Help! Can't log into XP after virus clean!

[BiggusGeekus]

Greetings!

After using McAffee on my wife's Dimension 4550, I rebooted. When it came back up, it stopped at the login screen. We normally have that machine set up to not require a login. When I click on the login name, the login is accepted, I briefly see the wallpaper background, and then it kicks me back to the login screen. I have tried rebooting in safe mode, same thing. I have tried restoring to the last known good configuration, same thing.

Any idea what I can do? This is my wife's PC. When she gets back later this week, she's gonna murdalize me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Truth Seeker]

Greetings!

After using McAffee on my wife's Dimension 4550, I rebooted. When it came back up, it stopped at the login screen. We normally have that machine set up to not require a login. When I click on the login name, the login is accepted, I briefly see the wallpaper background, and then it kicks me back to the login screen. I have tried rebooting in safe mode, same thing. I have tried restoring to the last known good configuration, same thing.

Any idea what I can do? This is my wife's PC. When she gets back later this week, she's gonna murdalize me.

Thanks in advance!

Clean out the temporary cookie file totally, and reinstate the password and see if that will do the trick.

 

[IronWolf]

Any idea what I can do? This is my wife's PC. When she gets back later this week, she's gonna murdalize me.

Did you happen to run any spyware software at the same time? It sounds like one of the AdAware Logon/Logoff looping issues after it tries to clean something up. See here.

If that's not it, then perhaps System Restore can help you. Here are two articles from MS on how to use that when things are going poorly in Windows land.

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

 

[ssampier]

The last two posts are your best bet. If that doesn't work, you may be able to take the hard drive out of the Dell and place it as a slave in another working computer and extract the necessary files.

As a longshot you can try a Windows XP Recovery Console. Place the Windows XP cd in the cd-drive. Restart your computer. Hit the enter key to start the CD. Press R for repair.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314058

Restart. I had one computer with a similar problem and just running the Windows XP Recovery Console fixed the problem; it was strange.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Did you happen to run any spyware software at the same time? It sounds like one of the AdAware Logon/Logoff looping issues after it tries to clean something up. See here.

I'm betting that's EXACTLY what happened. Thank you!

 

[Truth Seeker]

My problem was, I couldn't sign into my Verizon Home page. It will usually go through the process of signing up, then just jump back to the default settings of the page itself. In the end, it was a bad or mangled cookie. That prevent the sign in from going through fully.

And oh, don't ever run a program like a virus checker and Ad cleaner at the same time. Your registry can get damaged that way too. One after the other, will be fine.

 

[ssampier]

I have a habit of multi-tasking like you mentioned. I haven't experienced the problems you mentioned. Of course I could always go and fix the registry if I need to

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Further complication.

OK, I can boot from CD-ROM to the Windows Recovery thing. It asks me for the admin password. To my knowledge, there is none (standard DELL install, DELL support warrenty has expired).

I have tried to make several DOS boot disks. They're not even being recognized. I have no idea why.

My plan of attack should no other idea arise is:

1) Have a beer.
2) Watch TV.
3) Go to bed.
4) Try again tomorrow, only this time mount her Hard drive onto my PC as a secondary drive, then move the file from there, as per Iron Wolf's link.

Any other ideas?

 

[drothgery]

Further complication.

OK, I can boot from CD-ROM to the Windows Recovery thing. It asks me for the admin password. To my knowledge, there is none (standard DELL install, DELL support warrenty has expired).

There's always an admin password in XP. If you don't know/remember it, it's usually possible to reset the admin password from hardware; your system manual will tell you how to do this (and you can probably get a copy of the manual from dell.com if you've lost it).

 

[BiggusGeekus]

There's always an admin password in XP. If you don't know/remember it, it's usually possible to reset the admin password from hardware; your system manual will tell you how to do this (and you can probably get a copy of the manual from dell.com if you've lost it).

I'll do that.

Tomorrow.

Oh. Just got the boot disk from the A drive to work. Won't recognize the C drive, but at least I can ... can ... can ... wonder why the **** Windows XP would let me create a disk that would only let me use the A drive. In that regard it is spectacularly useful.