Local Policy problem - can't logon interactively

Hello All~

I'm brand new here so please bare with me. The owner of my company dropped an XP desktop off to me with the "Local Policy does not permit you to log on interactively" state. I do realize this is a group policy problem, but I cannot log on to change anything. I know I can utilize the "Ntrights" utility in the Windows Resource Kit Tools to change the policy setting as follows:

ntrights -m\\ProblemComputer -i Administrator +r SeInteractiveLogonRight

Here's the problem with that: I cannot get the Windows Resource Kit Tools loaded onto the machine. I've tried using the MSIEXEC at the command prompt with different parameters, but each time I try to use MSIEXEC to install the Tool Kit I get a "command is not recognized" message at the command prompt. My questions are:

1) can MSIEXEC be used at a command prompt (got to the command prompt via the Recovery Console) without logging into Windows first (which I can't do)

2) is there another way to install the Windows Resource Tool Kit at a command prompt without using MSIEXEC (if MSIEXEC is not an option)

3) I am somewhat assuming that the only way for me to fix the local policy/unable to logon interactively is to use the tool kit, but if there is another way, I am all ears.

I've been working at this thing for a couple of days now, and any help you guys can afford is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Anybody know what I'm talking about?

 

I found something HERE that may be of help to you. I don't know if your problem system is configured that way by someone intentionally or perhaps just has a corrupt Security hive. There is a forum rule prohibiting giving out information that would help someone crack a security setting so that also comes into play. I'm sorry that we can't take your word that this doesn't apply to you.

Scroll down that link to the method using the Recovery Console. I think that may be your best hope. Even then, if there is a password set for the Administrator, nobody here will be able to help you.

 

Thanks for the reply Surfer. I've gone so far as to remove the hard drive on the machine that won't let me log on and attach it to another machine as a slave, thinking perhaps I can get into gpedit or secpol pointing to the settings on the slave drive ONLY in order to change the policy that way, but it doesn't seem to work. I've also tried the command:

"ntrights -m\\ProblemComputerName -u Administrator +rSeIntaeractiveLogonRight" from a command line on the machine I have the slave (problem) drive hooked up to, but that's not working either. Of course this PC I'm working on just had to be the home computer of the owner of my company!

Thanks again, and surf's up (try "The Wedge" in Socal sometime)