Windows XP won't recognize login password

[JediJorgie]

When I resume my computer from sleep mode, it asks me for my password. I know I enter it correctly, its only 3 letters, no caps lock, anything like that. But for some reason, Windows always says its not the correct password. Starting up from a cold boot, or restarting after it won't recognize the pw, works fine. I could make it not ask for my pw when resuming from sleep, but I want my roommates to stay off my computer.

Any ideas? This just started happening last week.

 

[nova2]

did you install anything new or change any hardware recently?

 

[JediJorgie]

I installed a printer a few weeks before this started happening. The most recent software I have installed was that Earth View desktop/screensaver app. I uninstalled Earth View on Sunday and tried resuming from sleep last night but it still would not recognize my pw.

 

[porcorosso]

You mentioned the CapsLock, but how about NumLock? If this is a notebook computer, and your NumLock state is different for the two states, perhaps...?

 

[JediJorgie]

I should have mentioned in my first post that its a desktop.

 

[porcorosso]

Oh, well then I got nuthin'!

But I'll watch with interest, and look around to see if I can find something. It's a weird one all right. I hope you find out what it is, and share it with us. Might be a fun thing to know.

 

[JediJorgie]

I did a full spyware and virus scan. The only thing that came up was from Spybot, it was some Alexa related issue. Unsurprisingly, it didn't fix my problem.

I noticed that when I restart after it won't recognize the pw, I get a warning message that there are users logged into this computer and that restarting could cause unsaved data to be lost, blah blah blah. I'm guessing this is the normal message when you restart from the login screen, but thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: porcorosso
You mentioned the CapsLock, but how about NumLock? If this is a notebook computer, and your NumLock state is different for the two states, perhaps...?

I was thinking the same thing. Jefi, as a test can you change your password to something silly like aaa and see if the problem goes away. I'm curious if certain keys are being mapped differently after the resume (e.g. as if numlock was on, or something else like that). Trying a few different keys (aaa, 000, etc) as passwords should let us determine if that might be the issue (then if it is, figure out why its happening so it can be fixed properly).

 

[montag451]

Are you a limited user?
Is there an administrative password?
Along the same lines bsobel suggests - can you check your regional keyboard settings as well.

 

[JediJorgie]

I will try changing my password to something like aaa when I get home from work.

My account is administrator level as well. I will also check on the regional keyboard settings when I get home.

 

[JediJorgie]

Well, I tried what bsobel suggested and changed my password. A different password worked when resuming from sleep. I tried switching back to my original password after that and then it also worked. A few days later the problem reappeared. I tried changing my password again to fix it and then that wouldn't work.

On a whim I decided to change the way I log into my computer by disabling the welcome screen. For whatever reason, it now recognizes my password. Who knows, maybe this won't work after awhile like my previous fix. But I will keep you posted. Thanks for the help.

 

[porcorosso]

This is truly strange. The thing is that these operating systems will save the keyboard state that was last in use when you shut them down. You can see some pretty odd effects from that.

For example -- If I log on to my notebook computer using remote desktop from my desktop system (which always has NumLock turned on) and then quit, when I start that notelbook up, I have to turn off NumLock in order to use the keyboard successfully to enter my user name and password. But shutting down now will NOT properly save the keyboard state. The only way to get a NON-NumLock state saved in this case is to turn off NumLock at the log on prompt and then shut the system down WITHOUT LOGGING ON!!!

Bizarre, eh? I've tested it a half-dozen times to prove that I can replicate the behavior. I just know that I have to log on remotely with NumLock turned off on the remote machine. Otherwise, I have a wee bit of a hassle in getting a normal keyboard state on the notebook at the log on prompt.

I hope that's not as confusing as I think it is.



I'm wondering if you might have some software (either native to the OS or not) that is switching the keyboard state on you and causing you this problem. Don't know offhand what it would be, though. But if you're running anything at all that changes keyboard mappings, you might want to experiment with it to find out if it's the source of your trouble.

Please let us know what you learn. We'd all like to know.

 

[mechBgon]

Since this topic resurfaced and it's an Operating Systems topic, I'm moving it from Windows/PC Software to Operating Systems.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon