i have forgotten my administrators password can anyone help?

[garry campbell]

can any body help me i have changed my administrators
password last night and have forgotten it and didn't
leave a password hint.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --

Because of the security features built into Windows XP, it is virtually
impossible to get back into the system without a valid password. You have
several options to try and get around this problem.

If you have access to another user account with administrator rights, you
can use that account to change the password of the account that is locked
out. You can also use the default Administrator account that is built into
Windows
XP.

First you need to boot the system into Safe Mode:

1. Restart your system.
2. When you see the initial startup screen, press the ( F8 ) key about 3
times a
second.
3. You should get the Windows startup menu. Use the (Up or Down) arrow keys
to
highlight (SafeMode)
4. Press (Enter) on (Safe Mode), then press (Enter) on (Windows XP).
5. The system should boot to Safe Mode.

Once you are at the Account Log on Screen, click on the icon for the user
account with administrator rights, or click on the icon for the
administrators account.

Note: For Home the Administrator account isn't normally shown & in Safe Mode
you have to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys twice to show. For PRO you can do
this in normal mode.

When the system has booted to the desktop, use the following steps to change
the accounts password:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools.
2. Click Computer Management.
3. Double click Local Users and Groups, double click the folder Users.
4. Right click on the account name that is locked out, and click on Set
Password.
5. You may get a warning message about changing the password, simply click
proceed.
6. Leave the New Password box blank, also leave the Confirm Password box
blank.
7. Click OK, and OK again.
8. Then close all Windows, reboot the system and try to log in.


There are also applications that can recover the password for you.
The following companies provide these applications at a cost:

iOpus® Password Recovery XP: http://www.iopus.com/password_recovery.htm
LostPassword.com : http://www.lostpassword.com/
Asterisk Password Recovery XP v1.89 :
http://www.fadsoft.com/password_recovery.htm
Windows XP / 2000 / NT Key:
http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm


If the above information does not help in recovering the password, the only
option left is to format the hard drive then reinstall Windows and the
system software.

Perhaps the following articles can help:

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your Password
Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321305

Administrator and User Passwords in Windows XP
http://www2.cajun.net/~theriots/xpsitefolder/win_xp_passwords.htm

[Courtesy of Kelly Theriot, MS-MVP]

Ultimate Password Recovery Guide
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3504258,00.html

[Courtesy of Carey Frisch MS-MVP]

 

[PaulM]

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your Password
Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];321305

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --

Because of the security features built into Windows XP,

What security features?
Everyone on the network has to have the same password.
there seems to be no way to disable it.
so you have to type the damed thing back in every ten minutess!!!

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --

I'm not sure why you think everyone on the network must have the same
password b/c that 100% not true. On a network you may have any username and
password that you wish. The first time you connect to a network and try to
access files you will be prompted for a username and password for an admin
on the PC you are trying access.

Since you seem to have some personal problems with me, not sure why, you can
feel free to email me. just because i can't help with your specific problem
doesnt mean you need to act like a child.

 

[rifleman]

What security features?
Everyone on the network has to have the same password.
there seems to be no way to disable it.
so you have to type the damed thing back in every ten minutess!!!

No, not at all. Every User on a machine has his or her own password. If they
want access to a networked machine (and we are talking about peer-to-peer
here only) then that machine must have a user set up with the same Username
and password. The password does NOT have to be entered every ten minutes!

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --

Just to expand on rifleman's post a bit. Your problem with entering a
password every 10 minutes could be due to you not having checked the
"Remember Password" checkbox when you tryed in the username.

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --

I'm not sure why you think everyone on the network must have the same
password b/c that 100% not true. On a network you may have any username and
password that you wish.

Because this is what I have been told here several times by several other
people.

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

No, not at all. Every User on a machine has his or her own password. If they
want access to a networked machine (and we are talking about peer-to-peer
here only) then that machine must have a user set up with the same Username
and password. The password does NOT have to be entered every ten minutes!

How do I avoid it?
XP drops back to the user logon screen every few minutes and has done so
for the last three years.
I can't find any way to change this.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --

Is this during use of the PC?

If it "logs itself out" while you are not there right click on the Desktop
and choose properties. goto the ScreenSaver tab and uncheck "on resume,
password protect"

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --

Just to expand on rifleman's post a bit. Your problem with entering a
password every 10 minutes could be due to you not having checked the
"Remember Password" checkbox when you tryed in the username.

I was not offered that option.
Nor have I ever seen that option offered for a XP used name password.
there certainly doesn't appear to be any way to enter it under user
options.

 

[rifleman]

How do I avoid it?
XP drops back to the user logon screen every few minutes and has done so
for the last three years.
I can't find any way to change this.

that's the screensaver settings and nothing to do with the network!

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --

Just to expand on rifleman's post a bit. Your problem with entering a
password every 10 minutes could be due to you not having checked the
"Remember Password" checkbox when you tryed in the username.

There is NO Remember Password box.

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --

Is this during use of the PC?

If it "logs itself out" while you are not there right click on the Desktop
and choose properties. goto the ScreenSaver tab and uncheck "on resume,
password protect"

that is not checked.

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

that's the screensaver settings and nothing to do with the network!

why does the screensaver drop back to the user screen instead of going back
to where I was working?
there is no screen saver option to change this.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --


Since you have tried every opition i have to offer i can't offer any more.
I have no idea why your PC is doing this and dont know what else to suggest.

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

Greetings --


Since you have tried every opition i have to offer i can't offer any more.
I have no idea why your PC is doing this and dont know what else to suggest.

My new PC is just out of the box and the screen saver drops it back to the
welcome screen. I haven't changed anything.
There is no option to save passwords or change the screen saver.

 

[me]

The reason you have to enter your password every 10 minutes
is because you have a password protected screen saver.
Go into the Control Panel, Display, and Screen Saver and
uncheck the box that says On resume,password protect.

-----Original Message-----

 

[Lorne_Taylor]

The reason you have to enter your password every 10 minutes
is because you have a password protected screen saver.
Go into the Control Panel, Display, and Screen Saver and
uncheck the box that says On resume,password protect.

There is no such box in XP Home.
I have however resolved this issue.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings --

This feature is in Windows XP Home and Pro, this is all the help i can
provide, sorry

The Windows XP Welcome screen appears sometime after the computer becomes
idle?
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBM/tip6100/rh6123.htm

Screen Saver Password Protection Policy (Windows 2000/XP)
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1189/

Windows Tips: Keep Prying Eyes at Bay With Windows' Passwords
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,102523,00.asp

Disable Go to password screen after screen saver
http://www.mvps.org/ecvogel/kb/XP_scr_pwd_disable.htm

The reason you have to enter your password every 10 minutes
is because you have a password protected screen saver.
Go into the Control Panel, Display, and Screen Saver and
uncheck the box that says On resume,password protect.

There is no such box in XP Home.
I have however resolved this issue.