Password Help

[SSJuggalo420]

Hello Everyone.
I have a question for you which i hope someone can answer. The password to lof onto my computer has been forgotten, and when i went onto the motherboard to move the jumper to overwrite the password(you know what i'm talkin about), it did not work. Is there any other known ways to get passed the password?

Thanks for anyones help.

 

[jrbarnett]

Is this the Windows 2000 logon password or the BIOS password that comes at system startup?
(techniques for resetting each are different).

John

 

[SSJuggalo420]

The log on password to start up windows 2000.

 

[ccrb]

the reset on the mother board is for a bios password. The windows password is another thing altogether. I think you can reinstall Windows on top of itself to reset the password... not sure. (I always create an extra userid with admin rights with a password I'll never forget).

 

[SYAR2003]

Solved here:
thread616-707478

 

[ITMajor]

Sorry worked with windows for 2 years. Only way to get around the problem ive found is to format and reinstall win2k pro. My father has the same prob. He didnt like my answer because hes gonna loose all his info. Best you can do is start up with an 98 bootdisk running DOS. open c:\dir and copy files of importan info to another disk.

Sorry

 

[bcastner]

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

 

[SYAR2003]

I guess ITMajor have learned something new today .

Live and learn ,the fun of living is there is always new things to learn every day

 

[jrbarnett]

Alternative if the machine is on a network, upgrade an account to give full local rights, then login and reset local admin password.

John

 

[bcastner]

Also Forum Member ChrisRAnthony has some excellent advice: faq96-2866

 

[jonoman123]

Guys,

I'm having a problem that is similar, but there's a catch: I know what the PW is! I was under control panel-> users and PWs. I unchecked the box that says "do not expire passwords every 30 days" or something to that affect under the admin acct. When I did, it said it had to restart. I did, and I can't get back in. Caps lock, old passwords, anything under the sun, I can't get get in. Any ideas? Anyone ever unchecked that box before? I don't recommend doing it until I get an answer and can find out what's going on. I think it may have reverted to an old password from long ago, b/c my new (proper) one worked just yesterday! Running 2000 pro, sp4, upgraded from 98SE.

Later

 

[mikesand]

The problem with forgotten passwords can be a real problem. You certainly don't want to try and copy all your files from DOS and reinstalling W2K won't help. Go to this site and follow instructions carefully. You will end up with a bootable floppy (or CD if you don't have Floppy drive)

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/editor.html

I have used this method on numerous machines and it worked every time but once. Bottom line is the pnordahl disk allows you to reset the Administrator password to be a blank password. Everyone should have this disk as an emergency disk whetether you are an administrator or simply a reasonably capable user. Then you can get into the machine as administrator and fix what needs to be fixed. The one time the lost password boot floppy failed, nothing got lost. It just meant that I needed a smarter guru to come fix the problem

 

[jonoman123]

Thanks Mikesand!

This thing works! I burned it and set the machine to boot to disk. It didn't seem to like it unless I set the PW to "*" (as you wrote about) I just opened up the admin acct, and everything was fine. I've already sent your link to several friends, and I've set my guest acct up to be a full administrator should this ever happen again. Bravo!

Later

 

[firestormsp1]

You can also get a rawrite bin file that creates a linux boot disc that allows you to re-write the admin password to what ever you want it to be, just boot from the floppy/cd

 

[NHale]

Will this work on XP also?

 

[jrbarnett]

NHale,
It should do, 2000 and XP are very similar internally.

John

 

[NHale]

I have also been told that you can start the computer in safe mode and create a new user account with admin rights.

Haven't personally tried it though....If anyone has I would be interested in hearing how it works out.