You will have to either purchase a copy of XP, or figure out a better hack for the copy you have. The only time I have ever seen this happen is when XP has been pirated.

I am having exactly the same problem, my XP is not pirated but as it came with my PC when I bought it.
 
I was trying to remove the about:blank hijacker from my system, deleted several things flagged up by Hijack this & Ad Aware 6 and restarted the computer, when I did this I could not get past the welcome screen.
 
Does anyone know how I can fix this as I really need to computer for work.
 
Thnaks

i have exactly the same problem. Running windows xp home edition on a time computer (didn't come with restore cd) and i only have 1 user on my computer. For some reason after i used windows update it wanted me to click my user at the welcome screen and it wouldn't load. I've got a lot o things on my computer which badly need backing up so even if i did have a restore cd then i couldn't use it.

Try this, usually works. The problem is to with some spyware, and when removed (by adaware) causes the behaviour you guys are describing.
 
 
First off, boot your computer from your Windows XP restore cd/OS cd, when the menu comes up hit the R key to get to the recovery prompt.
 
The prompt should start off at C:\Windows. Type[font:courier] cd system32. The prompt should now read C:\Windows\system32
 
Type: [font:courier]copy userinit.exe wsaupdater.exe
 
Reboot
 

This bug has been "bugging" me now for 3 days !!!! Thanks to ScinteX, my bug has been squashed !! Directing the start-up to the windows/windows32 directory and copying the userinit.exe .... really did the trick.
Thank you very much for posting the solution and to the others that identified the same problem.
 
Remember to enter your BIOS screen [F2] on boot-up and change your boot priority to the CD and have your XP CD inserted. Then hit the [R] for the restore page. I guess you could also just select option 1 [ENTER] and re-install the OS but ScinteX's fix is perfect.
 
RS

Glad that worked! And thanks for posting the additional info re: the boot sequence (I was in a rush!)
 

i had this problem as well, and thanks to the suggestion on this forum...copying over userinit.exe solved it.
 
funny userinit.exe was gone from the pc, that's why it wouldn't boot.
 
does anyone know why it would be gone ? could it be that it got infected from a virus and the scanner deleted it ? or could malware have gotten pissed from an uninstall and deleted it just to be "mal" ?
 
thanks again for the help.

hi metafizx,
The userinit value may have been corrupted by the removal of blazefind. It adds wsaupdater.exe to the logon value in the system registry, sometimes appending it, sometimes replacing
it. Running Adaware or other cleaners detects and removes wsaupdater.exe, but doesn't correct the registry damage.
 
Thus, we have a problemo! And.. a fix 8)

Thx Alex, appreciated
 
I never ever ever ever use IE unless I have to. may sound over the top but you are right. Since using Opera I have had minmal problems.
 
 

I found out the solution just by searching around.... the Google Master lol
 
 
Its funny you know, most of the best resolutions come from a bit of searching and some logical thinking.
 
 

Brilliant ScinTex. It worked a treat.

Well I don't get it, I use IE all the time and I have no problem at all. Well that might be because I use tools that IE does not have like a good firewall, a good ad killer and a good anti hijacker, and ......
 
Well I guest your right after all IE suck and it always have. and will for the next century. I hope.
 
But my point is that when you know how, and spend the time learnig how, you save your self lot of time later on. I learn the hard way to use a firewall. Now I keep my computer on top of all that crap. that probably why I have no problem since that last spring.
 
Well I guest it's a choice of easy go and easy way
 
 

Hi There I have had the same problem and have tried the solution given but it says "System cannot find the file specified" Has anyone had this problem and managed to get around it without having to totally trash the pc and rebuild the operating system. The operating system currently on the laptop is Windows XP Pro sp1.
 
Thanks if you can help

What OS you got? Also is it a standard install. One last thing, could you create a new post with this, instead of using this old thread? I think that is the rules here, but don't quote me on that.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;892893
http://www.lavasofthelp.com/articles/v6/04/06/0901.html
 
Originally posted by theefool:

Quote:What OS you got?
Originally posted by chase4223:

Quote:The operating system currently on the laptop is Windows XP Pro sp1.
 
Originally posted by theefool:

Quote:One last thing, could you create a new post with this, instead of using this old thread?

Yep.
 
Originally posted by theefool:

Quote:I think that is the rules here, but don't quote me on that.

I already did. ;P
 

 
 
Thanks so much, ScinteX!!!
 
That little morsel of info saved me a lot of time reinstalling the OS to find where the issue was.
 
I'm currently working on a system for a customer and hadn't run upon this particular problem yet. Now I can get past the Welcome screen, but its still LOADED with malware and non-legit services I need to weed out. Might still have to reload the OS anyway to completely rid this box of its infections.
 
Thanks again!
 
-uo

Somebody please help!!!!! I typed in the fix that was recommended but my comp still keeps loggin me off. I am using windows xp service pack 2 on an HP laptop. What should I do?
 

Originally posted by mainepcman:

Quote:Here is a problem and a half. When booting Windows XP home edition, it goes to welcome screen and when user is selected it flashes the destop for a split second returns to Welcome screen and logs off.I am NOT able to go into safe mode. It will not leave Welcome screen if Administrator is chosen and will not go if user is chosen. I have perfomed a chkdsk from dos prompt with no problems found. What could be the problem. HELP!
underlined text
 
My Problem is bit different.After booting Windows XP home edition,it goes to the welcome screen and does not load the desktop at all.After restarting a couple of times it shows the background Screen but desktop is not loaded .Please someone help me out.

Hello!
 
Before concerning the subject,please note that this is my first contribution to a forum. Please excuse any inapropriate style of mine but I think, my post is helpful and I am eager to share it.
 
So, I had the same problem as most of you:
 
When logging on a Windows XP Home System, the OS logged me automatically off.
 
The solution proposed in the former posts ([tt]copy userinit.exe wsaupdater.exe[/tt]) didn't work for me, because on my system neither of the files were present.
 
My solution:
 
- Using a Windows XP Home Edition Installation CD (I had a Recovery CD which didn't offer the chance to boot to a recovery console), start the recovery console (press "R" at the first screen with options).
 
- Copy the file [tt]USERINIT.EX_[/tt] from the [tt]I386[/tt] directory on the installation CD to the [tt]system32[/tt] folder on your computer, renaming the file to [tt]userinit.exe[/tt]. this can be done like this:
 
[tt]copy <CD-drive-Letter>:\I386\USERINIT.EX_ <Win-Installation-Drive>:\<Win-Installation-Directory>\system32\userinit.exe[/tt]
 
On my system it looked like this:
 
[tt]copy D:\I386\USERINIT.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe[/tt]
 
- Restart and enjoy!
 
I had a virus, which I suspect was responsible for this problem.
After fixing the problem, restarting and logging on, F-Prot reported that [tt]userinit.exe[/tt] was infected by W32/Freebs.Y. I couldn't find any information about it, but after up[censored] the virus definitions of F-Prot, the infection was gone.
It doesn't sound like a clean desinfection, but my system works properly until now.
 
Hope this works for you too!

Sorry, i'm not exactly great at computers.
 
I have been experiencing the same problem, bt do not quite underdtand how to fix it. I was wondering, how do i get the the menu that you can press 'r' in. I have tried running off the windows restore cd, although pressing 'r' here seems to have no effect... what am i doing wrong please??