Error - The user name could not be found.

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Hi folks,

I have a PC in for repair, it's a year old box running XP home. It has been working fine until the customer tried to change his password. Apparently he lost his account/profile completely but when i got to see the thing his account is there.

So, my goal is to change his password, but when i go into control panel > users, i get an error *The user name could not be found*. which is odd because i am logged in as the user. I cannot display a list of users so that i can change any details. A secondary error message also appears at random.. *HTML Application* *Object required*.

Typing Net User at the command prompt, shows all the users in the SAM.. that appears to be ok.

Also AVG has thrown a wobbly at the same time and refuses to update successfully, it downloads the update and goes through the install routine and then states the update failed. The update manager shows an error and the systray icon is now grey.

I have tried system restore, a few times without success.
I have repaired windows too, ie a full re-installation of all files and settings.
I have googled without getting a bite.

My only choice seems to be a clean install, the reason that i am looking for something quicker is that a clean install after already spending the amount of time i have spent, will make this repair unprofitable.

Anyone got a quicker soloution for me?

Cheers.

 

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Trying to think outside the box... might the user have changed his username as well? Look at what usernames are listed under c:\Documents and Settings\...

 

Off the top of my head I'd say it could be a problem with the SID

 

Oooh! Oooh! Techie spidey sense going off... some kinda malware might have compromised/corrupted the box... ChangePassword is calling some kinda HTML-based bugaboo that it can no longer find or, at least, pass info to... might explain why AVG has gone wonky at the same time...

 

No Michael, his username is the same as it always was.. it is there as you log in (the little pic you click on style login) and yes his profile under documents and settings matches as you would expect.

 

I should have mentioned that i was able to create a new account *Pete* by ignoring the error.. it's doesnt show up in the users applet but it is there when you go to switch user or log in.. So even with a new user account/SID, the error appears.

Sparky, for the reasons mentioned above, i don't think it's a profile curruption issue

 

Yes i think you may be right BM, although Google usually returns some info to confirm my suspicions and this user, isnt in what i would class as a high risk category. He is about 90 and just uses the PC for emails and a bit of casual surfing. No limewire on this PC

But i will run some scans to be sure.

Thank you for your input thus far guys, much appreciated

 

Thanks mate, i've downloaded it and will see what it can tell me. i'll let you know!

 

Bluerinse,

Based on being inspired by the following link, have you verified if the NTFS permissions for his user profile folder and files is higher than "read?"

Link:

1. User cannot be found + "My Settings" in Setup and Admininstration - http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...8F00-B177-C923-8EEACB8CEE6C&lang=en&cr=US&p=1

 

Certainly sounds like Malware to me too Pete. have you run a HijackThis scan? Just cos he's old don't mean he don't like the pr0n

Seriously though - I'd run a HJT scan and see what it throws up. Might be that something has tried to hook into the SAM and rinsed the accounts. The message certainly sounds like something you'd see when a dll had been unregistered properly. Have you tried running a system file check? (sfc /scannow from a run dialog)

 

Have you tried seeing if there is a record of the user in the registry at the appropriate places? Search by an account that functions correctly (by account name) and compare a search vs. the problematic account. Any serious discrepancies should be googleable.