Re: Why is Windows such a piece of Crap

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

Ok Eric here goes:

I'm running Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP2 on a Sony VAIO
VGC-RA826G with 2GB RAM and three 250 GB SATA disks. The system has been
patched with ALL available hot fixes including the Media Center Roll-up
packages. Optional software loaded is Office 2003 Pro (fully patched), HP
Laserjet 1320 driver (only driver and not the whole HP package), Brother MFL
Pro Suite with Scan-Port, CA Anti-Virus plus some programs which came with
the Sony such as Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premier Standard, WinDVD, Sonic
Stage, Quicken, Click-to-DVD and DVGate Plus.

This PC is a stand-alone system but is part of a home workgroup. Local
accounts only; no domain login.

I'm having two problems which I don't think are related, but you never know.
The first problem has to do with the Windows Welcome logon. After logging
off the computer, the Windows Welcome screen is displayed with the names of
the two user accounts I've created on this machine displayed. Both accounts
have passwords enabled. When I click on either account so that I can enter
the password and logon, which the account gets highlighted, there is never a
cursor present in the password box. Because of this, I cannot enter a
password and hence cannot logon. The only way around this is the
Ctrl-Alt-Del sequence which brings up the standard logon screen. From then I
can enter a username and password and logon. Alternatively, I can shutdown
and reboot the system and then for one time and one time only, I can enter a
password on the Windows Welcome screen.

The second problem has to do with the "MCI Command Window" dialogue box
popping up on shutdown. When this message is displayed, the system waits
till I "End Task" before continuing the shutdown. This problem appears to be
quite common as I've seen others searching for a resolution as well. I
cannot associate any program I'm running with this message. Sometimes I
think it has to do with Windows Media Player or WinDVD or some other video
program, but when I run them, and shutdown everything works. But when I'm
not watching, this message just pops up.

In neither case does anything show up in the event log. I've enabled
auditing for all logon events and still see nothing that looks like either a
cause or result.

This machine had a catastrophic system disk failure 3 weeks ago. At that
time I bought a new drive, did a complete system restore, applied all
required patches from Sony, then applied all patches from MS. Recreated from
scratch the two user accounts, restored from backup the data in the two user
accounts. The "MCI Command" message which I was getting before replacing the
disk, came back right away. The Windows Welcome screen just started a couple
of days ago.

Prior to the rebuild I was having problems on occasion with the logoff not
completing. It would sit at the "Saving settings" screen for hours at a time
and never complete.

In neither case is it possible to check the Task Manager because on one
setting I'm logged off and trying to log on and on the "MCI" error, if the
task manager is running, it is stopped as part of the logoff prior to getting
this message.

Even with 30 year experience, I do not know were to look in the registry. I
know were to look for some things, but when I don't know what is even causing
this problem, how do I know even which hive to begin looking in. Is this a
"user" problem or does it happen at the system level.

I've searched high and low on the web before ever coming to this newsgroup.
In fact before posting, I search all the newgroups as well. While I've seen
many people talk about the "MCI" problem, I don't see anybody with the
Windows Welcome Screen problem. I do see issues with the logoff hang, but
they don't appear to apply to my case.

Any further information you need, just ask.

Greg ...

"Eric" wrote:


"Greg" <Greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:05F5036B-2FD4-4EB7-A5D5-AF22400CEBCC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm an IT professional with over 30 years experience and I cannot solve
simple little problems with Windows. Why are there no log files create so
that those who want can find out what is wrong with their systems.

I too am having the "MCI Command Handling" window show up during shutdown
and cannot find a fix for it. Of couse there is absoulutely no where to
look
to see what error are logged. Event viewer is just somebodys idea of a
joke!

I'm also having a problem with the Welcome Screen. After logging off,
when
I next click on a user id to log back on, the system will not allow for
the
entry of a password. It just sits there staring at me, doing nothing.
The
only way out is a C-A-D to get the real login screen. Again, I can find
lots
of people having this problem but nobody solving it.

A computer system should log every thing that it does for audit purposes
and
error correction. Or at least give me the opportunity to turn on logging.

There are logs if you know where to look. Most of what you need is in Event
Viewer. What is Event Viewer showing you?
I'm an IT professional with about 9 years experience on the job (at least 15
years since I started using PCs) and I have yet to have a problem with
Windows I couldn't fix. Don't flame Windows because you're not smart enough
to fix simple problems.

You don't seem to know much for an IT professional. If you are supposedly
experienced, you could try posting more information about the problem.
The first useful thing you could've posted was the XP version you're
running, which I see you finally mentioned in a response in the thread was
Media Center.
Is this a standalone PC or signing in to a network?

The next thing you might want to mention is how you get the error.
You get a message on shutdown? Is this every shutdown? If you just start
it up and shut it down, or only if you do something in particular in
between, or randomly?
You don't get a password entry on log on? Does this happen on initial
startup, or only if you log off without restart?
Did you check Task Manager to see what processes are running?
Did you check the Startup on both the Start menu and the registry to see if
you're running any programs that could possibly cause these problems?
Surely you know where to look for information in the registry if you have 30
years experience.

Did you search for answers? Most answers to "simple Windows problems" can
be found with a simple search on either Google or support.microsoft.com.



.

Relevant Pages

  • RE: Remote restart of services
    ... This article describes how to use the Remote Shutdown tool ... to shut down and restart a local or remote Windows 2000-based or Microsoft ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.general)
  • Re: GP errors
    ... Then later shutdown second one and start the first one. ... machine (MTCCSAPROUTER) to the domain and those errors are not coming. ... The policy for which it is giving access denied error is the Default ... Windows cannot query for the list of Group Policy objects. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Blaster worm virus
    ... Whenever your computer attempts to shutdown or reboot, ... "Windows must restart because the Remote Procedure Call ... Turn on your Internet Connection Firewall ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Virus with RPC
    ... Whenever your computer attempts to shutdown or reboot, ... "Windows must restart because the Remote Procedure Call ... Turn on your Internet Connection Firewall ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: Changing Password via Terminal Services causes Server Reboot (
    ... Unfortunately installing Windows 2003 SP1 didn't fix the problem that we are ... >> We are currently experiencing a problem with one of our Windows 2003 servers. ... Shutdown will begin in 58 seconds. ... The system will now shut down and restart. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)