Need help forgot password!

[soarwitheagles]

Hi again!

It is me, Soar. I need help with laptop. Windows XP Pro, still have user name but cannot remember password.

When computer asks me to log onto windows, I am stuck there.

Please help.

Thanks,

Soar

 

[carnageX]

Ophcrack.

Download the ISO, burn the ISO to a disc, boot off of the disc.

Or, boot into Safe Mode, log into the hidden Administrator account that comes up on the user selection screen, and then change the password on the normal user's account.

 

[soarwitheagles]

Ophcrack.

Download the ISO, burn the ISO to a disc, boot off of the disc.

Or, boot into Safe Mode, log into the hidden Administrator account that comes up on the user selection screen, and then change the password on the normal user's account.

Carnage,

We are presently downloading ophcrack. We are trying to get into safe mode to try the other method but are not sure how.

Can you help us?

Soar

 

[carnageX]

After the computer boots up, and the BIOS splash screen comes up, start pressing F8 on your keyboard. You have to do this before windows starts loading (the progress bar comes up). If you do it right, you should get a menu that gives you an option to boot into Safe Mode. Do that, and then then Windows should load (a screen that says "loading drivers" should come up, just wait for this to finish), and then when the log-in screen comes up, log into the account that says 'Administrator' (should be one that you don't see on your normal log-in screen). Log into that, then go into Control Panel > User Accounts > and choose the account you forgot the password to. Choose the option to change the password, and just clear the fields so there is no password required, or change it to something you'll remember. Save the changes, reboot normally, and log into the normal account.

 

[soarwitheagles]

After the computer boots up, and the BIOS splash screen comes up, start pressing F8 on your keyboard. You have to do this before windows starts loading (the progress bar comes up). If you do it right, you should get a menu that gives you an option to boot into Safe Mode. Do that, and then then Windows should load (a screen that says "loading drivers" should come up, just wait for this to finish), and then when the log-in screen comes up, log into the account that says 'Administrator' (should be one that you don't see on your normal log-in screen). Log into that, then go into Control Panel > User Accounts > and choose the account you forgot the password to. Choose the option to change the password, and just clear the fields so there is no password required, or change it to something you'll remember. Save the changes, reboot normally, and log into the normal account.

Thanks again! We really appreciate you and the help you are giving.

Well, we followed your instructions exactly as you posted up to the loading drivers. Then the login screen comes up but it does not say Administrator. [it reverts back to the normal welcome to windows screen, "saying press control, alt, delete." When we press control alt delete, it comes back to the username and password. We know our user name but not our password. So we are still stuck at this point.

I also tried the boot from disc with the ISO you kindly mentioned, but same exact thing happens.

Are we missing somethiing?

Can you help us?

Thanks,

Soar

 

[carnageX]

Ah, you don't have the normal welcome screen up, you have the Ctrl+Alt+Del log in one.

And if that screen came up when you booted off of the CD, then you didn't boot off of the CD. Make sure your boot order is sset to the CD-ROM drive first. That or select to boot off of the CD (should be something that says "Press F12 to enter boot selection" or something similar when you turn on your computer, on the BIOS splash screen).

 

[soarwitheagles]

Thanks again.

I have tried once again following you instruction, unfortunately to the same result. I have checked that the system boots first off of the CD, but for whatever reason I still find myself on the "welcome to Windows" ctrl+alt+delete to begin.

I must note that this computer was once used through my company whom put this username and password in place. I wonder if this is deeper than what we are attempting to unlock??

Who knows....

Thanks again for any and all input,

Soar

Is there anyone else that can help us solve this missing password issue?

Soar

 

[superdave1984]

http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/windows-password-reset-disks-tools-etc-57458/

 

[KSoD]

AS Dave had posted. That is located right in the Stickies for reference. It is always good to check them First. That is why they say Read First.

 

[NightSurge]

You do realize that to burn the iso as a bootable disc, you have to burn it as an Image, not just onto a data disc. You can use an Iso burner program to do this if your regular program does not burn images. Then, make sure you boot to the CD as stated.