Where in the registryb are administrator passwords are stored

[tmt]

I know what this may sound like but I need a way of retrieving the
current username and password on an xp pro sp2 system. I'm in the
process of setting up a rather complex network and I'm building on the
work of the previous admin who is now unavailable to help.

I need it for using the runas commands as well as other issues you run
into when logged on as a regular user.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

By design, there is no way to retrieve the password. You can change it, but not read it, not even as the users themselves. There IS
an option to create a "Password Reset Disk", but you need to know the password to use that. Blanking the password is the best you
can do, and you need admin privileges to do that.


..

 

[tmt]

Thanks Mark. I figured it was a shot in the dark. I eventually was
able to determine it by process of elimination.

 

[Guest]

I know you all think I'm nuts but really, I purposfully did not set an admin
password - I left it blank. Now something changed, I didn't get the welcome
screen before, now I do. Regardless, I am set up as Rose - computer
administrator, but apparently this isn't good enough. So I go to log on as
administrator and it says I need a password. I don't have one. it won't
take blank. So I'm totallly confused.

I have XP Pro

Naturally I didn't create the password reset disk because I didn't use
passwords.

suggestions? I'm reading all the other forums now.

The main issue is installing Quickbooks, for crying out loud. I can't get
it to run unless the adminstrator runs it and even though I installed as the
administrator using the Rose logon - .. it won't load.

Tried the recommendation to alter the script and now I get fatal errors
instead of just access rights errors. :

1) Create a Quickbooks Users group
2) Add your users to this group
3) Give the group Full Control to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Intuit\QuickBooksRegistration (RegEdt32.exe)
4) Give the group Full Control to the .QPG key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
(RegEdt32.exe)
5) Give the QuickBooks Users group Modify rights to the X:\Program
Files\Intuit\Quickbooks...folder

Snag was in step 4 - there was no QPG key in HKEY_ClASSES_ROOT

Now I Don't know if I should undo all that, uninstall with it in..

Who knew loading a program would be this insane.

Rose

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

adaware error Unable to Log On To Windows XP After Removing wsaupdater.exe: http://www.lavasofthelp.com/articles/v6/04/06/0901.html

 

[tmt]

I have yet to make access permissions work correctly. I would say do
your installation as "administrator" or "rose" -whatever and then use
that for everything. I'm aware that may be a security risk but there
are so many problems you run into wen you try to limit your access
rights in the name of security. Do al your computing as admin.

As for fixing the welcome screen thing, boot it and press repeatedly
the F8 key. Thi should take you to the special boot options. "Pick
last know good configuration"

that might work

 

[Guest]

If I may, I would like to cry in the same cup of soup as you. I am the only
administrator on my standalone XP machine. I have installed a myriad of
programs and have not had ANY problems with the installation. I am now
trying to install Acrobat Reader 7.0 (free version) and as the program
installs it displays a message indicating I do not have rights to perform the
operation and displays an error message about the registry... I am at a loss
after having tried it many times. Any suggestions? Hope I didn't get my
nose in here where I shouldn't but I am pretty desperate... Thanks, Ken

 

[tmt]

It depends........ are you having login problems? or did the adobe
install screw up your registry? This was basically how to crack ol xp
passwords. What was the error message you got when you tried it?