Windows 2000 Password

[LadyH]

Have a situation where a person left a company and left behind a Windows 2000 Professional system with an unknown Administrator password. The system has necessary and much needed files (they didn't leave on the best of terms) and we cannot access the system. Any idea on how to get around the Administrator password so the files can be accessed, or even recover the password so the system can be accessed? Any help would be most appreciated... [sig]<p> <br><a href=mailto: pcheather@yahoo.com> pcheather@yahoo.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br> [/sig]

 

[Claudius]

You have a free partition in this machine that you could install a second version of W2K Pro on ? You can add a second disk ? [sig][/sig]

 

[Guest_imported]

Yup, just goes to show how &quot;secure&quot; NTFS really is.....
Sad.....

>:O> [sig]<a href=mailto: anongod@hotmail.com> anongod@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>"Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing."[/sig]

 

[LadyH]

There isn't a second partition on the HD. I'm not sure putting a second drive with W2K would help because there would be 2 HD's trying to boot....right?? [sig]<p> <br><a href=mailto: pcheather@yahoo.com> pcheather@yahoo.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br> [/sig]

 

[Claudius]

No, your PC will boot the same, even though W2K Pro is installed on the newly inserted disk.
Check if you can boot from CD drive (see BIOS setup - you probably can). If so, insert W2K Pro CD and set your BIOS to boot from CD drive. Follow the installation procedure. Make sure you see your NEW hard drive. Install W2K Pro on it. Make sure you point to the right disk otherwise you could overwrite your current W2K Pro installation, what you do not want to do.
After this second installation, from boot up, you should have a dual boot installation option. Select the new one and you should be ok then.
[sig][/sig]

 

[thekid]

According to Microsoft &quot;Q238289&quot; you can reinstall Windows without loosing data files such as Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. [sig][/sig]

 

[BEDE]

I've created an Admin password unintentionaly while trying to network two machines side by side. I'm locked out of the secondary machine which is demanding a password for ADMINISTRATOR. My primary and cable modem source is ok -- it asks for password for DEFAULT -- which I know.
Natually, I don't know the damm &quot;ADMINISTRATOR&quot; password and am locked out.
Must I try to use WIN2K disk and attempt to boot from it? No other way?