lsass.exe System Error

[jrgeoffrion]

After three years of reliable performance -- always with updated Windows XP, Norton AV and Webroot Spy Sweeper active -- my Sony Viao suddenly started exhibiting the lsass.exe problem.

The following error message appears for a few seconds as Windows tries to load: "When trying to update password, this return status indicates that the value provided as current password is not correct." (I have never put in a system password. And who writes these error messages? Borat?) Then my system automatically reboots and the whole process repeats.

Symptoms like this have been broadly discussed in Windows user forums for the past few years. Could be a form of the "Sasser" virus, or simply corrupt system files. Microsoft has a fix described in their Knowledge Base that involves going into the Recovery Console from the Windows XP start-up disk.

Since my computer came with XP pre-loaded (as did most others!), I have no Windows Xp start-up disk -- only the "system-recovery" disks which would wipe out my files. Further, Microsoft specifically warns against using this recovery procedure for OEM-installed Windows.

Any suggestions, short of re-formatting the C-drive??

 

[olmer]

Sounds like a trojan. Where is it running from?

Try another antivirus in safe mode.

 

[Bashbelly]

sasser virus. google "stinger" free trojan/sasser like virus remover from mcafee.

 

[jrgeoffrion]

Can't start Windows, even in Safe Mode.

MSDOS seems to be fully functional, and my disk drive checks out OK.

 

[sieistganzfett]

MS warns against doing a registry flip for OEM? i'd say to hell with that, and do the registry flip they said will fix it. all your doing is flipping the registry to one prior to the problem. usually that fixes things. i'd be more concerned about the chkdsk screwing up the hidden OS recovery partition on a dell. any xphome or xp pro cd will let you get to a recovery console, you can use any on the affected pc to do the registry flip to fix your problem. go find one from a friend, or you can use a computer to make a 'bartpe cd' or an 'ultimate boot cd for windows' which is essentially a cd version of xp with enough functionality for you to do the registry flip via the GUI. another option is to put the HD in a 2nd pc as a slave and do the registry flip. the recovery console is simply a dos like version of what you can do via windows on a computer that boots or by using win on a cd. same concept, same files, and same locations. just different ways to do the registry flip.