Welcome screen - can not leave it!!!!

Question

My compuer restared yesterday after downloading updates. It gets to the welcome screen where it shows the 2 users. if i click on one of the users (either one - it does not matter) - it says installing personal settings, then the desktop view shows for about 2 seconds and then it goes back to the welcome screen saying 'logging out' under the user icon.  How do I get into my computer???

PETER345 · Answer

Can you boot in safe mode and do a system restore to a date before the updates? Peter

dunedin · Answer

This sounds to me like a wsaupdater problem
Can it just be a coincidence that it happened after Windows Updates?

If System Restore does not help, try the following

Boot up with your XP installation CD and let setup run.
Select the first “R” you come to to enter the Recovery Console
You should be in C:\windows
Now follow from here:

C:\windows
type
cd system32
(If that does not work, try CHDIR SYSTEM32)
ENTER

the directory should now be
C:\windows\system32
type
copy userinit.exe wsaupdater.exe
ENTER

1 file should be copied,
REBOOT

Login might hang for a while.

Once in windows run Regedit and go to the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Look in the right pane for the Userinit value/subkey.
Double click the Userinit subkey and change it's value to C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe,

Make sure you have the comma at the end.
Exit Regedit.

Look if you have “wsaupdater.exe” here
C:\Windows\System32\wsaupdater.exe

You can delete the WSAUPDATER.EXE file now.

PETER345 · Answer

Yes, I think that will do it (haven't tried it in a long time). Peter

colleenspd · Answer

ok - i will try system restore first do i get into safe mode by pressing f8 when the system frist boots up?

colleenspd · Answer

UPDATE

i tried to boot up in safe mode

it brought me to the welcome screen with the addional user login choice of administrator.

no matter which user login i tried it did the same thing - 'savings peronsal settings" then "logging out" and returning to the welcome screen

i then shut down the system and put in the hp reinstall disk hoping it would use this to boot up

it did not

i am at a loss of what to do....

PETER345 · Answer

Do you have an HP or Dell? It sounds like an HP. Don't HPs come with restore as opposed to Windows XP disks?

Either way, you should be able to get your machine to boot from the CD by either setting the option in the BIOS or by pressing some key at boot time. I'm not sure how you do this with HPs, but with Dells you can normally press F12 at boot time to select to boot from the CD.

Peter

colleenspd · Answer

it's a dell so at startup i shoudl hit f12? i have no idea what BIOS is.

PETER345 · Answer

@colleenspd wrote:

it's a dell

so at startup i shoudl hit f12?

i have no idea what BIOS is.

The BIOS setup program lets you set many things, like what devices you want to boot from and which order. Since it is a Dell, you can probably press F12 (or whatever it says on the screen when booting) and select the CD drive. If the CD drive is not an option, then something else is wrong.

Peter

colleenspd · Answer

Peter - I will try again when I get home tonight and will update you tomorrow. If this works I owe you a cocktail!!!

Windows General

Welcome screen - can not leave it!!!!

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