This is very strange, I can no longer log into my DNN 3.0.13 web site (on development - XP).  It had been very stable for the last month or so, but I was applying skins and suddenly could not log in as any account(super of other).  It simply ignores the fact that I have logged in (I do receive the password error if incorrect) and redisplays to whatever page I was on.  I have restored the database to a prior working version thinking it had somehow become corrupt - with no luck.  I made no code change to any files/code/config or otherwise.  In the asp_Membership my last login date/time field is being updated.  HELP!

Just to follow up on additional steps and findings.
1.  Unzipped source to directory - no results
2.  I found in the posts that skins could be causing this problem.  I deleted all skin and container files but the default - no result.
3.  Cleared my cookies, history, tried both IE and FF still with no luck.
4.  Another curious finding is that I can no longer log into my every-stable DNN2 site that is also local (sep dir/db).  Everything points to a browser issue, but what...ideas?

if you have an older copy of your web.config you can compare the MachineKeys to see if that got changed somehow.

It's possible this could have happened if you were installing the skins using the install folder and the install page.

If pulled the web.config from the source zip with no results (reinstalled all).  Also, if you look at my follow-up post, I have DNN2 installed and I cannot log into it either.

I had the same problem recently. Everything acted as if i logged in but did not show me the admin or host menus or the admin info at the top. After much strugle and blowing the whole thing away and starting over I discoverd the zonealarm was the problem. Closed zone alarm and everything started working correctly.

Marc

Just a thought ... did you try using a different browser (such as firefox) ....

cheers,

erik

I've tried FireFox and IE and (newly installed) Opera - all have the same problem.

I'm not using ZoneAlarm, but I turned off my AV, XP Firewall, and MS AntiSpy with no results.  I just did a fresh install which worked just fine and cannot log into the new website either.  Any other Ideas?

I've tried all suggestions, especially those in the following thread http://forums.asp.net/820709/ShowPost.aspx to no avail.  Can anyone give me some help here I ready to puke.

Can you try from another machine?  If it's on the internet I could try.

If you can register a new user, you can go directly into the db and copy the encrypted password from that user to the user you are trying to login with (make sure you copy the password salt also).

I'm not able to access from another machine, its only local.  Regarding the register user, I don't think the authentication is failing.  In fact, I am being authenticated and logged in according to the last-login datestamp in the db.  If I enter a bad pwd, I receive the proper notification.

Browser issue could have something to do with Cookie handling. That could explain 'invalid password' working, since that is a simple postback.

Any patch applied? Installed some pop-up blocker, anti-phishing, personal firewall or other kind of stuff?

also look in your web.config and see what the value is for <add key="InstallationDate" value="5/27/2005" />
if it is a recent date then your machine keys have probably been "upgraded"

You can try replacing them with the defaults to see if that gets you back in.
  <add key="MachineValidationKey" value="F9D1A2D3E1D3E2F7B3D9F90FF3965ABDAC304902" />
  <add key="MachineDecryptionKey" value="F9D1A2D3E1D3E2F7B3D9F90FF3965ABDAC304902F8D923AC" />

Solution: delete all your cookies in IE. Worked for me, but of course now I lost all my cookies.

Not sure why this happens?

J7Mitch wrote:

also look in your web.config and see what the value is for <add key="InstallationDate" value="5/27/2005" /> if it is a recent date then your machine keys have probably been "upgraded" You can try replacing them with the defaults to see if that gets you back in.   <add key="MachineValidationKey" value="F9D1A2D3E1D3E2F7B3D9F90FF3965ABDAC304902" />   <add key="MachineDecryptionKey" value="F9D1A2D3E1D3E2F7B3D9F90FF3965ABDAC304902F8D923AC" />

web.config value is:
    <add key="InstallationDate" value="5/27/2005" />

When I replace the MachineXXXKey s I receive the "invalid login" message.