Administrative Password Security

[Guest]

I recently learned that you can reset an administrative password on your
computer by starting it in safe mode. If it's this easy to go around a
password- what's the point? Is there something I don't know?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You must know what the original Administrator password is before
it can be changed. It cannot simply be "reset".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

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:

| I recently learned that you can reset an administrative password on your
| computer by starting it in safe mode. If it's this easy to go around a
| password- what's the point? Is there something I don't know?

 

[Kerry Brown]

You can put a password on the Administrator account then they would have to
know that password even in safe mode to access the Administrator account.
Even this can be worked around by someone who has physical access to the
machine if the machine can boot from a CD or floppy. It is quite easy to use
one of many freely available programs to boot to Linux or DOS and reset the
Administrator password. Anyone who has physical access to a computer with
any OS can potentially break into the computer.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

10 Immutable Laws of Security
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/community/columns/security/essays/10imlaws.mspx?mfr=true

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

 

[Kerry Brown]

I've bookmarked that link. It's a great list.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

That is not true unless you are talking about an installation of XP Home
that has a blank password for the built in administrator account that can
only be accessed in Safe Mode in XP Home. More importantly is that passwords
only provide security when booting into the operating system. Beyond that
data that is not properly encrypted can be available to anyone that gains
physical access to the computer and is true for any operating system.

Steve