Another Admin Password question for Vista Business

[Guest]

Hi folks,

On a Windows Vista Business laptop:

I am more than scattered after a terrible month of mishaps, and now have
forgotten my password on the new laptop. Drat. I set up two accounts: My
Name which is an admin account and a Guest account. I am not sure if I
should have set up a separate admin account, one with my name on it and a
guest account, but found no guidelines for making that decision when setting
up the laptop. Am usually the only one using this laptop.

So I use an admin account and I have the fingerprint reader working. I use
fingerprint reader to log onto the laptop and onto websites via Password
Manager. I just realized I'd forgotten the password after having my purse
stolen with ID, cell phone, a blackberry full of contacts, airline tickets,
and a flash drive with vital files on it and having had to close and reopen
all accounts and reset online passwords just in case. I have tried possible
combinations using the "Change Password" screen, but no go so far.

Would like to have a password I'll remember and to make a password reset
disk just in case THIS happens and I manage to chop off all of my fingers
which after this last month seems more possible than I ever imagined.

I read "What to do if you forget your Windows password" on Windows Help and
Support. I could follow those steps and see if that works, but have a
question for this group.

1. Isn't there a way to change passwords using fingerprint reader?

2. Windows Help and Support says "If you use an administrator account to
reset the Windows‌ password for any OTHER user account, the account with the
reset password will lose access to its encrypted files, e‑mail messages that
are encrypted, and stored passwords for websites or network resources. If the
user account doesn't have any of these things, or the user doesn't mind
losing them, then using an administrator account to reset the password is a
fast and easy way to recover from a forgotten password." Another page says
that... "you will permanently lose access to any e‑mail messages or encrypted
files that are on that account."

It doesn't make completely clear whether this holds true for an
administrator resetting his/her own administrator password. Will I lose my
emails and encrypted files if I reset the admin password? Couldn't find more
details and thought this group would have the answers and more information
for me. I can use fingerprint reader till I figure out what to do. Maybe i
will miraculously remember, too.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem as you and it seems like you're one of those computer
literate but not me. I also forgot my admin password and I also have another
user acct but everytime I try to upload anything like McFee it's saying that
the administrator is the only one that can download it but everytime it is
asking me for the administrator password and I forgot. I didn;t even know
that I can save my password in case something like this happen. So is there
any ways I can reset, recover or what do I need to do to? Please anybody help
me in word that I can understand?

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

My

If you didn't create a password reset disk, then you are in a pickle?

You will need to use one of several free procedures on the internet to reset
the password, but these can be very daunting, especially if you are not
familiar with some of more advanced command techniques.

It's not free, but the best method I have found is the following software.
You can install the product on any
computer, create a boot CD, DVD, floppy disk, or USB stick with a couple of
clicks and then take
that boot disk to your PC and run it. When you boot from the disk, it has
very easy instructions to find
and remove the password on any account on the system.

Windows Password Recovery Software. Reset Administrator Password. XP
VISTA 2003 2000 NT:
http://www.password-changer.com/

The only other option you have is to reinstall.