Windows login - must type same pwd three or more times before success?

[jeshme]

Hi,
First post.

I have an issue lately logging in to my backup laptop. I have to repeat the password three times before I am able to successfully login. It is happening every time now, and I type it slowly and correctly each time. Is this some strange virus? It started happening about two months ago. I don't recall the fail message on the first two login attempts, but it's the usual password incorrect or unable to login or whatever.

I usually hibernate or shutdown this laptop, not sleep. Win7 - 64 bit - lenovo z575, several years old, used to be my main laptop, but now only a few times a week for a half hour or less typically. Everything seems normal after that.

Is this a virus? Why is this happening? I thought it might be a keyboard key issue, but I am not sure. Because the laptop overheats easily now, I use an elevated laptop cooler stand typically when using, so I thought the angle might have something to do with keys not reading perhaps.

Note - I am not fully windows updated. When Win10 came out, I held out to avoid telemetry, and followed advice found on askwoody.com to do so, and chose only windows updates that seemed not to cause people on that website a lot of hassle, plus were private. The point in mentioning this is that I am not fully updated partly because of that, partly because the laptop is now slow, and partly because I just didn't get around to getting updates probably for the last probably seven months or so. I bought a new laptop and use it as my primary.

 

[Megahertz07]

As you don't use the laptop very often, it maybe that the keys are dirt and have bouncing.
Open a text editor (notepad) and type your password the same way you do on the login screen. Repeat several times. See if it doesn't repeat or miss any character.

May I suggest you to update your computer using Simplix. It installs all updates but the tracking ones.
Read post #1 and 10 MS releases SP2 for Windows 7

 

[Paul Black]

Hi jeshme,

Welcome to SevenForums!

Note - I am [1] not fully windows updated. When Win10 came out, I held out to avoid telemetry, and followed advice found on askwoody.com to do so, and chose only windows updates that seemed not to cause people on that website a lot of hassle, plus were private. The point in mentioning this is that I am not fully updated partly because of that, partly because the [2] laptop is now slow, and partly because I just didn't get around to getting updates probably for the last probably seven months or so.

[1] There are two ways to get WU [Windows Update] current. The first is using DISM++ and the second is using SIMPLIX. Both these exclude any telemetry etc. If you want more information then please let us know!

[2] To give your laptop a bit of a clean you could use the following ...

Disk Cleanup - Extended

I recommend that you run my Disk Cleanup : Extended => Disk Cleanup : Extended.

Check the appropriate boxes for the items you want cleaned and press [OK].

There are also FREEWARE programs that can clean up your laptop as well. If you want more information then please let us know!

I hope this helps!

 

[jeshme]

As you don't use the laptop very often, it maybe that the keys are dirt and have bouncing.
Open a text editor (notepad) and type your password the same way you do on the login screen. Repeat several times. See if it doesn't repeat or miss any character.

My I suggest you to update your computer using Simplix. It installs all updates but the tracking ones.
Read post #1 and 10 MS releases SP2 for Windows 7

I am sorry for the late reply, but thank you. I feel a bit dumb for not having thought of the editor first. If it is dirt, I would think it would be more intermittent than the pattern i see just at the login. I don't do much but surf lately with that one, so I may not have spotted it typing URLs and search terms compared to editing some document. I will try it.


Thanks for the Simplix suggestion too. That sounds great.

 

[jeshme]

As you don't use the laptop very often, it maybe that the keys are dirt and have bouncing.
Open a text editor (notepad) and type your password the same way you do on the login screen. Repeat several times. See if it doesn't repeat or miss any character.

My I suggest you to update your computer using Simplix. It installs all updates but the tracking ones.
Read post #1 and 10 MS releases SP2 for Windows 7

Hi jeshme,

Welcome to SevenForums!



[1] There are two ways to get WU [Windows Update] current. The first is using DISM++ and the second is using SIMPLIX. Both these exclude any telemetry etc. If you want more information then please let us know!

[2] To give your laptop a bit of a clean you could use the following ...

Disk Cleanup - Extended

I recommend that you run my Disk Cleanup : Extended => Disk Cleanup : Extended.

Check the appropriate boxes for the items you want cleaned and press [OK].

There are also FREEWARE programs that can clean up your laptop as well. If you want more information then please let us know!

I hope this helps!

Thanks for the welcome and sorry for the late reply. I wish I was more timely to you both since I read it the next day after your posts but hadn't logged in yet and got distracted.


Re SIMPLIX and DISM++...I would like more info please, in case it's not easy to figure it out on my own. If Disk Cleanup : Extended is free, I will give that a shot. If not, or if you prefer another, what Freeware would you suggest?


Thank you.

 

[Paul Black]

Hi jeshme,

If Disk Cleanup : Extended is free, I will give that a shot.

The Disk Cleanup - Extended script that I wrote if FREE. Goto the link I provided and select Option 2.

I will post some further information on DISM++ and SIMPLIX when I get a bit more time later!

I hope this helps!

 

[Paul Black]

Hi jeshme,

NOTE: The light blue text below are links to the relevant websites and programs, just click them!

DISM++ [Deployment Image Servicing and Management] Overview

DISM++ is a FREE implementation tool that has the ability to perform Windows Updates [WU]. Some of the advantages [but not all] are:

[1] The GUI is very easy to understand and use.
[2] It is much faster than M$’s WU because it uses a different engine.
[3] It downloads the latest WU DB from the M$ servers, scans your OS, and then lists the updates available.
[4] It doesn’t install superseded updates like M$ does.
[5] It gives you the option of what you want to install.
[6] The pre-ticked updates are what is recommended and are similar to the WU critical and recommended updates. The un-ticked updates are similar to the WU optional updates.

[7] It warns you if an update:

• Includes telemetry.
• Has known issues with certain hardware.
• Needs exclusive access.
• Is suspect.
• Your OS doesn't need it.
• Has any other known issues.

[8] It doesn’t require re-booting between updates.
[9] It can be used to either update an install.wim image OFFLINE, or to update the LIVE OS.

If you decide to use DISM++, then it is best to run the DISM++ Windows updates a couple of times to make sure you get ALL the updates that are needed. DON’T install ANY of the ORANGE updates though [see numbers [6] and [7] above]. It can also install the required .NET Framework updates. Then just run WU [Windows Update] to see what other updates are available, if any.

DISM++ - Running/Adding Updates Procedure

Here is the sequence [screenshots] for running/adding the updates to a LIVE [installed] OS or an ISO [where you mount the .wim, add the updates, save and un-mount] using DISM++ provided by SIW2 => Using DISM++ to run/add Windows Updates.

SIMPLIX - Running/Adding Updates Procedure

Download the latest SIMPLIX UpdatePack [for Win 7 SP1 x86-x64 / 2008 R2 SP1 x64] from here => SIMPLIX UpdatePack.

Run the UpdatePack => click Install.

It will update your OS automatically [it will re-boot a couple of times during the update process which is normal] and DOESN’T include any telemetry updates or processor checks [disables/patches detection of processor generation and hardware support when scanning or downloading updates through WU]. It installs the correct USB3 drivers and cleans up when it has finished. It requires NO user input.

I hope this helps!

 

[jeshme]

So I tried typing the password in Notepad, and it came up fine. Are the suggestions re Simplix, DISM++ separate suggestions or are you thinking they would fix the original login issue I mentioned?


Yesterday I tried typing six times before I finally got in, so I guess there is no particular pattern with just three, though that seems to be usual number.


Once logged in, I also tried to change my account (it's an administrator user account) password, to a new and retyped new password that used different keys than the old one, but 10 or so attempts kept leading to the same incorrect password (meaning the old one) message. Perhaps the same exact thing happened there as in the login, except I never succeeded there, unlike logging in eventually.


Does this behavior seems supsicious, virus-y? If it is just a keyboard key with dirt or some other flaw, seems odd that I can't reproduce it in notepad, meaning all the typing appears to be fine.

 

[Paul Black]

Hi jeshme,

Does this behavior seems supsicious, virus-y?

[1] Have you run BitDefender [which I notice you use]?
[2] Also, download and run Malwarebytes [FREE] from here => Malwarebytes.

I hope this helps!

 

[Megahertz07]

Jeshme
A long time ago my friend came with his wife laptop to find out why she couldn't log in.
It wasn't the wrong password. The message said it couldn't find the profile. Some file with the password got corrupted.
Long story Short, I had to boot from a Linux flash disk, made some modifications on Windows, log in as built in Administrator, create a new profile, move all data to the new profile and delete the old one.

Open Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\User Accounts and remove the password.
Reboot
Open Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\User Accounts and create a password (can be the same).