Recover/reset login password

[MDriggers]

I have a friend who quit using her old Win2000 laptop because she forgot her
login password. It's an old computer and she's willing to sell it to me
because she's using a newer, better hand-me-down from her sister. Can
someone walk me through a simple way to reset?

Thanks.

 

[Steve Parry]

In

I have a friend who quit using her old Win2000 laptop because she
forgot her login password. It's an old computer and she's willing to
sell it to me because she's using a newer, better hand-me-down from
her sister. Can someone walk me through a simple way to reset?

Thanks.

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

 

[MDriggers]

bottom posted below.

In

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

That looks like it will be useful. Could there also be a jumper on the
motherboard that I can use to reset the CMOS?

MoDrig

 

[Steve Parry]

In

bottom posted below.

That looks like it will be useful. Could there also be a jumper on
the motherboard that I can use to reset the CMOS?

MoDrig

why? is there a BIOS password on it? Generally removing the CMOS battery
clears the CMOS, depending on the model of machine there may well be a
jumper to clear BIOS password.

 

[MDriggers]

bottom posted below:

In

why? is there a BIOS password on it? Generally removing the CMOS battery
clears the CMOS, depending on the model of machine there may well be a
jumper to clear BIOS password.

No. I guess if she finds all the disks and documentation that she had with
the computer (I know she has these because I remember her having to do a
reformat/reinstallation due to some nasty virus activity on campus where she
was at school), I can just do a reinstall of the OS or something like that.
Would that reset the passwords? I just have never had to do this kind of
thing and have no experience with it.

Thanks.

MoDrig.

 

[Ron Seiden]

bottom posted below:

No. I guess if she finds all the disks and documentation that she had
with the computer (I know she has these because I remember her having to
do a reformat/reinstallation due to some nasty virus activity on campus
where she was at school), I can just do a reinstall of the OS or something
like that. Would that reset the passwords? I just have never had to do
this kind of thing and have no experience with it.

Thanks.

Yes. When you first get into setup (from the CD), delete any & all
partitions you find on the drive. Then, as part of setup, establish your
partition (probably the entire drive) and format it. Between deleting &
re-establishing the partition and re-formatting the drive, you are starting
from scratch (as though it was a new machine right off the assembly line) --
nothing of anything that was ever previously on the drive will have any
effect at all on your new OS install. Just make sure to pick an admin
password *you* will remember...