xp boot up password error

I put in service pack 2. Then my camera would no longer download. Tried to install iomega zip disk to move photos from windows 98 machine. Machine would no longer boot. Reinstalled original windows xp on e machine computer from ghost disk. Now when I get to safe mode it says the password is invalid. The machine then keeps rebooting continuously displaying the "wrong password" message. Error window says isass.exe on top. If I boot with floppy I can't get to my C: drive. I've got three years of photos on the drive and need to get to them.

 

uninstall SP2, thats what I had to do when my machine would no longer connect to the internet.

 

Hi sochonr and welcome to the forum.

Afraid I'm a little confused about your exact situation.

- how many PCs are we talking about and what operating systems?
- which, if any, are working now?
- what were you trying to do from safe mode?
- on the PC that is in a continuous boot loop, have you tried booting from the CD and then running chkdsk /r?

 

xp boot up

I updated my E machines computer to service pack 2. I found I my digital camera would no longer work. I tried to install an iomega zip driver. Computer then refused to boot. I used the E machines 'restore' disk twice. Could not recover. The computer shows that Windows XP is starting. You get the green lights on the opening screen so service pack 2 update which shows blue lights when loading is not installed. The computer then proceeds to load Windows XP. At the first screen it says the password is invalid and goes into reboot. If I force the computer into Safe mode the same message appears and it reboots. I don't stay in safe mode long enough to do anything.

 

Lot's of ideas in the link I'm about to provide ( 4 pages worth of discussion) and since you have described yourself as experienced I will assume that you can sift through these and decided which are applicable based on your level of experience. I have tried to pin this down to something more concrete with a definitive answer that is the least destructive but thus far haven't found the a reference or source with a positive happy ending that I am confident in. If you choose to try any of the suggestions in the link provided please take extra precautions to only do those things that you can reverse. Backup when and what is possible, rename rather than delete, keep track of what you do.

http://www.techimo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40558&page=1&pp=20

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Have you tried contacting emachine about your botched restore? I know, with HP anyway, that as far back as sp1 an OEM patch was required just before installing or right after it. If the OEM patch was not applied the system restore would not function properly. This may not have anything to do with your current problem but I thought it worth mentioning.

As a side note and I much as I figured this was a typo on your part I must ask rather assume....
is the error with lsass.exe with a lower case L or isass.exe as you have typed it. If it is an i a virus could be your problem.

About the password error...are you typing in a password or is this some sort of autologin instant error, for lack of a better description?

 

status to date

I was able to download software that allowed me to reformat the hard drive. I even used a program that is supposed to destroy the hard drive contents for security reasons. I then restored the system using the symantic ghost used by E-Machines. When the system restarts windows the same security violation of invalid password occurrs.
Since the hard drive was erased I figured that the bad code might be in the BIOS so I played around with the BIOS settings finally leaving it at the default setup. The same security error occurrs.
The key for the problem must be something that IOmega does when you install a ZIP drive. That was the start of the problem i.e. I tried to install their ZIP drive. I believe that whatever driver they tried to install was incompatible with Windows XP. I had only used that drive on Windows 98 before this. It was when the system is shut down and rebooted that the problem occurred.

 

Hi once again sochonr,

While I really have nothing new to offer as far as this problem goes especially since the new additions of "Ghost" ( I assume imaged restore of OEM factory state) AND Iomega Zip Drive (plus any software this may have come bundled with). I did want to thank you for taking the time to update your post.

I'm sorry about bailing out but my mind boggles at the shear number of possibilities that the root cause of this might be. My heart, sympathy and good wishes go out to you.