Solved Login "Incorrect Function" error message

Hi Guys,
I have a weird problem, when I try to login on Vista Home Premium 32, I enter the password and all I get is "X" on a red background and "Incorrect function".
I had previously installed XP and 7 on another drive, a Seagate 500GB Momentous XT hybrid drive and after a few problems finding drivers for XP and 7 got both working well and aligned the drive so that it works well with SSD part of the drive.
Used Easy BCD to create a dual boot and all was well.
Then I installed the older drive in the spare drive bay, yes 2 drive bays on this 17" laptop, tried to create a triple boot with Easy BCD which created it but it did not work. I got an error message "could not find the hardware specified". This was probably due to the fact that the drive I had already got Vista on was dual booted with another drive that I had XP on and was not installed in the laptop any more.
After this I removed the XT Hybrid drive and put the old drive back in the first bay, but it would not boot.
Used the Vista install CD and was able to repair the start up. The laptop will start to the Login Screen but I am unable to login.
I was able to start in Safe Mode and login, no problems, created a password reset disc/USB stick. Able to reset password but still no luck, "Incorrect function" on login.
Tried creating a new administrator, able to do so in "Safe mode" still the same problem on login.

Any ideas greatly appreciated as this is my daughters Laptop and I have installed loads of games on it, 50 plus and I do not fancy installing them all again.
If there is a way of repairing the installation without losing all of the games it would be good.

many thanks

KingWhiskers

Hello, try to save the stuff with this method : Use Ubuntu Live CD to Backup Files from Your Dead Windows Computer - How-To Geek

You can save your stuff using the advice given above, but not games. You cannot save games and then reinstall them, they must be reinstalled using the same procedure as orignally used (DVD or download). If you had backed up the entire hard drive, origianlly, you would be able to use that back up to reinstall the entire drive, but I assume that is not the situation, here.
It appeas that you have screwed up your boot partition.
You seem to be quite knowledgable, and I think that you know, that you may have to reinstall. If that is the case, use the above post's software to back up documents etc and then reinstall, either with the reinstall partition or a DVD.

Hi guys,
I might have cracked it, booted into safe mode,used this

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66966-logon-automatically.html

after enabling the hidden administrator account

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html
and making the hidden administrator account password free Vista booted up straight into the hidden administrator account from where I am doing a repair install of Vista.
Will let you know the outcome.
Regards
and thanks for the advice
KingWhiskers

Solved :D


Hi Guys,
my solution worked. I had actually installed about 130 games on this laptop, and they are still all there and working and so is the antivirus BT Netprotect by Mcafee.
This could be used to solve login problems of any kind I suppose where you are locked out of Vista completely but are able to get into safe mode.
Heres How
1 Enable the hidden administrator account
link
Administrator Account

2 Then set the hidden administrator account to automatic login
link
Logon Automatically

3 Once you have done this you should be able to do an Upgrade install of Vista, you need to be logged on as an Administrator to do this and now you are with no UAC in total command.
Important To do a Upgrade install of Vista Windows Powershell needs to be uninstalled first as it is not compatible with an upgrade Install of Vista and only leads to an error message saying to uninstall it after ages of windows checking compatibility. You may have Windows PowerShell installed and not even know it as it comes through automatic updates.
To check look in Start, All Programs, accessories, and if it is there will be a Windows PowerShell folder with 2 entries.
To delete Windows PowerShell is a problem as it is not listed as Windows PowerShell in Windows updates or programs as you would normally expect it to be.
You find it here, Control Panel, Programs and Features, Turn Windows features on and off.
This opens the Windows Features control box and in there uncheck the tick boxes that that list Windows PowerShell, then click "OK" there will be at least 2 possibly 3 or more as there are multiple versions of Windows PowerShell.
This brings up a uninstall box and mine stuck on this box and I had to use Task Manager to close it after a while. then I checked Start, Accessories, Windows PowerShell and found the folder empty, so it obviously uninstalled.
Then I performed the Upgrade install of Vista following this tutorial.

Link http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

By Brink, this shows no mention of Windows PowerShell as it was written before Windows PowerShell came out but it works well. Full Credit to Brink.

The Upgrade repair install takes ages to perform but is well worth it as when it is completed everything is still there and working.

Credit Also to Brink for

link http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html

link http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/181765-elevated-command-prompt.html

Link http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66966-logon-automatically.html?ltr=L

many thanks to Brink for his excellent tutorials without which I would not have been able to save this mess I created.
Regards to all who helped and replied
KingWhiskers

PS after it all comes back and is working the Administrator Account that you logged in on to begin with gives you an error message "Your account has been disabled. Please see your system administrator" This will be normal as the Administrator account you set to logon with is hidden by default. So click OK and you are taken to the normal logon screen where you have multiple users and if all is well you should be able to logon to your accounts that you were locked out of before.
If all is working OK change the setting back to hide the main Administrator account and turn UAC back on.

Excellent , i read those Tutorials all the time, glad to see you got that issue resolved.