I have a Dell Notebook running Win 2000. This computer belongs to a customer all passwords have been forgotten. Their is no floppy drive to boot off off. All I have created a linux boot disk to change the password. It will not boot of the cd either. I do have it hooked up to my network, it has obtained an IP from my DHCP and I can ping by name and IP. Is their an easy way that I can change the password over the network?
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Win 2000 Password Recovery
- Thread starter NTesla
- Start date
Not that i know of (unless your network is a domain - otherwise don't think using mmc remotely will work - but could try it. Run mmc, add local users and groups snap in for the problem machine. It will probably want a username/password or just not give you access)- booting from a linux flopy/CD would be my preferred method, but you don't have that option.
You could get hold of an adapter to let you install hard drive as secondary in PC - then you could remove the SAM file \WINNT\system32\config\SAM (remove user database - lets you log in as Administrator with no password).
You could get hold of an adapter to let you install hard drive as secondary in PC - then you could remove the SAM file \WINNT\system32\config\SAM (remove user database - lets you log in as Administrator with no password).
rlamoreaux
Programmer
If the lap top has a usb port buy a cheap ext usb floppy reader. During post part of boot you should be given a boot device option.
If the laptop was not originally part of the network's domain then just pluggin it in wont allow you to get into it.
You best bet is to find out why you cant boot from the CD.
Most likely the CMOS has been setup to inhibit boots (or boot from the hard drive first), get into SETUP and allow boots from the CD and make the CD the first (or second with the floppy first) and the hard drive last.
Once this is done, there are multiple ways in. I think the easiest is ERD Commander from WinInternals.COM. ERD Commander on a boot CD will get you in with network support, and it will even allow you to change the local administrators password!
You best bet is to find out why you cant boot from the CD.
Most likely the CMOS has been setup to inhibit boots (or boot from the hard drive first), get into SETUP and allow boots from the CD and make the CD the first (or second with the floppy first) and the hard drive last.
Once this is done, there are multiple ways in. I think the easiest is ERD Commander from WinInternals.COM. ERD Commander on a boot CD will get you in with network support, and it will even allow you to change the local administrators password!
If you can boot from the CD Knoppix will do it and is free:
Knoppix Mirror sites:
Knoppix Mirror sites:
- Thread starter
- #6
I was able to get the removable floppy from the owner, I was able to boot of the Linux disk however, it still would not work, it kept asking me the same question over and over again I never really got to see what user accounts were on the system, I figure something happened to the SAM file. I ended up reinstalling Win 2000 with out reformating to save the data.
I tried the Linux disk on my system to check that it worked.
I tried the Linux disk on my system to check that it worked.
- Status
