Genuine Windows failure-can't logon

What else would change the password for owner when there never has been one?
I certainly didn't add one. In addition, in XP Home, the Administrator
account is created by Windows, without a password and only shows up in Safe
Mode. Administrator now has a password.

Bruce

"Alan" wrote:

> I dont have a solution for this but I have seen people use copies of windows
> that kept telling them that and they never got locked out... so i don't think
> the lockout is related...
>
> "Bruce Wilkinson" wrote:
>
> > A client has a system that had been getting warnings something like "you may
> > be the victim of software counterfeiting" with prompts to Get Genuine. I was
> > cleaning it up from a virus infection and discussed this with him. It's a
> > rather long and ugly story. The bottom line, he can't find his original CD.
> > His case doesn't have a Windows product key on it either. I was looking for a
> > second hand copy of XP Home, but before we got this resolved the system
> > locked us out. His account now has a password. It didn't before. I'm assuming
> > it's Genuine Windows that caused the lockout since trying to causes a Logon
> > Message dialog, "Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."
> >
> > Is there way to get back in to change the product key to a valid one?
> >
> > Bruce

Bruce Wilkinson wrote:

> What else would change the password for owner when there never has been
> one? I certainly didn't add one. In addition, in XP Home, the
> Administrator account is created by Windows, without a password and only
> shows up in Safe Mode. Administrator now has a password.

Virus infection. The machine is still not clean and in all probability is
not cleanable.
>
> "Alan" wrote:
>
>> I dont have a solution for this but I have seen people use copies of
>> windows that kept telling them that and they never got locked out... so i
>> don't think the lockout is related...
>>
>> "Bruce Wilkinson" wrote:
>>
>> > A client has a system that had been getting warnings something like
>> > "you may be the victim of software counterfeiting" with prompts to Get
>> > Genuine. I was cleaning it up from a virus infection and discussed this
>> > with him. It's a rather long and ugly story. The bottom line, he can't
>> > find his original CD. His case doesn't have a Windows product key on it
>> > either. I was looking for a second hand copy of XP Home, but before we
>> > got this resolved the system locked us out. His account now has a
>> > password. It didn't before. I'm assuming it's Genuine Windows that
>> > caused the lockout since trying to causes a Logon Message dialog,
>> > "Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."
>> >
>> > Is there way to get back in to change the product key to a valid one?

Flatten the system and purchase a real, not second-hand, copy of XP from
your favorite online or brick-and-mortar store. My choice for online
purchases is NewEgg but of course you may not live in the US.

If you are doing this sort of thing for a living - your using the word
"client" suggests that - then my advice as one professional to another is
that the above is the only way to insure your client's machine is 100%
clean and legal.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

First, I don't agree that it's a virus infection. That system ran clean with
2 different A/V products. The second was installed (yes, the first was
removed) to verify the system was clean. I was finishing clean up and trying
to remove adware/spyware when passwords were applied. One of the spyware
product may be the culprit.

Second, you make assumptions about my professionalism that I find offensive.
The details of how my client got into this spot are not relevant. I'll just
say that it's a long story and I'm trying get him legal. The rest is none of
your business.

Last, just to reiterate, Windows will not cause a lock-out if it's not a
legal copy?

Bruce


"Malke" wrote:

> Bruce Wilkinson wrote:
>
> > What else would change the password for owner when there never has been
> > one? I certainly didn't add one. In addition, in XP Home, the
> > Administrator account is created by Windows, without a password and only
> > shows up in Safe Mode. Administrator now has a password.
>
> Virus infection. The machine is still not clean and in all probability is
> not cleanable.
> >
> > "Alan" wrote:
> >
> >> I dont have a solution for this but I have seen people use copies of
> >> windows that kept telling them that and they never got locked out... so i
> >> don't think the lockout is related...
> >>
> >> "Bruce Wilkinson" wrote:
> >>
> >> > A client has a system that had been getting warnings something like
> >> > "you may be the victim of software counterfeiting" with prompts to Get
> >> > Genuine. I was cleaning it up from a virus infection and discussed this
> >> > with him. It's a rather long and ugly story. The bottom line, he can't
> >> > find his original CD. His case doesn't have a Windows product key on it
> >> > either. I was looking for a second hand copy of XP Home, but before we
> >> > got this resolved the system locked us out. His account now has a
> >> > password. It didn't before. I'm assuming it's Genuine Windows that
> >> > caused the lockout since trying to causes a Logon Message dialog,
> >> > "Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."
> >> >
> >> > Is there way to get back in to change the product key to a valid one?
>
> Flatten the system and purchase a real, not second-hand, copy of XP from
> your favorite online or brick-and-mortar store. My choice for online
> purchases is NewEgg but of course you may not live in the US.
>
> If you are doing this sort of thing for a living - your using the word
> "client" suggests that - then my advice as one professional to another is
> that the above is the only way to insure your client's machine is 100%
> clean and legal.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> Don't Panic!
>

Bruce Wilkinson wrote:

> First, I don't agree that it's a virus infection. That system ran clean
> with 2 different A/V products. The second was installed (yes, the first
> was removed) to verify the system was clean. I was finishing clean up and
> trying to remove adware/spyware when passwords were applied. One of the
> spyware product may be the culprit.
>
> Second, you make assumptions about my professionalism that I find
> offensive. The details of how my client got into this spot are not
> relevant. I'll just say that it's a long story and I'm trying get him
> legal. The rest is none of your business.
>
> Last, just to reiterate, Windows will not cause a lock-out if it's not a
> legal copy?

I'm sorry you were offended by my post. Although I believe you
misinterpreted what I wrote, I do apologize if you were hurt. I made no
assumptions about your professionalism except to assume that you *were* a
professional.

At the risk of offending you again, I will say that if you only scanned with
antivirus programs and not with specialized non-viral malware removal
tools, then the probability that the system is still infected is high.
However, I'm sure that you know best since you are the one working on the
box.

A legal copy of Windows will not cause a lock-out unless there is a Group
Policy set to lock-out after a certain time when an incorrect password is
entered. Even then, an administrator can get in. If no passwords were set
and now passwords are being required, this is a symptom of infection as
quite a few viruses/malware variants will do this, particularly some of the
ones in the ransomware family.

I hope this has clarified my original post and mollified the original
impression you got that I was trying to insult you since that was not the
case.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

Bruce Wilkinson <BruceWilkinson RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Last, just to reiterate, Windows will not cause a lock-out if it's not a
>legal copy?

I just googled "you may be the victim of software counterfeiting"...

It seems that's a Windows message to tell your client to get legal.

Malke <malke.RemoveThis@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>I'm sorry you were offended by my post. Although I believe you
>misinterpreted what I wrote, I do apologize if you were hurt. I made no
>assumptions about your professionalism except to assume that you *were* a
>professional.

I read it that way the first AND on a re-read after he complained.

I think he's overly-sensitive (and I don't care if that offends him)