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Solved: "Switch User" no longer functions. "Password"?

2K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  new tech guy 
#1 ·
Ok, this is my third attempt, after re-booting and re-booting. This is my wife's Sony, abt. 3 years old, P4, WinXP HE, 512k ram. For a long time now it has been "temperamental". Among the latest is I can no longer "switch user" as normally. Clicking Start/log off/switch user does absolutely nothing now, it merely reverts to the former screen. Start/log off/log off does work, however.
And the shortcut that I used to use, the Win logo key +L now goes to "UNLOCK COMPUTER", a pop-up message that tells me the pc is in use and locked and only I (presumably as an administrator) with the proper password can now unlock it..
Problem: what the heck is the password?
We don't recall ever setting one.
Control+Alt+Delete does nothing here. Once at this screen, my only recourse is to reboot. ("Cancel" is greyed out. I think though that a few days ago it wasn't and I could cancel. Is that my faulty memory or is this thing getting worse?)

A side note: I did recently download and utilize a reg cleaner freeware "Regseeker" which I used to delete only several items it said were not used or broken links. (It also allegedly created a back-up before deletion, but darned if I can see where or how I can get them back!)
I also disabled, thanks to another tech "advice", several services via Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services. However, that techie claims nothing I disabled in his list should affect this.

Thanks!
 
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#3 ·
Hi Laugesen,

Regseeker allows you to restore the registry entries you removed. You must restart Regseeker and then click the Backup icon. In the pane, you'll see all the backups Regseeker made each time you removed entries.
 
#4 ·
Thanks, guys, but the Back up folder in Regseeker is blank (??) even tho' "backup before deletion" was checked when I deleted the files (and still is checked).
Yes, I thought about trying the restore function, and I may try that next. However, the guru who posts a long list of services to disable also emailed me saying in part, "A good restore MIGHT solve your problem (then you'll have to do your updates again). Or, it may total your installation of Windows and force you to start over". Hmmm!
He also suggested I use the Windows System disk that supposedly came with this Sony and do an Operating System Repair. However, I don't know if we in fact had such a disk, and wonder if it is not hidden somewhere on the hard drive, behind some partition? "Search" including hidden files did not find it.
 
#5 ·
I think the advice he is giving may lead to major problems, if the Repair fails you may not be able to log in at all, and a Repair to fix a logon issue seems a little extreme at this point. If you choose the wrong option you can also delete everything off the drive or install a second copy of Windows. And disabling Services doesn't seem to be the right approach either. From who and where are you getting this info?

System Restore can go bad or fail but rarely does it mess up Windows to a point where its worse off then to begin with.
 
#6 ·
You may like to try the System file Checker which can reinstall corrupt or missing system files, it just might do the the trick. Click on the Start button Click on Run. In the Run box type cmd, click OK. A command window will appear. In here type sfc /scannow then press enter. You may have to move the command window to see what's happening but there will be a progress bar in operation. Let it run, then when it has finished reboot your computer. This should at least repair some of the problems you are experiencing. Good luck.
 
#9 ·
Joan: one word... EXCELLENT! I recall seeing that link before, but not the L.34 tweak. And as a newbie, fooling with the reg edit is not something I do. But it worked (at least it seems to). Now I am wondering about that other file on L. 34, "super fast switching power toy". What the heck does THAT do?
And can you vouch for the reliability of any of the other tweaks listed?
Thanks!

SAXON: thanks your advice also, but I didn't need to try it. But wondering if that run cmd would possibly help prevent the annoying lock up on this pc that occurs fairly often? Good to run anyway, or best now not to fool with it?
 
#12 ·
The gains aren't that great by disabling services, especially when you find that certain things stop working.

Glancing through his list I see he recommends to disabgle the Cryptographic Service, I disagree with that one and so do most other sites. Its needed by some applications and its needed by Windows Updates.

He doesn't seem to think that Windows Update, Error Reporting, or System Restore are very useful, at this point I don't think his suggestions are useful either.
 
#13 ·
Just to reconfirm that after re-booting the switch users is indeed working, thank you.
I'll mark this thread "solved" now.

Triple 6: Understood; I will return the Crypto setting to "automatic". Obviously, there is a lot of computer "advice" out there; the lesson seems to be to consult a multi-user forum, i.e. this one, to get cumulative opinions before proceeding.

NTG, SAXON: I'll keep that run cmd advice handy for the next time this pc locks up, then will restart and run the cmd to see when/if it locks up the next time.
(It hasn't locked up in two days, which is good for this machine.)
 
#14 ·
If two days are good for it, i would say that it is time to clean up that machine big time. Mine can go for months without locking, my sister's computer is ancient and that pc rarely crashes up if it ever does. I think that pc is past due for the command and some other maintenance tasks as well. If problems persists, then its time to check for malware nasties.
 
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