Administrator and user passwords

[computerguy]

Hi,

I set up a Win2k Pro system for a friend with a logon username and password.
I did not change any defaults for the administrator account (which I believe
is login name= Administrator and password= blank).

Unfortunately, he has forgotten his password and so cannot log in. He tried
to logon as administrator using both :
Administrator, no password
administrator, no password

but he gets an error message that the system cannot log him in.

Why can't he log in as administrator?

Also, is there a way to retrieve his user password. Can he create a new
user account on the fly (say by entering a new username at the login prompt)
or does that have to be done by the administrator?

TIA,
-GB

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi,

I set up a Win2k Pro system for a friend with a logon username and password.
I did not change any defaults for the administrator account (which I believe
is login name= Administrator and password= blank).

Unfortunately, he has forgotten his password and so cannot log in. He tried
to logon as administrator using both :
Administrator, no password
administrator, no password

but he gets an error message that the system cannot log him in.

Why can't he log in as administrator?

Also, is there a way to retrieve his user password. Can he create a new
user account on the fly (say by entering a new username at the login prompt)
or does that have to be done by the administrator?

TIA,
-GB

There is no default administrator password - it is the
password your friend entered when he first loaded Win2000.
To avoid this embarassing problem he should plan ahead
and treat his PC like his car. Would he drive it with just
a single set of keys? Tell him to create a second admin
account and lock its details away. To get out of his predicament
he has to use a third-party tool:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html