cant quarentine or delete
anti spyware - 124 infections - 3 cant remove or quarintene

Will let you know what happens once we are back up and running


Thanks guys - I really appreciate the input and help!

Siggy

Siggy

OK - Update.

The repair gets about half way through before rebooting and then goes to a black screen, freezes for about 15 minutes and then goes into a reboot cycle, saying restarting setup, then black screen rboot!

BUGGER! :shakehead

Any thoughts????

profdlp

Siggy wrote:

...Any thoughts????

You may want to run a couple cycles of Memtest86.

The diagnostic program from the HD manufacturer would be a good idea as well. Make sure the basics are sound, then work your way up.

fastboat

I know it's been a month since you had the problem, but did you figure out what the cause was? I am having almost exactly the same scenario...ran adaware SE, a family member couldn't log in, it gets to the login screen, I log in, it flashes to the desktop then logs out. Tried logging in in safe mode, at last known good configuration(no options were given for time/date) and the same thing happens. Any help is appreciated. A friend is going to get a boot disk for me so I can save my files before a reformat/ reinstall of Windows XP Home if we can't figure out something better in the next couple days.

Siggy

I did end up getting the repair installation to finish - and all was well, the data files were found intact.

I dont know why the final attemp worked and the others didnt - but I am not complaining!

Sorry if that is of no help to you fastboat, but I would attempt a repair before you format the harddrive.

FreshyP

whats this mean?

FreshyP

profdlp

FreshyP wrote:

whats this mean?

If your Windows XP computer has big problems there is a way to fix it without having to start all over. It is called a Repair Install.

Siggy had a little trouble getting it going, but then got it fixed.

fastboat

Thanks for the response...got some advice from a friend, ran that by another friend, and finally took my computer to someone who is regarded as being a wizard or at least near-genius. We ran the sequence of events past him over the phone and he said, "You probabaly got a virus or spyware and when the Adaware removed it, it also removed a system file." We got into the drive, and he looked into the system 32 files and said, "You're missing your XXXXX file" (sorry I can't remember which file he told me). We ran the repair install, no luck. I've tried that for other problems as well and had no luck then either. He then copied the file we needed and somehow put it where it needed to be...then found another one that needed the same treatment. This was all accomplished in about a half hour. We then spent the next three and half hours downloading various virus protection, system updates, and other stuff. Prior to visiting Rich (he's got a website if you want to check it out www.welcome.to/phazer)(hope that isn't against the rules?) I bought a new hard drive, some extra memory, and a DVD writer. I'm now using the original hard drive as a back up so I should be able to at least try some other techniques before I have to seek expert help again. Anyway, I think I can report back with the exact fix, and exact problem if anyone is interested.

By the way FreshyP, the symbol you placed in your reply means exactly what I am feeling. Confused, and somewhat unhappy that I don't know enough to fix my own problems. But I am doing okay now...learned something in this adventure and will learn more on the next.

profdlp

Glad you got your problems sorted out, fastboat.

Randgland

hey, this thread is interesting to me because a friend of mine has exactly the same problem, (windows logs out just after logging in, then goes straight back to login screen).

This is a pain because, u can't even login to safe mode (therefore no system restore OR command prompt).

The only thing that can be run is Recovery Panel, which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

So any info on missing .dll files from the system root/system32 directory would be very useful, as I could then expand the missing files straight from a windows xp disc without the need to reformat or ovewrite the install...

Please share fastboat!