Guest_imported
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I forgot my login and password to my win 2000 computer. How can I log back in?
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Forgot Login/Password 1
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Guest_imported
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Yes I am trying to log in locally. And for some strange reason there is no domain name section to login too. It just asks for user name and password. Am I screwed?
If you have files that you have to get to... You can reinstall windows into a different directory and then you will be able to access your files. This is assuming that you have formated in NTFS. If you have formated in Fat then you can just use a boot disk to get your informaton. Hope that helps in some way.
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Guest_imported
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Try this link:
Nate Gagne
nathan.gagne@verizon.net
AKA Nick Burns - Your Company's Computer Guy
"Would you like me to save your game of Minesweeper first?"
Like my post? Let me know it was helpful!
Nate Gagne
nathan.gagne@verizon.net
AKA Nick Burns - Your Company's Computer Guy
"Would you like me to save your game of Minesweeper first?"
Like my post? Let me know it was helpful!
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How to get into a Windows 2000 PC When You Don't Know The Password:
**FAT32 Only, NTFS won't work**
1. Get a 95/98 boot disk
2. Boot the pc with the disk inserted
3. Navigate to the following:
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG
You do this by typing CD WINNT and enter
CD SYSTEM32 and enter
CD CONFIG and enter
Once there type DEL SAM*
This will reset the Administrator password. Login as Administrator and no password and then you can reset your personal account password.
Hope this helps.
-The Technophile
**FAT32 Only, NTFS won't work**
1. Get a 95/98 boot disk
2. Boot the pc with the disk inserted
3. Navigate to the following:
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG
You do this by typing CD WINNT and enter
CD SYSTEM32 and enter
CD CONFIG and enter
Once there type DEL SAM*
This will reset the Administrator password. Login as Administrator and no password and then you can reset your personal account password.
Hope this helps.
-The Technophile
You can also download LimeWire from and type in Microsoft password recovery under the programs tab and there are programs out there that you can use to recover a lost password which does translate encrypted passwords.
If you can access the SAM file from that machine (using a boot disk as Thetechnophile suggested you can also use a utility called LC3 from to import the SAM file and resolve the password.
Alex
Alex
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Got this from TechRepublic.com. Might help.
What to do if you forget your admin password, part 1
With all the information administrators process daily, it's no wonder that passwords are forgotten sometimes. If you choose not to (or can't) assign yourself a new password, you have several options.
First, if you have Windows 2000 installed on a FAT or FAT32 partition, you can use a DOS or Windows 9x boot disk to boot the computer and then delete the SAM file in the \windows\system32\config folder. (This file stores all users and their passwords defined on the local computer; if you delete it, you'll delete all local users with it.) After you restart the machine, you'll be able to use Administrator username with a blank password. Note: Remember that you'll lose all user accounts defined on this machine.
If Windows 2000 is installed on an NTFS partition, you have two options--both of which require a bit of work. One option is to use a utility that allows you to read/write on an NTFS partition, such as NTFSDOS from Winternals. You can then use a DOS or Windows 9x bootable floppy to boot the computer and delete the SAM file.
Or you can delete the SAM file from another instance of Windows 2000 if you don't want to fool with old bootable floppies. This requires you to install a temporary instance of Windows 2000 on the same computer and delete the file from there. After you log on to your original installation, you can remove the temporary one.
There's a slightly different method you can try if you don't want to lose all your existing user accounts. By default, Windows 2000 starts a special screen saver (located in Logon.scr) when no one logs on for a certain period of time. If you rename Cmd.exe to Logon.scr, the system will open the command prompt under the system account instead of the screen saver.
Once you get the command prompt, type net user administrator mynewpassword, where mynewpassword is the password you want to assign to the administrator account. You won't have problems copying Cmd.exe to Logon.scr if you have FAT/FAT32, but with NTFS, you'll have to come up with something else (e.g., a new parallel installation of Windows 2000).
What to do if you forget your admin password, part 1
With all the information administrators process daily, it's no wonder that passwords are forgotten sometimes. If you choose not to (or can't) assign yourself a new password, you have several options.
First, if you have Windows 2000 installed on a FAT or FAT32 partition, you can use a DOS or Windows 9x boot disk to boot the computer and then delete the SAM file in the \windows\system32\config folder. (This file stores all users and their passwords defined on the local computer; if you delete it, you'll delete all local users with it.) After you restart the machine, you'll be able to use Administrator username with a blank password. Note: Remember that you'll lose all user accounts defined on this machine.
If Windows 2000 is installed on an NTFS partition, you have two options--both of which require a bit of work. One option is to use a utility that allows you to read/write on an NTFS partition, such as NTFSDOS from Winternals. You can then use a DOS or Windows 9x bootable floppy to boot the computer and delete the SAM file.
Or you can delete the SAM file from another instance of Windows 2000 if you don't want to fool with old bootable floppies. This requires you to install a temporary instance of Windows 2000 on the same computer and delete the file from there. After you log on to your original installation, you can remove the temporary one.
There's a slightly different method you can try if you don't want to lose all your existing user accounts. By default, Windows 2000 starts a special screen saver (located in Logon.scr) when no one logs on for a certain period of time. If you rename Cmd.exe to Logon.scr, the system will open the command prompt under the system account instead of the screen saver.
Once you get the command prompt, type net user administrator mynewpassword, where mynewpassword is the password you want to assign to the administrator account. You won't have problems copying Cmd.exe to Logon.scr if you have FAT/FAT32, but with NTFS, you'll have to come up with something else (e.g., a new parallel installation of Windows 2000).
AcquisitiveOne
Technical User
Do you have any kind of normal user account. I know a hack that will let you gain access to an admin account as long as you have at least a normal user account. If you can access at least that I should be able to get you in! Acquisitive - 1. Characterized by a strong desire to gain and possess. 2. Tending to acquire and retain ideas or information
Use ERD Commander, it is a tool that you can boot to that allows you to reenter the passwords for any account held locally on your pc, including the administrator. Its simple easy to use.
the steps that thetechnophile and lcannon work very well. using the 98 boot disk then deleting the sam will delete all passwords and any users that were on the system. As technophile pointed out the first step is to go to cd winnt. However, windows2000 does not always use the winnt file. after reaching your command prompt a:, go to c: then type dir (enter). take note of the bottom entries of windows, if it is listed as windows rather than winnt, then you must replace winnt with windows in the string. the rest of the sting stays the same. Good luck and remember it is always easier if you dont forget your password. lol. Mutt
If you know a user name and password this can get you into through the LOGIN or you can LOGON as Administrator if the Administrator has never had a password entered.
If the password was entered, then removed by a edit of the SAM file then it's like the password never was.
![[neutral]](/data/assets/smilies/neutral.gif "[neutral] [neutral]")
![[pc]](/data/assets/smilies/pc.gif "[pc] [pc]")
SANDMN (SANDMAN)
Dreams are composed of many things, my son. Of images and hopes, of fears and memories.
Memories of the past, and memories of the future ...
For some of you that may know a little more...
Say the original poster had a second stand alone computer, loaded with W2K, which he has admin privileges on. Could he put the hard drive from the computer that he has forgotten the password on (lets say comp A) into the other machine (comp B). Now using admin rights on Comp B, take ownership/set permissions of all directories on Comp A's disk, and thus get access to all the data?
It won't help with logging on, but will help in getting data off a computer?
Say the original poster had a second stand alone computer, loaded with W2K, which he has admin privileges on. Could he put the hard drive from the computer that he has forgotten the password on (lets say comp A) into the other machine (comp B). Now using admin rights on Comp B, take ownership/set permissions of all directories on Comp A's disk, and thus get access to all the data?
It won't help with logging on, but will help in getting data off a computer?
twiztwiz (TechnicalUser)
I don't know alot about this program, but think this maybe what you want ?
If not, do a search under: 'Computer Migration Tool'or 'File Transfer Utility'
'SoftCopy'
![[pc3]](/data/assets/smilies/pc3.gif "[pc3] [pc3]")
SANDMN (SANDMAN)
Dreams are composed of many things, my son. Of images and hopes, of fears and memories.
Memories of the past, and memories of the future ...
I don't know alot about this program, but think this maybe what you want ?
If not, do a search under: 'Computer Migration Tool'or 'File Transfer Utility'
'SoftCopy'
SANDMN (SANDMAN)
Dreams are composed of many things, my son. Of images and hopes, of fears and memories.
Memories of the past, and memories of the future ...
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