Startup password

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken
  • Start date Start date
K

Ken

Hi all

I have been given a desktop by the wife of a friend who died and we want to
open the computer but the wife does not the password that he put on. Can
anyone tell me if it is possible to change the password or remove it.

Ken
 
Ken said:
Hi all

I have been given a desktop by the wife of a friend who died and we
want to open the computer but the wife does not the password that he
put on. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to change the password or
remove it.
Click to expand...

When does the request for password come up? Is it when you first start
the machine or is the password for Windows?

If the former, then this is a BIOS password. If you know the make/model
of the motherboard, refer to the manual or go to the mftr.'s website to
see if there are jumper settings to clear the CMOS. If not, then open
the computer (unplugged!) and remove the motherboard battery to clear
CMOS and reset the computer to default. With some motherboards this
only takes a few minutes; others may require that you leave the battery
out for a day. YMMV.

If the latter, then:

In XP Home, boot the computer into Safe Mode. Do this by repeatedly
tapping the F8 key as the computer is starting up. This will get you to
the right menu. Navigate using your Up arrow key; the mouse will not
work here. Once in Safe Mode, you will see the normally hidden
Administrator account. The default password is a blank.

In XP Pro, you do not need to go into Safe Mode. At the Welcome Screen,
do Ctrl-Alt-Del twice to get the classic Windows logon box. Type in
"Administrator" and whatever password you assigned when you set up
Windows.

If you reset the built-in Administrator account's password in Home or
have Pro and don't remember the password, use NTpasswd to change the
built-in Administrator account's password to a blank.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Then go to the User Accounts applet in Control Panel and set passwords
that you will remember and make other desired changes.

Malke
 
The password request comes up when we start windows XXP home. I have tried
the safe mode but the administrator keeps rejecting the blank password.
 
I can't seem to start a new question, but will let me reply to this one and
my problem is similar. I'm locked out. In trying to have XP quit asking for
the password all the time (save password checkbox only worked for current
session) I deleted the Owner User Profile (I left administrator profile and
know that password) and then when I rebooted, my screen says click your user
name and there is no user name to click. I can't even access the start key,
only shut down is available. If I ctl-alt-delete twice I get box with owner
in it asking for password of which I have no idea what it was when I set up
long ago and if I deleted it, would anything work?
 
I found solution to my big problem by going to safe mode and restoring my
system to yesterday before I deleted user profile and it worked. Thanks.
 
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