Remove bootleg XP from Win2000 computer and recover Administrator password

[MDriggers]

I have been given a used Win2000 laptop that also has an installation of XP
for a dual boot, but the XP installation may be illegal. The authenticity
certificate on the computer is for Win2000, so I'd like to get rid of the XP
installation and have a legitimate OS with the free space currently occupied
by the XP OS. I don't have the original disks (the former owner is looking)
that came with the computer, so a reformatting and clean install is not
possible, and may not ever be.

Additional info: Win2000 would not boot up at first because of a corrupt
winnt\system32\config\system file. I was able to boot with a DOS disk and
copy the system file from the repair folder. Boots up beautifully now, but
I can't get past the Administrator login. Any suggestions for how to go
about getting rid of the XP ... and for how I can recover the Administrator
password for Win2000?

 

[DL]

Personally I would be very wary about attempting to remove the dual o/s
untill you have the win2k cd

 

[John John]

Recovering the password is next to impossible, you can reset it with
password reset utilities like Petter Nordahl-Hagen's Offline Registry
Editor http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Removing the XP installation is simply a matter of erasing the operating
system files on the XP partition. If you are certain that the partition
containing Windows XP IS NOT the System partition you can simply format
the partition while you are booted to Windows 2000. To identify the
system partition issue the following command at a Command Prompt:

set systemdrive

You can also verify the location of the Windows installation that you
are logged on with the set windir or set systemroot commands. If
Windows XP is installed on the System partition then you cannot format
the partition, just delete the XP files and folders on the partition.
You can then edit the boot.ini file and remove the line pointing to XP.

John

 

[MDriggers]

I tried a password reset utility that I got either from the link you
mentioned or another site with a link from Petter's site, but could not get
it to succeed in resetting the password. It ran into some errors (perhaps
related to how the HD is formatted (FAT or FAT32) ... it spoke a language I
have heard but do not completely understand).

I found a hack on another site that worked (unless it's what got me into the
trouble I'm in now). I booted up with a DOS floppy and renamed the SAM
files (main and repair). I can now login to Win2K with no password, but I
don't know about setting up a new one.

I really need for my friend who gave me the computer to find the system disk
because there are other things going on that I think a reinstall of the
Win2K OS will take care of most easily. For starters, add/remove software
tells me there is no software installed even though I can use the software
and all the registry entries seem to be there.

I probably will not try removing XP (even though I can't use it) until I get
the other issues resolved. I doubt seriously that it is on another
partition. I couldn't even get the computer to boot up this morning, and I
can't waste work time on it today.

Thanks to all the experts for excellent and helpful advice to a novice. I'm
convinced I can squeeze a little more life out of this old computer.

 

[Gil Baron]

Thanks to all the experts for excellent and helpful advice to a novice. I'm
convinced I can squeeze a little more life out of this old computer.

You can buy win2000 very cheaply now I would do that.

 

[MDriggers]

MOOT POINT NOW. Plugged in power adaptor this afternoon and all the smoke
leaked out. I was so close!!! No power supply, no use messing with it any
more.

Case closed. Anybody want an old KDS laptop-shaped-object?