Microsoft KB Archive/917556

= You cannot type your password in the &quot;Welcome&quot; logon screen in Windows XP =

Article ID: 917556

Article Last Modified on 11/26/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional

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SYMPTOMS
When you try to log on to a Windows XP-based computer from the Welcome logon screen, you cannot type your password. For example, when you click in the password box, and then you try to type the password, nothing happens. Asterisk characters do not appear in the password box, and the password is not acknowledged. Because of this problem, you cannot log on to the account by using password authentication. This problem may occur only occasionally.

This problem may occur if you have installed any of the updates that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

884883 Multiple versions of Comctl32.dll may cause both Windows XP style and Windows Classic style windows to appear in Windows XP

908531 MS06-015: Vulnerability in Windows Explorer could lead to remote code execution

893086 MS05-016: Vulnerability in Windows Shell that could allow remote code execution

921398 MS06-045: Vulnerability in Windows Explorer could allow remote code execution

900725 MS05-049: Vulnerabilities in the Windows shell could allow for remote code execution

923191 MS06-057: Vulnerability in Windows Explorer could allow remote code execution



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem when it occurs, temporarily use the classic logon screen to log on. To do this, follow these steps:
 * 1) Press CTRL+ALT+DEL two times while the Welcome screen is displayed. For example, press all three keys at the same time, release all three keys, and then press the three keys again.
 * 2) Type your account name in the User name box.
 * 3) Type your password in the Password box.
 * 4) Click OK.

You can configure Windows XP to always use the classic logon screen. For more information about configuration changes, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

291559 How to change the logon window and the shutdown preferences in Windows XP



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section.

Keywords: kbprb kbexpertisebeginner kbtshoot kbbug kbsecurity KB917556

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