Forgot local password

[scottew]

Hi,

Is there a way to log into a pc running win2k if you do not have the local password. This pc is not part of a domain.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[wolluf]

No (you mean a password for a local account?)

Is this because it was part of a domain & its been removed and nobody knows local username/password?

 

[scottew]

It was never part of a domain. It was set up by a tech who is no longer with us and no one knows the local username/password.

Scott

 

[Ger2111]

Try administrator as the username and a blank password . That would be the default setting

 

[scottew]

I had tried a blank password but it did not work. I think I will have to re-install the operating system, which is not big deal. I just thought I would save myself a few hours or work.

Thanks for the ideas.
Scott

 

[ChrisRAnthony]

Look in the FAQ's in the Windows 2000 server forum, there is a FAQ on recovering lost passwords

 

[evadjm]

As a last resort before reinstalling w2k try username - administrator and password - password. May work,may not.


Dave

 

[allteltec]

If the system boot drive C: is fat 32 not NTFS and you can boot from floppy A: boot up useing floopy, goto CD C:\winnt\system32\config
del sam

sam is you password file.
reboot and login using default administrator and blank password.
if system is NTFS you can still fix but will have to use and program called NTFSDOS to boot with.
ben there and done that, good luck.

 

[wolluf]

scottew,

if you haven't reinstalled yet - just try ChrisRAnthony's suggestion -

http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?spid=96&sfid=2866

 

[Hondy]

If you have a FAT partition or the Emergency Recovery Disk (ERD) you can rip off the SAM (look in in the "repair" folder- c:\winnt\system32\repair I think) then get the information from it using ANTEXP(

http://www.elcomsoft.com/antexp.html).

It will brute force the password out of the SAM.

This uses the information created at the last time you made an ERD, and is very effective

This is why you don't leave your ERD's lying around