Windows XP home startup problem

[spannersatcx]

Up until yesterday our windows xp machine worked fine. It was configured such that you didn't have to log on it just went straight into it.

Now for some reason we have to select our user id, no password required, it goes to the desktop and then the startup screen comes straight up saying saving your settings and logging off.

So we can't get into it normally, but we can get in in safe mode, nothing has been installed recently, tried a restore from a few days ago, no good still the same.


Any help would be appreciated.

[gas path]

Dunno if THIS is what you need??or indeed THIS

[ORAC]

Sounds like an XP activation problem.

Boot from the CD and go to Install XP then Repair, then re-enter the Activation ID when prompted. If you didn't make a note of it, you might have to rung Microsoft with your product ID and get a new one.

[spannersatcx]

Fixed thanks, it was an activation thing, although it wasn't asking or telling me that it needed it.

I did a reinstall and the same thing happened but this time it said that it needed activating put in the code and hey presto it's working again.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.