Locked out of computer!

[iams115]

Hi,

I actually paid a guy to come help us w/our server (SBS
2000). He disabled several accounts for old employees as
well as the guy who used to take care of our network. I
customarily log out of the server so employees can't
access it; however, when I did this, I'm now locked out of
the computer. It keeps asking me for the administrative
password, but it doesn't recognize the correct one we have.

The computer guy said I must have changed the password. I
DIDN'T and to prove it, I can log on to the server as the
administrator using the administrator password from at
least 3 other computers. I just can't do this on the
server.

I haven't rebooted the server because I'm afraid to screw
anything up. We're a very small company (3 people,
includuing me)who has gotten very bad advice from local IT
people, so I'm turning to this forum. Please help!! Thank
you!!!

AS

 

[Scott Harding - MS MVP]

If you can login to this server using the administrator password from the
'other' computers just change the administrative password on the server. I
don't know if you worded that correctly?!?! Not sure what you mean in your
"prove it" section of your post.

 

[Guest]

Ok first slow down.. next explain the situatio

" actually paid a guy to come help us w/our server (SB
2000). He disabled several accounts for old employees a
well as the guy who used to take care of our network.

Does that mean the consultant also disabled his / her own username as well

"I customarily log out of the server so employees can'
access it; however, when I did this, I'm now locked out o
the computer."

What account did u login as? the actual administrative account
because the administrator account cannot be disabled..

screenshots and a better explaination might be better.

 

[Guest]

hi there
i know someone with the same problem so i can understand
what it is u r on abt... a friend pushed ctrl alt and del
and it locked her out of her machine and asked for a
password which she does not know...if anyone knows how to
resolve this then that wud be great
annonymous

 

[Guest]

Hi - thanks for your reply. Please see response above. By
prove it, I meant that the new consultant said I had to
have changed the administrator password when I knew I
didn't. So by the fact that I can log onto our server from
other computers using this same password seems like
it "proves" I didn't change it. Also, I should have said I
LOCKED the computer - I didn't log off. I'm afraid to
reboot and try to log on again in fear I may mess things
up. Thanks!!

 

[iams115]

Thanks for your reply - see below for responses.

-----Original Message-----
Ok first slow down.. next explain the situation

" actually paid a guy to come help us w/our server (SBS
2000). He disabled several accounts for old employees as
well as the guy who used to take care of our network."

Does that mean the consultant also disabled his / her own

username as well?

Yes and no - yes, the account for the old guy was disabled
by the new guy. The old guy's account had administrative
privileges, but I always used my own password to log
on/off. No, the new guy, as far as I know, didn't created
a user ID for himself. I asked and he said no.

"I customarily log out of the server so employees can't
access it; however, when I did this, I'm now locked out of
the computer."

My mistake - I LOCKED the computer is what I should have
said. I'm wondering if I should just reboot the server
since I can log onto the server using the administrative
account on other computers. I was logged on as the
administrator when I locked the computer.

What account did u login as? the actual administrative

account?

Yes, I used the administrative account, and that's the
password it's asking for...unless the new consultant
changed it. He said he didn't.

because the administrator account cannot be disabled...

screenshots and a better explaination might be better.
.

I know - it's weird that I can log on to the server from
other computers using the administrator and the password
I've been using. If I can somehow change the password from
another computer, please let me know. Also, let me know
how I can do a screen shot and I'll post, but I really
can't do anything since the computer is locked. Question:
Am I confusing the the administrator for our server for
the administrator for the server computer? Could his
disabling have messed something up? I've always used this
same password to log on when I've had to reboot the
computer. I've also locked the computer before with no
problem logging back on using this same password. The only
difference, besides using a new computer guy, is disabling
several users, including the old IT consultant, who did
have administrative privileges. Thanks for your help!

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Hi - if you have a new post, best not to post this as a reply. "Me, too"
posts rarely get much attention....Also type in proper English - the more
you abbreviate, the less help you are likely to get. This isn't SMS; there's
no limit on how much you can type in here. ;-)

 

[Guest]

Chilling dude! dont worry if there is a problem then there is light at the end of a tunne

"Am I confusing the the administrator for our server fo
the administrator for the server computer?

here is also administrative group which i am assume you are using on SBS, i dunno but i believe this happened, the consultant came in disabled your username which is part of the administrator group. And now u cannot log in

u can terminal service into the box and enable the account

Good luck
Have a nice da

 

[iams115]

Thanks. I don't know how to terminal service into the box
or go through the console as you suggest. Where can I find
directions re: this? I think you're right - I think by
disabling the old computer tech's accounts, it somehow
locked the administrator account. I know the old guy did
have administrative privileges.

Thanks!

-----Original Message-----
Ok my friend, lets work on this thing more.
on the MS SBS are using a domain or work group based system?


Next question, if u are have the administrator's password

u have the ability to log into the machine any time and
anywhere. You should be part of the administrator group,
if only your user name was disabled then you should log
into the machine via 1 terminal services or 2 through the
console using administrator as the username and enable
your username.

 

[iams115]

thanks!

-----Original Message-----
Chilling dude! dont worry if there is a problem then

there is light at the end of a tunnel

"Am I confusing the the administrator for our server for
the administrator for the server computer?"

here is also administrative group which i am assume you

are using on SBS, i dunno but i believe this happened, the
consultant came in disabled your username which is part of
the administrator group. And now u cannot log in?

 

[Guest]

It sounds as if the original adminsitrator account has been renamed to the old consultants name. If the guy stopped in and disabled his account, he may have inadvertently disable the Administraotr account. It may be also possible that you are not a memeber ofthe adminsitrators group.

A hackers line of thought would be to try any recent password changes done to your system. Your recent IT person may have changed the password for the wrong account. A survey of all your current passwords from all valid users with the admisitraotr username would be a good idea. You may also have account lockout enabled for your server, so wait at least 5 minutes between trying passwords to avoid locking out the account and thereby possibnle skipping a correct answer

If you can log in to workstations as adminsitrator but not the server, perhaps you could install the domain admisitration tools to one of these workstations. If you onlyhave a workgroup model going, you can connect to the server via the Computer Management applet on a workstation and connect to the remote server, and access the local users and groups for the server. If you can connect through computer management, you shoudl immediately reset the admin account or of it appears to be renamed, re-enable and reset the password and rename to a username mor appropriate than you last IT guys name. Hope this helps

~Rick

 

[tfallon]

What about making this "guy" whom you paid --FIX IT. ?? Are they
company or just a person?

*Hi,

I actually paid a guy to come help us w/our server (SBS
2000). He disabled several accounts for old employees as
well as the guy who used to take care of our network. I
customarily log out of the server so employees can't
access it; however, when I did this, I'm now locked out of
the computer. It keeps asking me for the administrative
password, but it doesn't recognize the correct one we have.

The computer guy said I must have changed the password. I
DIDN'T and to prove it, I can log on to the server as the
administrator using the administrator password from at
least 3 other computers. I just can't do this on the
server.

I haven't rebooted the server because I'm afraid to screw
anything up. We're a very small company (3 people,
includuing me)who has gotten very bad advice from local IT
people, so I'm turning to this forum. Please help!! Thank
you!!!

AS

-
tfallo