Auto Login Blocked by blue box with 2 buttons that must be pressed

To start, I have built possibly over 30 computers in the last 25 years. Reinstalled/updated various Windows versions over those years. I'm not new to this.

Back in January, I decided it was time to do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro and get a fresh start.

I downloaded the latest installer at that time. After installation, I started installing my most needed programs.

I like to do a reboot each morning before I get up to start work. I have this set up with Task Scheduler. Then I have some backups that run.

I used "Control Userpasswords2" to auto-login and I did the "fix" to make it work again after MS tried to stop it from working.

Here is my problem:
There is a black screen with a blue box in the middle that now comes after my "Welcome Ed" screen and it stops my auto-login. It has two buttons on it: Retry and Cancel. If I press Retry, nothing happens other than a small "blink". If I press Cancel, my desktop opens just like it should have done if this box would not interrupt.

If I go back to just a regular password login, I do not see this box.

I have no idea how this box got there but I have to get rid of it so my auto login works again. Has anybody seen this before and do you know how to get rid of it?
Thanks,
Ed
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎1/‎18/‎2024
OS build 19045.4170
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19054.1000.0

Under the 'Retry' button is the icon for 'Other options'. What happens if you click on the icon. Will it let you open Task Manager?

It is nothing to do with an Office install. Office is installed. The "Other Options" buttons give options for Narrator, Magnifier, On screen Keyboard, High Contrast, Sticky Keys and Filter keys. It is as though it is a menu for handicapped access or something.

deepsix said:

The "Other Options" buttons give options for Narrator, Magnifier, On screen Keyboard, High Contrast, Sticky Keys and Filter keys. It is as though it is a menu for handicapped access or something.

Aaah... it's the icon for 'Ease of Access'.

What happens if you use CTRL+ALT+DELETE? Does this give you the option to choose Task Manager?

RickC said:

Aaah... it's the icon for 'Ease of Access'.

What happens if you use CTRL+ALT+DELETE? Does this give you the option to choose Task Manager?

I just tried that while stopped at that blue box. CTRL+ALT+DELETE took me to options where I had Lock, Switch user, Sign out, Change password, Task Manager.
When I selected Task Manager, it took me back to my blue box with two buttons.
Selected Cancel button and went to regular screen with no login required.

I also went into Control Userpasswords2 and turned passwords back on and I never got stopped at the Blue box with two buttons. I just had to log in. I wonder if MS did something to fix us pesky people that do not want to have to put passwords in? This is just on this fresh install. I do not get it on my other 14 computers running Win 10 but those have not had new installs of Windows 10 for quite a while.
Thanks,
Ed

deepsix said:

I also went into Control Userpasswords2 and turned passwords back on and I never got stopped at the Blue box with two buttons. I just had to log in. I wonder if MS did something to fix us pesky people that do not want to have to put passwords in? This is just on this fresh install.

Hmm... as another 'pesky person', I may see this soon too once I unpause Windows Updates. However, I don't see it at present nor do I recognise the dialog. Hopefully one of the other contributors here will jump in with a 'Yeah, I know that one.".

Failing that, I can only think of two ways to start looking for what's triggering it:

1. The (hopefully) easy way: Download, unblock and run (using run as Administrator) Sysinternals/TechNet's Autoruns.

Hopefully, once its scan has completed, you will spot something related on the Everything tab.

If not, choose File > Save then zip up the resulting .ARN file and attach it to another post for us to have a look at. (The .ARN file will be big - probably around 7MB - but, once zipped, the zip file should be a more manageable 500-600KB.)

2. The more complex way is to use a boot trace using Sysinternals/TechNet's Process Monitor. However, it's not straightforward so I won't provide details yet unless really needed.

Hope this helps...

Thanks! I will do the "Autoruns" while I hope for someone that has experienced and solved the same thing.
Regards,
Ed

Try3 said:

I think, from your description, that the blue screen with its buttons is a corrupted attempt to display Task mgr.

That seems logical. It should be possible to test by using Windows+R to bring up the Run dialog then enter Taskmgr.exe to see if it pops up the blue box in question.