Someone put a password on a client's xp machine. No one knows who did it or what the password is. Originally this computer did not have a password and there is no password recovery disk. I think the disk is NTFS. And there is another computer which might be identical to the one that I can't get into. Any suggestions?
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Lost xp password. Please help! 1
- Thread starter OrlandoG7
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1
- #2
If no password was set at Setup it is possible that you may be able to enter via Safe Mode using the Administrator Account and a blank password.
Information on additional password tools (from various sources), such as:
NTAccess can replace the administrator password of a Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP system by rebooting the computer with a special set of boot disks. This is useful if you forgot the administrator password and cannot access the Windows NT/2000/XP system. ($70)
ERD Commander 2002: When your Windows XP/2000/NT system won't boot, ERD Commander 2002 boots the system using the ERD Commander 2002 product CD, right out of the box. Once booted,the easy-to-use ERD Commander 2002 windowing environment provides numerous powerful tools to diagnose and repair a wide array of problems which could prevent a system from booting. And it provides built-in network support so that you can move data safely off and on($400).
)
Here's another option I found on another forum. If NTFS
Goto and download a copy of NTFSDOS($400).
You can always delete the SAM file located in WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG from DOS with the above mentioned NTFS reader/writer from Sysinternals. (Or try using the Recovery Console if that will do it). Once this is done and the system rebooted, you will be able to
logon with the Administrator account with a blank password. Or just piggyback the drive in another NTFS or FAT32 machine and delete it from windows. Once this is done and the system rebooted, you will be able to logon with the Administrator account with a blank password. (I think so in XP don't know for sure in 2000)
A last ditch effort would be to run windows over itself and reset the passwords that way. Or try using a password cracking utility like L0phat found on the internet.
Information on additional password tools (from various sources), such as:
NTAccess can replace the administrator password of a Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP system by rebooting the computer with a special set of boot disks. This is useful if you forgot the administrator password and cannot access the Windows NT/2000/XP system. ($70)
ERD Commander 2002: When your Windows XP/2000/NT system won't boot, ERD Commander 2002 boots the system using the ERD Commander 2002 product CD, right out of the box. Once booted,the easy-to-use ERD Commander 2002 windowing environment provides numerous powerful tools to diagnose and repair a wide array of problems which could prevent a system from booting. And it provides built-in network support so that you can move data safely off and on($400).
)
Here's another option I found on another forum. If NTFS
Goto and download a copy of NTFSDOS($400).
You can always delete the SAM file located in WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG from DOS with the above mentioned NTFS reader/writer from Sysinternals. (Or try using the Recovery Console if that will do it). Once this is done and the system rebooted, you will be able to
logon with the Administrator account with a blank password. Or just piggyback the drive in another NTFS or FAT32 machine and delete it from windows. Once this is done and the system rebooted, you will be able to logon with the Administrator account with a blank password. (I think so in XP don't know for sure in 2000)
A last ditch effort would be to run windows over itself and reset the passwords that way. Or try using a password cracking utility like L0phat found on the internet.
- Thread starter
- #3
Here's something odd. Trying to network my Win2K Pro desktop to my XP Home laptop. In setting the desktop to log in always with Admin account (I had no Admin password and no login required before; only a BIOSpassword), it would not allow a blank password. I struggled, ran Repair of Win2K, still was prompted for an Admin login but blank password would not work. Finally tried my BIOS password, and it worked! I never set an Admin password, yet Win2K chose to use my BIOS password. Flaky! I'd still be locked out if I hadn't tried it on a whim.
Now I have a backdoor Admin account just in case.
Now I have a backdoor Admin account just in case.
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