Member Avatar for Shiggity

So I have Windows XP Pro, and everytime I reboot my computer and start up, it tells me the password for my created Admin-level user is invalid.

I then have to ctrl-alt-delete to get to the dialog box and for a username type "Administrator" and the Administrator password, go to Start->Control Panel->Computer Management->Local Users and Groups->Users and then right-click on my user, choose "Properties" and the "Account is locked out" checkbox is checked. I uncheck it, switch user, and then my password will let me into my Admin-level user account until I reboot my computer and I have to do it all over again.

Any ideas on what would cause my account to be "locked out" every time I turn my computer off and back on?

One day this just started and has never stopped.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Bob_180_Bob

Dani AI

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Most likely this isn’t a Windows UI bug — something on boot is repeatedly trying the wrong password for that account (a service, scheduled task, persistent mapped drive, saved credential, or even a mobile/mail client) and Windows locks the account after the threshold is hit. As described, you can manually unlock and then log in, and ’s suggestion to scan for malware is a good first step — but the quickest wins are to hunt for stale credentials and background processes that retry logons. (serverfault.com)

Do these quick checks first (no extra tools required):

  • Remove saved Windows credentials (Stored User Names and Passwords). The fastest way on XP is to run the Stored User Names dialog. 
    rundll32.exe keymgr.dll,KRShowKeyMgr

    Remove any entries that reference the locked account. (techrepublic.com)

  • Remove persistent network maps and reconnect them only after verifying credentials:
    net use /persistent:no
net use * /delete /y

    Then inspect Scheduled Tasks and Services (services.msc) for anything set to run as that user, and disable nonessential startup items (msconfig). (learn.microsoft.com)

If those don’t show the culprit, enable and check audit/logon events: turn on “Audit logon events” / “Audit account logon events,” reboot, then examine the Security log for failed logons or lockout entries — the event will usually include the workstation or process name that triggered the bad password. If the PC is domain-joined, run LockoutStatus/EventComb (Microsoft’s Account Lockout tools) or check the domain controller’s Security log to find the origin quickly. (learn.microsoft.com)

Isolation checklist (fast): disconnect network and reboot — if it no longer locks, the source is on the network; boot Safe Mode / disable startup items; create a temporary admin account and see if it’s affected; if you still can’t find it, post the exact Security-event text (event ID plus workstation/source fields) so the origin can be traced. If malware is confirmed or you’re uncomfortable with the domain-side tracing, follow ’s scan advice as a complement to the above.

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
Sounds like you need to remove a virus or malware. Just because you have a good virus detector and you scan your PC every day does not mean that your PC is clean. If you are running one of these anti-virus programs, use the other to do the check. Even if your PC is clean, it can not hurt to check and rule out that problem. Go to:-
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
or:-

Download and run to remove any viruses you may have. (Sometimes a virus will stop you accessing an anti-virus site, so try going through safe mode (Tap F8 on boot up) and see if you can access it there.)
If you can not access either site in safe mode, you can make a DOS CD with another PC from either of these sites and boot your PC with it and scan from DOS.

Then go to :-
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
or;-
http://majorgeeks.com
Download, malwarebytes, then run a “quick check” your PC for any problems, if still there, do a “full scan.”

If that has not helped, then maybe a Windows repair is required. If you want to repair your installation with your OS disk, go to:-
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread148706.html

Post #7

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