RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set

Thank you, Jesper. Would you happen to know the phone number for Microsoft
Security? I was actually looking for some sort of customer support number
when I stumbled upon your great forum! I'm sure I can find the number but if
you happen to know if off-hand, that would be great. Thanks again and Happy
New Year!

JSL

"Jesper" wrote:

I'm totally conjecturing, having never heard of this happening before. Those
scans are only as good as their signatures, and they are not always 100% up
to date. This sure sounds malicious to me though. Malware could easily
present a fake screen or hijack the existing one. I wonder if the good folks
at Microsoft's security help line have any help? You might want to try
calling them.

"JSL" wrote:

I did try adding and then removing passwords. When I set a password the
funny thing was this: my password worked (as it should) until I switched
users or the system hibernated. Then the computer wouldn't accept my new
password as valid!

I did run a couple scans (Ad Aware, Spybot and Norton Anti-Virus) but didn't
come up with anything. Do you think a "hijack this" scan would work? What
should I look for? Ug!! Thanks for your help.

JSL

"Jesper" wrote:

Yes, I know where the passwords are stored, but you can't get at that place.
It is in a portion of the registry. The thing I don't get is why the system
is behaving so strangely. It sounds as if something is interfering with the
logon process. Have you run an anti-malware scan? I could see some piece of
malware that would cause this to happen, but I have not heard of one yet. I
presume you have tried setting a password and then removing it and it doesn't
help?

"JSL" wrote:

Thanks for the reply, Jesper. I agree, it seems really weird. I checked
several times to make sure that no passwords were set. If I don't type
anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you
forget your password?" prompt and doesn't let me in. If I power down I can
get right in after the restart -- the password prompt doesn't hit unless I
switch users or logoff without powering down or the computer hibernates due
to inactivity.

Any idea where these passwords are stored in the system folders? Is there
some sort of a script that can wipe out the passwords? I'm at my wits' end
-- I really don't want to reboot Windows... Any suggestions you can give me
are appreciated. Thanks again!

JSL

"Jesper" wrote:

Something seems really broken here. When you resume from hibernate you get
the blue start screen that lists all the accounts? If you click on them it
asks for a password even though you don't have one set? Never heard of that
happening before. That screen tests if there is a password and won't prompt
if there is none. If you don't fill anything into the dialog but just click
the arrow to continue, what happens?

The only thing I can think of is that some third-party software is
interfering here. By itself Windows has never acted this way.

"JSL" wrote:

Please help me; I read through previous posts but I didn't see the answer I
needed. I have XP Home and I never set a password for any of my accounts
(administrator or otherwise). Yesterday my system hibernated and all of a
sudden the system is asking me for a user-specific password!! Nothing I
typed in worked. When I restart the computer I can get into any of the
accounts after the inital power-up but if my system hibernates or if I
log-off or quick-switch to another user the password prompt comes up again
and I am locked out.

I went into the control panel/user accounts and verified that no account has
a password set. For a laugh I then performed a test where I set passwords
for each account. When I powered up the computer it accepted my new password.
However, if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the
system does not accept my new password and I'm back to square one (I am
locked out).

My wife doesn't fiddle around with the system files and I don't do much
fiddling, either, but I must have done something screwy. Please help me -- I
can't keep restarting my computer to get access into our profiles!! Thanks.

JSL

.

Relevant Pages

  • RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set
    ... Thanks for the reply, Jesper. ... anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you ... I have XP Home and I never set a password for any of my accounts ... if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set
    ... "JSL" wrote: ... anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you ... I have XP Home and I never set a password for any of my accounts ... if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set
    ... anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you ... I have XP Home and I never set a password for any of my accounts ... if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set
    ... anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you ... I have XP Home and I never set a password for any of my accounts ... if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: XP Home Password Prompted but None Set
    ... "JSL" wrote: ... if the Security Accounts Manager interface in the Admin Tools/Services ... anything at the password prompt on the blue screen, it gives me the "did you ... if I switch users or if the system hibernates all of a sudden the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)