How to get around account password

[Guest]

On our network, there is a PC running Windows XP Home Edition. The user of
this PC was recently fired, and now we cannot use the PC. She setup a user
account which prompts for a password when Windows boots. Since we don't know
the password, and there is only one user account to choose from, is there any
way around it (short of formatting the HD)? Is there any way to reset the
password, or manually create another user account without booting into
Windows.

 

[typical computer geek]

go into safe mode and login as administrator. then create a new user profile
without a password or resord the password and login with it.

 

[Guest]

There should be an administrator password. Try typing administrator and leave
password blank. Depending on the sort of network you should have a systems
administrator that can rest the password on the server.

Luke

 

[Rock]

On our network, there is a PC running Windows XP Home Edition. The user of
this PC was recently fired, and now we cannot use the PC. She setup a user
account which prompts for a password when Windows boots. Since we don't know
the password, and there is only one user account to choose from, is there any
way around it (short of formatting the HD)? Is there any way to reset the
password, or manually create another user account without booting into
Windows.

Boot into safe mode by restarting the computer and tap the F8 key
repeatedly after the BIOS screen disappears. When the advanced options
menu is displayed choose safe mode. At the login box type in
administrator and leave the password blank. If it comes up with the
Welcome screen Administrator should be an account choice. The password
should be blank unless it was specifically set by someone.

If you can't get in use this to reset the password:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

 

[Vanguard]

On our network, there is a PC running Windows XP Home Edition. The user
of
this PC was recently fired, and now we cannot use the PC. She setup a
user
account which prompts for a password when Windows boots. Since we don't
know
the password, and there is only one user account to choose from, is there
any
way around it (short of formatting the HD)? Is there any way to reset the
password, or manually create another user account without booting into
Windows.

Why do you, as the administrator, care what is the password? If the user
also changed the Administrator password (not likely unless you were stupid
and gave her the Administrator password when logging in under the domain),
you can take ownership of any account's files. If she changed the local
Administrator password (and, for some reason, you cannot login under the
domain Administrator account on that host), yank the drive and put it in
another host where you can login under the Administrator account (or any
account in the Administrators group).

 

[Guest]

aladeb1925,

There's a real easy way to deal with this situation here:
http://www.password-changer.com/

-Alias

 

[Guest]

Am I suppose to be impressed with this response?
I want an answer to my question, not a sarcastic lecture about our security
(which you know nothing about). I mean, what if I did give everyone in our
company the administrator password, does that mean my question can't be
answered appropriately?

 

[Mike Mueller]

Didn't know that Home could join a domain

in message
: : > On our network, there is a PC running Windows XP Home
Edition. The user
: > of
: > this PC was recently fired, and now we cannot use the
PC. She setup a
: > user
: > account which prompts for a password when Windows boots.
Since we don't
: > know
: > the password, and there is only one user account to
choose from, is there
: > any
: > way around it (short of formatting the HD)? Is there
any way to reset the
: > password, or manually create another user account
without booting into
: > Windows.
:
:
: Why do you, as the administrator, care what is the
password? If the user
: also changed the Administrator password (not likely unless
you were stupid
: and gave her the Administrator password when logging in
under the domain),
: you can take ownership of any account's files. If she
changed the local
: Administrator password (and, for some reason, you cannot
login under the
: domain Administrator account on that host), yank the drive
and put it in
: another host where you can login under the Administrator
account (or any
: account in the Administrators group).
:
: --
: __________________________________________________
: Post replies to the newsgroup - Share with others.
: E-mail: Remove "NIX" and append "#VC811" to Subject.
: __________________________________________________
:

 

[Vanguard]

Didn't know that Home could join a domain

Home Edition can still be on a network (so my mention of the domain login
was not applicable for that host but not if the OP took the drive to another
host running Win2000/XP Pro and they logged in under their domain admin
account instead of a local admin account). Home Edition just can't be on a
domain. That means they are using peer networking. In that case, the only
accounts on that box to login under are local accounts. As I told the OP
(who seems to be blind), login under Administrator or take the drive to
another box where he/she can logon under Administrator to take ownership of
the files.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421/en-us

 

[Bruce Chambers]

On our network, there is a PC running Windows XP Home Edition. The user of
this PC was recently fired, and now we cannot use the PC. She setup a user
account which prompts for a password when Windows boots. Since we don't know
the password, and there is only one user account to choose from, is there any
way around it (short of formatting the HD)? Is there any way to reset the
password, or manually create another user account without booting into
Windows.

Simply log in using the built-in Administrator account (which
cannot be deleted) and modify the desired account(s). By design, the
only way to log into the Administrator account of WinXP Home is to
reboot into Safe Mode. For WinXP Pro, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at
the Welcome Screen will produce the standard login dialog box.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I mean, what if I did give everyone in our
company the administrator password, does that mean my question can't be
answered appropriately?

No, but if you hadn't had such lax security in the first place, there
would have been no need for you to ask the question.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH