Cannot Get past Welcome Screen

[SysDupe123]

I've been trying to help a friend get into their computer and nothing works. The welcome screen displays the users as normal and when one is selected, it indicates loading personal settings, also normal. The personal wallpaper shows for a second then logs the user off, going back to the welcome screen.
Checking around, I found a solution of copying userinit.exe as wsaupdate.exe in the C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32. Then, fixing the registry so it is directed at userinit.exe as it is supposed to be.
I followed the directions (sorry I don't have a link), but it didn't work.
After re-booting, the computer logs the user on and logs them right back out. They got a machine with XP pre-installed and don't have a restore disk.
Any suggestions?

 

[aquias]

This link looks promising...I have not tried this myself so I'll give you that warning.

http://www.aade.com/XPhint/XPrecovery.htm

I found it in this article, the gentleman that posted it gives a few tips of his own as well, for XP Home

Here it is

 

[bcastner]

thread779-924408

http://www.winxptutor.com/wsaremove.htm

http://www.paulscomputerservice.net/index.php?body=./os/autoLogoff.php

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=43115&st=40

 

[SysDupe123]

Thanks for the info... but I do not have XP disk at all, so no recovery console. I did get into a DOS screen using a Norton Anti-virus boot disk, and I tried the copy userinit.exe process but did not work. I tried the last config option and that hadn't worked either.

 

[linney]

See if you can borrow an XP CD and load the Recovery Console. If you can't access a CD see the later articles.

You may have to download files from Microsoft to put onto Floppies to achieve this if you have no CD.

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm

310994 - Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q310994

Once you have the Recovery Console loaded you may proceed with this fix for your original error message.

 

[SysDupe123]

Is there a way to get the boot setup disks onto one CD?

 

[SysDupe123]

Also, if the fix does not work, is there a next step I should try?

 

[bcastner]

A repair reinstallation. Even that may not work in this instance.

The advice I gave earlier is your best bet.

 

[linney]

You can look at this.

http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

Don't you have a Floppy Drive?

The same chap is responsible for BartPE if you use that with his RegEditPE plugin you may have access to your Registry.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

The same might be possible with a parallel install of XP and importing (then amending) and exporting Registry Hives.

266465 - HOW TO: Perform a Parallel Installation of Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;266465&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

You can do the same with XP. Don't install any unnecessary programs, just keep the parallel installation as simple as possible.

Or the paragraph in this article.

"To install Windows XP to a new folder (to perform a parallel installation):"

How to install or upgrade to Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316941&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[pauljex]

hi all

I had this exact problem, but I didnt have access to the computer as I was at home. I did a repair install, booting from the Windows XP CD - this work and fixed it.

A bit of a overkill, but at least the pc's working

Tried various profiles and even safemode, but it wouldnt log in...

Paulj

 

[SysDupe123]

Hi,
An update.
I don't have the XP disk and the only way I could download the boot disk is if it can go onto a CD. My friend had a Norton boot rescue disk that allowed me to get into the drive, although, it was through Win95. I don't know if that would make a difference.
I tried to do the copy userinit.exe wsaupdate.exe bit and it didn't work.
I tried using the method from the link aquias gave, replacing the system, software, security, sam, & default files in the system32\config folder with the Repair folder copies.
That did not work either.
I could really use another alternative. No one I know has an XP disk and at this point, I cannot download the boot disks.
I checked the link from Linney about bootable CD-ROMs but it indicates that you would need to copy the i386 folder from the XP CD-ROM, so that's out.
HELP!!!

 

[linney]

You might need third party software like Nero or Roxio or similar.

http://groups.google.com/groups?sou...q="make+a+bootable+cd+from+a+bootable+floppy"

Does this particular machine have a recovery partition that you can access (pressing F10 or similar during booting), does it even require a Recovery CD?