XP keeps asking for a password on logon.

[Gigamo]

Hi everyone.

Since yesterday, every time I boot up my machine, it will ask me for my password when windows is loading up, even though I am the only user (and administrator)

Here's what I have tried/done:

- Microsoft's Tweak UI powertoy to enable autologon (it's setup to log on automatically but STILL asks for my password)

- Start -> Run -> CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 and unchecked "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer", with no effect just like Tweak UI

- Control Panel -> User accounts, it is not set to classic logon, it has Welcome Screen and Fast User Switching enabled.

I don't know what could be causing this, it has always logged on automatically and have no idea why it doesn't anymore now.

Thanks!

Edited December 1, 2007 by Gigamo

[Idontwantspam]

Does your account HAVE a password?

[PatTheRat]

Our computer running XP just started doing this recently too. Upgrading to service pack 3 did not help. When I go to switch users, it will ask for a password, even though none of the users has a password set. It's just auto-logon. I tried adding a password to one user and even though I know I'm typing the right password (his first name in lower case) it rejects it and even though the password hint is coming up as his first name in lower case it is not taking it. And no, the caps lock is not on either. The only "fix" is to restart, then it works fine again till we switch users.

[Idontwantspam]

Holy batman... talk about a thread revival...

As for your question: this is by design. If you switch users, it won't auto-login because you might be trying to log in to an account that doesn't log in automatically, etc. I'm not sure why it's rejecting the correct password... you could try resetting the password just to make sure that it's set to exactly what you think it is.

[PatTheRat]

No, it's always worked okay before. We never had passwords and we could just click to go into the different user accounts without authenticating. I have no idea why it all of a sudden started asking for passwords and even if you put the right one (when I tried giving one account a pw) in it will not accept it. We are forced to restart each time it does this. After restart we can get into any user account without putting a password in, but maybe the second time we switch users, it locks us out.

Edited December 31, 2008 by PatTheRat

[Ponch]

even if you put the right one (when I tried giving one account a pw) in it will not accept it. We are forced to restart

Have you tried to "CtrlAltDel" twice at that time to get back to default language/keyboard or check in the 1st box (login) if the keyboard is giving the good character for your password ?

As for not auto-login, it must be "an" update.

[PatTheRat]

Yes, I tried CtrlAltDel twice with no effect. Would putting a new graphics card and adding more memory do anything to it? We did that a few days earlier. That doesn't really make sense if it did.

[Ponch]

No. Software problems are not solved by hardware replacement.

[PatTheRat]

No, I meant that I didn't think it was caused by a hardware replacement.

[Sysdll]

If you’ve recently installed NET Framework 1.1 or it was installed with Windows Update there will be and extra account under User Accounts in Control Panel. Delete the extra account (I can’t remember what it’s called) and the logon screen will be gone next time you restart. This will also bring back the XP logoff screen instead of the Windows Classic one.

[infiniti25]

The extra account called ASPNET, sysdll?

What about searching for spyware also, I dont know off hand of any spyware that would cause this behaviour but it couldn't hurt to rule it out.

Get Malwarebytes Antimalware and/or Spybot Search & Destroy, install and ensure you run the update procedure and then run a scan to check for spyware/adware/malware/greyware etc. Run one at a time.

I also recommend running disk cleanup to reduce the scan times. Spybot will try to delete all temp files on start up to help reduce scan times.

[Sysdll]

Yes that’s it, thank you.

And I agree that Malwarebytes and CCleaner are the first things to try for any problem.

[Ponch]

No, I meant that I didn't think it was caused by a hardware replacement.

Sorry I misread your post. stupid me.

[PatTheRat]

Okay I'll try looking for and deleting that account. I usually run spybot on it once a week. Thanks for the tips.

[PatTheRat]

I deleted the ASPNet account and restarted the computer, but it's still making me log in to switch users (grrrr!). Does the sysdll get removed when I remove the account or do I have to hunt for that separately? Still requires me to restart in order to log on to any account after switching users.

Edited January 3, 2009 by PatTheRat