Hi. Our family computer has a strange problem. When we switch it on it
gets to the logon screen where you click on your username to log on to
Windows. Whether we click a username or not though it keeps going back
and rebooting from the start and going back to the same logon screen.

I have tried using the Windows Disk to boot from and selecting to
repair the Windows installation but nothing happens when I try that.
It just leaves me at a C:\Windows prompt.

Does anyone recognise what these symptoms might be? And do you have
any advice on how to fix it?

We will be taking it back to the shop tomorrow unless we can manage to
fix it. I believe it is still just within the 12 month guarantee so
they should repair it for us for free. We just don't want to lose any
data on the computer.

Cheers for any help

John

"John" <Yosemit@Sam.com> wrote in message
news:kero8213tvqvqpa02arvue5h8tf96t8j3p@4ax.com...
It sounds like the machine has been compromised by malware. I would suggest
you make a post to an AV like comp.alt-anti-virus. Maybe, you'll get some
help there.

Practice SafeHex.

http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

Duane

Windows is trying to load basic programs and drivers and gets to a fatal
error. Your computer, like most, is set to reboot when this occurs. This can
be a hardware problem, usually related to RAM, but not usually. A failing
power supply can also cause this.
When you turn on your computer immediately after the BIOS info is displayed
hold down the F8 key. This should bring up the menu that allows you boot
choices. Use the arrow key to highlight the boot to safe mode option and hit
enter.
If you can boot to safe mode it almost always means that this is a software
and not a hardware problem.
The easiest way to try to fix your problem is to let safe mode take you to
the System Restore function.
If you can choose a point prior to when your computer began to have this
problem click that date and let Windows reboot. If this fixes the problem
you should reinstall your video driver and run your virus program and at
least two anti spyware programs (e.g. Lavasoft Ad Aware).
Some problems however wipe out the windows restore data; there are other
reasons as well why system restore may not work.
If you can get to the Safe mode desktop you can back up your data files at
least.
All is not lost.
Boot with your Windows XP install CD: choose the option to reinstall Windows
rather than the repair console, which is useless if like most people you do
not understand command line options, which are pretty limited anyway.
If Windows offers to repair your current installation usually it will do so
without deleting your My Documents folder. If you choose to reinstall
Windows in any other way, or if the WinXP installation cannot recognize your
current Windows installation DO NOT reinstall windows if you cannot afford
to lose the contents of your My Documents folder.

Thanks guys. I am going to try a safe boot and ask in the virus NG as
well.

If this does turn out to be malware, do you know of any programs that
can completely block any bad internet sites from being accessed?

Cheers

John

"John" <Yosemit@Sam.com> wrote in message
news:a44p82hi1ts74v27b8505gq7s5qi958vrf@4ax.com...
I can't recommend any thing that runs on the computer that's easy to use,
because another user can get on the machine a circumvent or change the
software.

I will suggest you harden the O/S to attack as much as possible, like remove
MS File and Print Sharing and Client for MS Network if the machine as a
direct connection to the modem along with some other things that can be done
to protect the machine. Also use other software like Firefox as the default
browser and is less vulnerable to attack than IE and maybe Thunderbird over
OE. FF and TB are free. Only use IE for a site that calls for the use of IE.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articl...ychecklist.htm

Duane

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 20:30:22 +0100, John wrote:

Do you have a Windows XP installation CD or just a factory recovery disk?
If you've got the Windows XP installation CD, boot up with it loaded in
the CD drive and let it take over the boot process. When it asks if you
want to set up Windows say YES and let it do it's thing. It will
recognize that there is an existing Windows system alreadly installed and
give you the option to do a repair installation. If you don't get this
option cancel out of it or it will format and wipe out your hard drive.
The repair installation will only repair Windows system files, not your
personal programs that you may have installed over the years, so when you
reboot after the process finishes everything should appear just as it was.
I hope you have backups of anything important as this isn't a for sure
thing. If you take it to most places they're just going to reformat and
reinstall Windows loosing everything you've got on your computer in the
process. Again, I hope you have backups. If it weren't for the fact that
you say it gets to the Logon Screen I'd say it's a classic case of
corrupted or missing "Kernel32.dll" file. Good luck and hope your
warranty is still good.
--
Registered Linux User #267152

On or aboutSun, 11 Jun 2006 22:05:30 GMT, "Duane Arnold"
<Yeah-Don't-bother-@that's-right.BET> defied logic with:

|
|"John" <Yosemit@Sam.com> wrote in message
|news:a44p82hi1ts74v27b8505gq7s5qi958vrf@4ax.com.. .
|> Thanks guys. I am going to try a safe boot and ask in the virus NG as
|> well.
|>
|> If this does turn out to be malware, do you know of any programs that
|> can completely block any bad internet sites from being accessed?
|>
|
|I can't recommend any thing that runs on the computer that's easy to use,
|because another user can get on the machine a circumvent or change the
|software.
|
|I will suggest you harden the O/S to attack as much as possible, like remove
|MS File and Print Sharing and Client for MS Network if the machine as a
|direct connection to the modem along with some other things that can be done
|to protect the machine. Also use other software like Firefox as the default
|browser and is less vulnerable to attack than IE and maybe Thunderbird over
|OE. FF and TB are free. Only use IE for a site that calls for the use of IE.
|
|http://labmice.techtarget.com/articl...ychecklist.htm
|

And get a firewall that blocks outbound traffic. The OP needs to take
responsibility for the sites he visits. Knowledge is power.
--

-John

Artificial Intelligence stands no chance
against Natural Stupidity.

Lynx users are like the Amish of the Internet.

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:05:30 GMT, "Duane Arnold"
<Yeah-Don't-bother-@that's-right.BET> wrote:

Excellent. I will look into this. The computer is part of a home
network of just two systems that share a broadband connection. I don't
think print sharing is enabled. It isn't on my system anyway. The one
with the problem I will have to check into that and disable this if
its enabled. There are certain folders on both systems that are
shared between the two computers though, mainly the folders with
family photos.

That's a good idea. IE is fine on my system but the one with the
problem perhaps it would be better for that to be the default browser.


Thanks

John

Yes. It's a Fujitsu Siemens PC and it has the Windows XP Home CD with
it.

I did try the recovery console thing where you select the Windows
Installation to repair. You type in 1 as it lists C:\ Windows as the
option under 1 and then hit enter. This doesn't seem to work though.

I think I need to select the Install Windows option and then it will
tell me whether I want to reinstall all overwrite the current version?

John

dead_man_walking wrote:
Well, if you're talking about a personal FW, then anyone can logon to e
machine a change that too.

Duane

John wrote:
The optimal word there is MS File and Print Sharing. If you're sharing
resources between machines, then you have to use it.

Take note on the use of a NAT router as a security measure as opposed
ICS which is suspect on a Windows gateway computer. You want to control
outbound to A WEB site, then get yourself packet filtering FW router
that is ICSA certified that can stop outbound and has WEB site content
filtering, and has a syslog that you can use something like Wallwatcher
or Syslog Daemon -- both are free.

Duane

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 01:54:01 +0100, John wrote:


Don't bother with the recovery concole, just proceed as if you were doing
a clean installation. Setup will recognize that there is an active
Windows XP partition. At this point it should ask you whether you want to
repair it or do a clean install. Take the repair option. If, as others
suggested, you can get into Safe Mode, do so and make any necessary
backups before trying this. Best of luck.
--
Registered Linux User #267152