Hi all, I’m a new subscriber to this forum so please bear with me if this topic has been covered elsewhere.
I’m having problems with logging out of XP. My system has two user accounts, both with administrator privileges. If one user logs out and the other then logs in it becomes impossible for them to log out, or shut down, using the normal dialog buttons. It can only be done by invoking Task Manager and logging the user off from there. All further logins have to be logged out this way until the system is restarted.
The first user to log in after a reboot can log out normally. It’s only if another user logs in without a restart that the problem occurs.
Before I go through the hassle of de-installing my Avast anti-virus and ZoneAlarm to try to localise the source of the problem I wondered if anyone has encountered this kind of issue and can point me in the right direction.
Windows XP Home SP2
Avast anti-virus version 4.7
ZoneAlarm version:6.5.737.000
Generally, systems with more than one account with admin privileges could get in hot waters… sooner or later…
Did you change Windows policies in order to ‘ask for logoff’ before shutdown? Are you sure you haven’t wrongly tweaked your Windows installation?
Generally, systems with more than one account with admin privileges could get in hot waters... sooner or later...
XP set both accounts up with Admin privileges by default during installation. This was a new, clean, install after re-partitioning and reformatting the system HD which I undertook precisely because I was trying to resolve this issue. In the previous installation I had one of the accounts set as an ordinary user but this made no difference.
Incidentally at least one of the user accounts needs to be Admin because the default "Administrator" account only becomes available if XP is started in safe mode.
Did you change Windows policies in order to 'ask for logoff' before shutdown?
I haven't made such a change. In fact so far I've been unable to find the Policy Editor. However the main problem is with logoff rather than shutdown. It's true that shutdown is also affected but only because the logoff fails.
Are you sure you haven't wrongly tweaked your Windows installation?
As stated above this is a new clean installation. Other than setting up the look and feel of the GUI and the start menu I haven't tweaked anything.
When the second and subsequent users click the “Log Off” button and confirm with the “Log Off” button in the pop-up dialog nothing happens. The machine just sits waiting indefinitely until interrupted by Ctrl/Alt/Del. I have a hunch, no more than that, that this could be related to either the ZoneAlarm firewall or the Avast anti-virus scanner but was hoping to avoid having to eliminate them from the investigation by de-installing them. I hoped that maybe someone might have seen this issue before and might be able to suggest something to tweak to correct it.
No… this does not happen in clean installations…
If you overinstall, maybe.
The Administrator account is always present and you generally create only one new account with admin rights, not two.
You’re right… But are you saying you have two accounts with admin rights besides the Administrator account?
I hate mysteries
Is there any info on Start > Control Panel > Administrative tools > Events… ?
Better, any error message.
No... this does not happen in clean installations...
If you overinstall, maybe.
The Administrator account is always present and you generally create only one new account with admin rights, not two.
I don't understand what's happened there, then, because this was definitely a brand-new installation. It prompted me for the desired accounts and I found afterwards that they were both Admin. I assumed this was a feature of the Home Edition of XP.
But are you saying you have two accounts with admin rights besides the Administrator account?
Yes, that is the situation.
Is there any info on Start > Control Panel > Administrative tools > Events... ?
Better, any error message.
I looked through the Event Viewer. Under Application there are only Info messages. Under Security there are a few "Failure Adit" messages with ID's of 529, 680 and 615. Under System there are a number of "Error" messages, with ID's of 7000 and 10000 and "Warnings" with ID's of 1073. To be honest I'm a bit out of my depth here, though.
Me too…
I’ve installed both Home and Professional versions of XP and never got this problem…
Maybe Microsoft support could give you a hand… To be honest too, MS has a poor support outside of US
