Microsoft Password help needed! Urgent!

[Tibs]

The kids have been next door to see their friends. Whilst there, they have benn on mum and dads computer. It would appear that they have being playing around with things they shouldnt, and have passworded the start up screen, where the household user selects their own account.

Now, mum and dad cannot access their own pc, the kids dont know what they put as a password, and im expected to sort it out!

Is there a way of 'guessing' the password and changing it to something the parents next door choose, that way I dont have to fork out for a computer specialist to charge me a fortune to rectify my kids naughty fingers?

Please help and educate us in this matter, the relationship with the 'jones's' depends on it!!!!

[off_again]

Lots of options, depends on OS version, what has been configured etc. Good place to start:

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_passwo...

Best thing though, kick the people who set the password - its the easiest and simplest thing to do.

[Pot Bellied Fool]

alt-ctrl-del from the logon screen should take it to a normal logon prompt where you type the username & password.

use administrator as the username & hope the original installer left the password blank. Once in, you can edit account settings through control panel.

If not, try a Google for Astrumi - a linux distro on CD that can be used (with mixed success) to reset passwords.

[hairykrishna]

If it's XP/2000 just get one of those password reset linux distributions, works every time. If they're running Vista or have encrypted their files under XP they're screwed.

[qube_TA]

Find a program called ERD Commander, boot off that and you can do anything you like to the OS and the files on the machine including resetting/removing passwords.

HTH

[gradeAfailure]

I have used Ophcrack with a good success rate in situations like this.

http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/

You'll want the Live CD (no installation) download.

I'd try logging in with the username Administrator and a blank password first though.

Edited by gradeAfailure on Thursday 11th December 17:50

[SS HSV]

hairykrishna said:

If it's XP/2000 just get one of those password reset linux distributions, works every time. If they're running Vista or have encrypted their files under XP they're screwed.

NO they aren't. Download a set of Win 2000 boot disks from the Microsoft site and once you have booted into 'dos' you can edit the SAM files manually. Do a google for password recovery with Win2k boot diks and something should turn up. I have recovered/reset customers pc's with this trick several times in the past. Now when I build a pc I charge them £100 to recover the passwords.. that way they think about allowing children Admin access

[hairykrishna]

SS HSV said:

hairykrishna said:

If it's XP/2000 just get one of those password reset linux distributions, works every time. If they're running Vista or have encrypted their files under XP they're screwed.

NO they aren't. Download a set of Win 2000 boot disks from the Microsoft site and once you have booted into 'dos' you can edit the SAM files manually. Do a google for password recovery with Win2k boot diks and something should turn up. I have recovered/reset customers pc's with this trick several times in the past. Now when I build a pc I charge them £100 to recover the passwords.. that way they think about allowing children Admin access

How will editing the SAM files get access to encrypted files? Googling around suggests that I'm talking nonsense about Vista though. Perfectly crackable these days.

[SS HSV]

hairykrishna said:

SS HSV said:

hairykrishna said:

If it's XP/2000 just get one of those password reset linux distributions, works every time. If they're running Vista or have encrypted their files under XP they're screwed.

NO they aren't. Download a set of Win 2000 boot disks from the Microsoft site and once you have booted into 'dos' you can edit the SAM files manually. Do a google for password recovery with Win2k boot diks and something should turn up. I have recovered/reset customers pc's with this trick several times in the past. Now when I build a pc I charge them £100 to recover the passwords.. that way they think about allowing children Admin access

How will editing the SAM files get access to encrypted files? Googling around suggests that I'm talking nonsense about Vista though. Perfectly crackable these days.

I ignored the encrypted comment because if the OP was dumb enough to allow kids access to a PC with admin rights I very much doubt that he has set up encryption. Try the SAM trick it also works on Vista

[Tibs]

Right, I am sat with father of next door. I have managed to enter his system via admin log in.

Now, how do we see the password?

[shakotan]

Your computer will have a 'back door'.

The password is 'Jeff'.

HTH

[Tibs]

All sorted now, thanks for help guys.

kids will now be getting a thick ear....

[OllieC]

the password is courage !

[MK4 Slowride]

Send them to their room as well.

where all the toys are.

Never did work as punishment for me that.

[TheEnd]

shakotan said:

Your computer will have a 'back door'.

The password is 'Jeff'.

HTH

I can see the letters U.S.B on the door, is that it?

[PD9]

Horrible situation,

Glad its resolved - Just think you'll be invited to the BBQ in the Summer and still receive a Christmas Card

[b2dan]

I've found that rebooting the computer in safe mode, logging in under Administrator and resetting Passwords has worked (On XP That Is)