Windows XP Pro Logon Loop to Welcome Screen

The computer will not let me log in. It loads through to the login screen but
after initiating the User logon (Administrator with no password), it says
"loading your personal settings", the Desktop Background flashes then quickly
followed by "logging off", and then “saving your settings". It would go back
to the Welcome screen and that is the same in Safe Mode. When selecting Safe
Mode with Command Prompt it will still load through to the Welcome screen,
but in Safe Mode. Selecting VGA Mode has the same outcome. Choosing the “Last
known good configuration” does not work. I’ve run 'chkdsk /p' from the
Recovery Console & that did not fix the problem. I’ve scanned the Sata drive
with E-Trust anti-virus & Pest Patrol & run Spybot but none of these efforts
have made any change to the login loop. I prefer to repair the problem rather
than to do a complete re-install of XP.

I am presently working on a PC that did the exact same thing--I believe the
400+ infections had something to do with it. How did you run the scans with
ETrust and PestPatrol--from another PC?

You cannot log on to Windows XP after you remove Wsaupdater.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=892893

--or--

The problem may be an incorrect system drive letter. With a networked
machine, open the registry and connect to the problematic machine and
navigate to:

[MACHINE_NAME\HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices]

and delete all values that look like this:

\DosDevices\C
\DosDevices\D
\DosDevices\E
and so on

When finished, make sure you disconnect the machine from the registry.
There are other ways to gain access to the registry if you cannot
connect to the problematic machine via networked Registry. Please let
me know if you need information on how to gain access to the Registry
if you cannot by a networked registry.

How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=223188

I removed the Sata Drive & attached it to another PC from where I could run
the scans & chkdsk, Spybot etc.

Thanx to WTC I was able to identify the "Userinit.exe" file was missing from
the \system32 folder, most probably by Malware or a virus & the viral
substitute was most likely quarantined by Nortons AV. This was replaced by
using XP's (CD) Recovery Console to Expand the \i386\userinit.ex_ to the
\Windows\system32 folder & reboot the system.

Hopefully this helps with your problem too.

Thanx William - it was the "Userinit.exe" file you identified that was
missing from \system32. So I only needed to expand the file from the XP CD
with the Recovery Console & then rebooted with Windows "normality" once
again. Many, many hours have been spent to repair this finally, & not one
hint from Microsoft's extensive resources!!!!!!

I am repairing a computer with the same problem, they do not have the XP CD
but do have the Recovery Console setup, would I be able to use my XP CD to
initiate the repair without conflict so long as its the same OS version (XP
HOME)?

If it is of the same Service Pack level then yes.

[Snozzle]

It worked for me too!!! LOL at least I can get in there and start cleaning up the system. It goes to show you that even if you've been doing this for years, there is still a lot to learn! Thanks

OK, at my shop I have several test computers so I can test hard drives. It would be a pain but to me well worth it. I would break the mirror, then pull the primary drive out and connect it to a second computer running XP. Then just copy the file over. Put the drive back into the system, boot and then re-establish the mirror. The mirror might take a while to rebuild, but you won't have to reinstall all of your software let alone you OS. This technique has been a life saver for us.

[llightsey]

I am having the same problem. I have a Raid 1 system. How can I get in to see if the Userinit.exe is my problem
Lee

I don't have spare computer that I can put the drive in. The one at my desk is SATA.

[Snozzle]

hmmm can you get someone to download the ISO for BART PE the create a disk for you?. BART PE is a self contained running version of XP on a CD. If so, then you could boot off the CD and then copy the file from the BART PE CD. If not, you might have to ask a friend to borrow their computer! as long as is has SATA ports.