Strange chnages to my log-on & shut-down screens

[mauxhall]

Hello all,

I'm running XP Home (2002 edition w/ SP2). One day, I started my PC and a new blue log-on screen popped up with the word "Owner" in the account name (but no other name options, including my PC's actual name) and a password field. My user acct is set to have no log-on screen. I am able to log in by leaving the password field blank. Also, my usual shut-down screen (with the three buttons and the desaturated wallpaper) has changed and is now a drop-down menu (not the buttons) with the three shut down options (log off, restart, shutdown), and a solid blue background. Also, my user account picture doesn't show up in the top of the start menu next to my user name anymore. If I change the picture, nothing happens.

I made no changes to my system settings. The change might have occurred after installing an automatic Windows update, but I usually just install those without paying too much attention, so I can't be 100% sure if the chage happened immediately after one of those updates.

My PC seems to be running okay, although sometimes one of my svchost.exe will take up 95-99% of my CPU for a while. I have six svchost.exe's running. None of them are in CAPS (which I heard could be a malware). I have run spyware scans (CounterSpy); hijackthis logs analyzed by hijackthis.de; and virus scans (The Shield Pro), all of which are clean.

Does any of this, particularly the changes to my log-on and shutdown screens, seems suspicious? Why did those screens change? Am I overreacting?

Thanks for your help!

:m

[trackrat]

As this has only recently happened, have you thought about doing a system restore to before it started, and see if it goes back to normal.

This would then narrow it down to whatever updates you have installed since and the system restore can be undone if the problem is the same.

If it does cure it then do a custom install of the updates one at a time to find out which one caused it.

[mauxhall]

As this has only recently happened, have you thought about doing a system restore to before it started, and see if it goes back to normal.

This would then narrow it down to whatever updates you have installed since and the system restore can be undone if the problem is the same.

If it does cure it then do a custom install of the updates one at a time to find out which one caused it.

Sounds like a good idea. I will give it a try. Thanks!

[Scarecrow Man]

This is how to set it up as you have it now, but to put it back to normal, just do the opposite of what it asks you to do.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291559

To configure Windows XP to use the classic logon and shutdown screens for every logon session, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click User Accounts.

3. Click Change the way users log on or off.

4. Clear the Use the Welcome screen check box.

Note If you turn off the Welcome logon screen, you also turn off the Fast User Switching option.

So do the following:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click User Accounts.

3. Click Change the way users log on or off.

4. Turn on the Use the Welcome screen check box.

Note If you turn on the Welcome logon screen, you also turn on the Fast User Switching option.