*!NOT your usual Vista Password Problem - Incorrect Password even every time even after resetting

Hi There Experts and Gurus,

I've been doing Windows Tech Support for 5 years and I have never ran into a problem like this. Hope some one can help:

Background: I know how to reset (to blank) my Windows Password using third party software, password reset disc. I AM NOT ASKING for help in logging into windows because I can always reset the password to blank and get in.

So here's the "symptoms", hope some body can determine the "problem" and provide a "cure" not merely a temporary "treatment.

1. User (admin) account has password. Password has NOT been changed. Or password has JUST been changed and we KNOW what it is. Suddenly, after logging out or restarting computer, we cannot log in again. You get the usual Password incorrect message. Vista Home Premium even shows the password hint. Yet it will not take the "correct" password.

2. In order to login, I have to "reset" the password, using various methods that are floating around on the internet. The process works ONLY by "blanking" the password. So I can log into Windows...don't give me solution on how to log into windows, please.

3. Once logged into windows, I go about creating a password. I log out, then try to log back in with that password....and guest what "Windows does not recognize it". Neither old or new password works.

3a. So I go thru the password reset methods again, blanking it, and I am able to log in using the blank pw.

3b. I go and create NEW USER. If the NEW USER has BLANK password, I can login with no problem. But if I set a password for the new user account or any account, windows will not recognize the password again.

So does any one see the picture here? I don't have problem getting into my windows because I know how to reset the password by blanking it.

My problem is I DO WANT TO SECURE IT WITH A PASSWORD. But by putting on a password, Windows does not recognize the password afterward to allow access. This problem happens consistently every time a password is created.

So the Solution I am looking for is a FIX, a one-time CURE, to the password problem, so that I do not have to do the password reset every single time.

In other word, SECURITY is an important issue to me, so having a "blank" password is NOT and OPTION.

Why does the password not get recognized? Does it get corrupted some how? What are the fixes?

Too many experts out there are focusing on the "temporary treatment" by telling people how to hack and crack and reset their password, but when the problem reoccurs repeated, no one seems to have an answer to a reliable fix.

My greatest respect to all the gurus out there and all the people who are offering advices and answers. Please consider this a "challenge" for the experts! :)

The first thing I would try is to click the blue accessibility button on the
welcome screen and select type without the keyboard. Then, use the onscreen
keyboard to type the password. The keyboard format of the welcome may have
been changed to a non-QWERTY keyboard.

I've seen repeated password problems a few times (though not quite as
consistent as you report) when bad sectors were impacting the registry. You
might run chkdsk /r or the manufacturers drive diagnostic to check for, or
at least eliminate, this possibility.

Are you doing this on a laptop? Does the laptop sometimes have another
keyboard hooked up but you are now using the laptop keyboard? Check that the
numlock is not active. If you have the numlock active on an external
keyboard then reboot without the external keyboard with some laptops this
leaves numlock active. This makes some keys numbers instead of letters i.e
u=4 i=5 o-6 etc. Once you logon the numlock is turned off. Because you can't
see the characters you type in the logon screen you don't know if they are
what you expect when you press a key.

Not an expert by any means but I know what you are talking about, have you
experienced any other symptoms like the system wont access updates?

If so there could be a problem with missing files in the registry or missing
file names which apparently tells Vista where to look for stuff,
it would appear to me that some files we download cause vista to loose its
registry configuration.

So just possibly there is no file there to tell Vista where to look for the
password, suggest get one machine by its self reload vista and see if that
machine has the same problem, having similar problems with vista and when
you look around so are a lot of other users, are you able to get automatic
updates?

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Installing one Windows Update at a time
may help see which one may be the culprit.

I have a similar problem, I renamed the administrator to my name. I
then setup 2 other accounts for my wife and kids. I password protected
My account and My wifes. Now when I boot I get "incorrect name or
password" message. I can select ok, but when I do I have the option to
enter password or select other user. When I select other user I see 4
icons available 2 are the same name(mine) and icon. I can choose either
icon and input my password. I log in and then can logout and switch
users. When I switch users there are only 3 user accounts now. If I
disable passwords on all accounts it will auto login to my account
without hitting selection screen. I would opt for no password, but it
doesn't help, I don't want my wife and kids to have to log out of my
acccount everytime they boot the system, to get to their account. Does
this make sense?

Anyone ever had this problem?
It's not life or death just annoying!

I have a slightly different problem to the first poster on this thread
and I am hoping you can help. Most of it is the same except that I
CANNOT even login (in Normal Mode) using a blank password which the
first poster could do.

I use an HP Pavillion dv6675us notebook and Windows Vista Ultimate x64.
I am not an expert but I am reasonably proficient.

Here are the symptoms and some workarounds I have tried to no avail.

1. My User account has a password. Password has NOT been changed.
Or password has JUST been changed and we KNOW what it is. Suddenly,
today
after logging out last night and restarting computer today, I CANNOT
log in again. I
get the usual Password incorrect message. Vista Ultimate even shows
the password hint. Yet it will not take the "correct" password.

2. The only way to login is to go into SAFE MODE and enter using my
password. So the same password works in SAFE MODE, but it does not work
in Normal Mode. Even changing the password does not enable me to login
in Normal mode.

The process does not even work if I blank the password via SAFE MODE
and try and login via Windows Normal mode.

3. In SAFE Mode I created a new account without a password (blank) but
that does not work either.

3a. If I go and create NEW USER account. If the NEW USER has BLANK
password still does not go past the welcome screen to login to windows.
If the New User has a password, windows does NOT recognize the password
again.

4. I have tried to click the blue accessibility button on the welcome
screen and select type without the keyboard. Then, I used the onscreen
keyboard to type the password. This did not work either.

In Summary the only way for me to access the computer is via SAFE MODE.
I cannot access Windows in Normal mode even when I set up new USER with
blank password, but I can access that same new user with a blank
password under SAFE MODE.

Can anyone help me to access windows under normal conditions please? I
would appreciate if any Expert or Guru can set out a SOLUTION that
works.

I have never come across this problem before and would really
appreciate some help.

Thank you in advance.

Have you tried System Restore?

Have you tried disabling startup items (run msconfig while in safe mode) and
have you checked for malware? MalwareBytes can be installed and run in safe
mode for one.

Since your password consistently works in safe mode, it is very unlikely
that the reset methods discussed in other posts will help. (In fact I find
they almost never work when a known password mysteriously stops working,
though they can be useful when a user really forgets a password.) I
suspect a problem involving winlogon.exe which is often targeted in a number
of different ways by malware, or a problem with some process or service that
is not running in safe mode startup.

Thanks for your prompt response Brink - a couple of questions before I
try it -
-From method 3 which option would you use 1) or 2)?
-Are both methods safe?
Would you have any idea why I can login in via SAFE MODE using the
password but CANNOT do it on normal Windows, and can't even log in with
password blanked? What is the issue behind this problem ? Why does it
happen?

I checked the Malware Bytes site but their app only works on 32 bit
Windows Vista - but I have Vista Ultimate 64 bit. I presume that would
indeed be a problem? Would you be able to suggest an anti malware app
that works with Vista Ultimate 64 bit in safe mode?

I'll try it once I get new CDs tomorrow.

btw this is the reply I got from HP tech support:

-That is a very unusual problem, one I've never heard of before either.
Do you have the original OS install disks? If you do, is there a
function to "repair" your installation like there was in XP? Clearly
something in the OS has become corrupted and a reinstall of the OS may
be the only answer. Clearly you are able to access the machine through
safe mode to back up any data you have on the machine. It may be lots of
work, but resetting the machine to factory new may be your best
solution.-

Rather extreme don't you think?

You wouldn't believe it. After a day and a half of using vista normally
- login log out a number of times suddenly I had the same problem.

Using System Restore options I note an few important updates loaded
today and yesterday. So possibly this problem may be related to a
particular Windows update? (!)

I have always had Windows Updates - update automatically - I am
changing the update to non automatic - i.e. I choose which update to
install and I intend not to allow any updates come through - this I hope
will help eliminate what the cause of this problem is.

I am having the same problem however it does not work in safe mode either.

It started this weekend when my machine automatically updated. I now can not log in. How do I fix this? I have not backed up in at least a couple months.