Hi Mark,

Yes, as it's not the file itself, it's the registry entry for userinit -
probably missing the trailing comma (very common).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Mark" <markxyz59@cox.net> wrote in message
news:43b86e4e.40006453@news.east.cox.net...
> Rick,
>
> I think you are dead-on-right. The password seems to be accepted, then
> the custom background is shown (mine is airplanes, my wife's is a pic
> of the kids), then we're summarily logged off.
>
> Note that I grabbed userinit.exe off the kid's PC (also XP Home SP2)
> and copied it to wsaupdater.exe on my wife's as you suggested. I noted
> that it's exactly the same size. In the end it didn't help.
>
> Ideas?
>
> On Sun, 1 Jan 2006 14:56:38 -0500, "Rick \"Nutcase\" Rogers"
> <rick@mvps.org> wrote:
>
>>He doesn't need to clear the password, as I've already pointed out this is
>>not the issue. The login/logout behavior is caused by a damaged userinit
>>value, not a bad password. If the password were the problem, the system
>>would not begin to login at all.
>>
>>--
>>Best of Luck,
>>
>>Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>>http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>>Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>>www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>>
>>"Dixonian69" <Dixonian69@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>news:9D6CD529-B7C5-4D61-A7F6-07AFA9AA84DE@microsoft.com...
>>> Since you started a new thread, you probably didn't see or read my
>>> reply!!
>>> How about logging into safe mode option menu and
>>> 1) Last Known Good Configuration OR
>>> 2) Regular Safe mode and running system restore?
>>> 3) If not regular safe mode, then safe mode w/command prompt only?
>>>
>>> See if "Administrator" account works?
>>> The "Administrator" account password is usually blank (ie no password)!
>>>
>>> Once in Safe mode you can repair the other her user login!!
>>>
>>> Well, I'm surprised. You are following both threads!!
>>> So why start a new, though?
>>>
>>> "Mark" wrote:
>>>
>>>> I posted earlier about Windows Updates screwing up and not accepting
>>>> any passwords (it would login and then quickly log out). Good News: I
>>>> was able to get the Recovery Console to give us access to the disk. We
>>>> can see C and D drives and all files are there.
>>>>
>>>> Is there a way to clobber/reset passwords from the command prompt?
>>>>
>>>> Our first instinct was to stick a USB Drive in and copy stuff, but the
>>>> USB drivers don't appear to be there on the recovery console.
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>