Lost Admin Password

[TG]

I have forgotten my admin password for a 2000 server.
I use to have a program that I could boot off a floppy that would allow me
to change the password through a linux os of some sort.
Can anyone help me find this or some other way of changing my admin password
since I have forgotten?

 

[diasmith [MSFT]]

Hello TG,

If the administrator's password is lost or forgotten the only thing that
you can do is fdisk, format and reinstall [There is no backdoor to gain
access].

If a user password is lost, forgotten, or unknown, the only method to reset
the password is for the administrator (or a user with administrative
access) to log on and reset the password in Computer Management. There is
no method in the Windows 2000 security model to bypass, disable, or reset
the password.

If the administrator password is lost, forgotten, or unknown, access to the
computer may not be obtainable and the operating system may need to be
reinstalled.

258289 Windows 2000 Logon Passwords
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=258289

Thank You.

Diana.

(e-mail address removed)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[TG]

That's not true..
I've done it before. Just can't find the resource I used before.

 

[Ms]

It was simple on NT4.0
(You can try the same in w2k)

1. Install the temp copy of OS on the same disk (in WINNT2)
or anothe disk or move disk to another system
2. logon to that windows as admin and load registry hives from WINNT systems
into regedit.
3. Enable guest with no password through the regedit
(try to do it first on WINNT2 system, and after understand what to do -
made it in WINNT registry file)
4. Shedule a task (cmd.exe or lusrmgr.msc) on WINNT under local system
account
(try to do it first on WINNT2 system, and after understand what to do -
made it in WINNT registry file)
5. a minute before sheduled time logon to WINNT and wait for cmd or
usrmgr.msc with admin privileges
and add new user in admin group.


You can skip 3 - 5 and simply set blank admin password through registry, and
then logon as admin with no passwords
(try to do it first on WINNT2 system, and after understand what to do -
made it in WINNT registry file)
But man with ald admin password can't logon anothe time..... :-(

 

[diasmith [MSFT]]

Hello,

From a Microsoft standpoint, the only thing that can be done is fdisk,
format and reinstall.

True, there might be tricks or 3rd party tools to help you get into the
system, but Microsoft does not support any of them.

Thank You.

Diana

(e-mail address removed)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Karl Levinson [x y] mvp]

This is asked and answered here daily and can be found in Google as
well. From the FAQ:

http://securityadmin.info/faq.htm#password

 

[Vanguard]

I have forgotten my admin password for a 2000 server.
I use to have a program that I could boot off a floppy that would
allow me to change the password through a linux os of some sort.
Can anyone help me find this or some other way of changing my admin
password since I have forgotten?

Buy something like WinInternals' Locksmith (which is now incorporated
into their other products).

 

[m karthik]

Hello,

Try this.

Boot your System with a bootable floppy.

After you have got in. Goto C:\winnt\system32\config
folder

Rename the SAM file.

Remove the floppy and boot your system normally.
Administrator password will be blank

Thanks & Regards,

Karthik

 

[Karl Levinson [x y] mvp]

....though note that if the hard drive is formatted as NTFS, you might not be
able to do this without using something like www.sysinternals.com NTFSDOS
Pro, which is not free.

Instead, there are free boot disks. From the FAQ:

http://securityadmin.info/faq.htm#password

 

[List]

Winternals has some tools but there is also a free Linux based boot floppy
which will change your admin password.
Like the MS rep, beware though, I have had mixed results with the Linux
floppy - it trashed one machine but worked fine on another.
The Winternals software is much better but costs $$. I believe it just
creates a new (temporary) SYSTEM service which resets the Admin password
upon next boot - working similar to the old NT4 trick/s.