"Nate" <Nate@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Hey Rock. thanks for the suggestions.
>
> Question. If I install the drive in another machine, I boot from a local
> disk. How do I edit the registry on this "foreign" disk? It is not "other"
> user since the user is not local to this other machine...

>> "Nate" <Nate@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>> > Hi all
>> >
>> > I am dealing with a real headscratcher. A client gave me their computer
>> > because they could not log on. They put their login info:
>> > username/password,
>> > it looked like it was doing some machination then went back to the
>> > login
>> > prompt.
>> >
>> > Hmm. I tried logging in with the Admin account (which apparently had no
>> > password), and same thing. I then booted to safe mode, but still no
>> > luck.
>> > I
>> > could not get past the login prompt.
>> >
>> > I took out the disk and put it in another machine and was able to see
>> > all
>> > the appropriate files are there. Ran antivirus scans/etc, cleaned
>> > everything
>> > out, but still not luck.
>> >
>> > I even tried to do a boot from CD/Repair, but the start said it could
>> > not
>> > find a disk. Strange because it is a SATA disk and is recognized at
>> > boot.
>> > The
>> > OS does boot to the login prompt.
>>
>>
>> Install the drive in another machine and edit the registry remotely to
>> see
>> what the userinit value is. See these articles.
>>
>> Editing the Registry for "other" Users
>> http://www.dougknox.com/
>>
>> You cannot log on to Windows XP after you remove Wsaupdater.exe
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892893/en-us
>>
>> If that doesn’t help see this:
>> A User Logon Request Is Rejected Without Any Messages
>> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313322

You follow the procedure in the link from Doug Knox I gave you.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]