[scotty59]

Hi guys

This is my first post and hope someone can maybe help me, a friend of mine has just got a pc and looking for some advice of a work around.

When the pc boots up it gets to the log in page but they do not know the password, person who previously had pc has forgot what it was, is there a way to by pass this without formatting the hard drive?

cheers

scotty

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Unfortunately not as far as I know. With earlier versions of Windows the password feature could easily be bypassed since it wasn't designed with security in mind. Windows XP however is a different matter. No workaround for forgotten passwords unless the password creator made a password rescue on a floppy disk.

[pip22]

Unfortunately not as far as I know. With earlier versions of Windows the password feature could easily be bypassed since it wasn't designed with security in mind. Windows XP however is a different matter. No workaround for forgotten passwords unless the password creator made a password rescue on a floppy disk.

[scott452]

hi
boot up the comp.
then tap f8, chose safe mode
log into the administrators account (note this isn't an account you have created). the password should be blank unless you have changed
log in, the go to the users area and remove the password for that certain account

this should work, if it doesn't post back

[fleamailman]

There are many ways to crack the password, but I think you would understand that if geektogo started offering hacking advise, the 250 something known exploits of XP, even for ones own computer which then could be used for cracking other people's computer, Geekstogo would soon lose the trust of its own members, for example would you then trust us?

Edited by fleamailman, 09 September 2006 - 05:44 AM.

[b1caez01]

Totally agree with fleamailman BUT...there is nothing wrong with going to google.com and typing in "lost XP password" and see what pops up...as I just did...

I found a good article to start with at: http://www.petri.co....or_password.htm

The author makes it clear, that if you are hope to find hacking tools there, that you came to the wrong place.

"If you are looking for password cracking tools that can be used for miscellaneous objectives ... this page is NOT for you."

Suggestions:

1. trying hard to remember the forgotten password, or a password of another user which has the same level of administrative rights
2. Another method is by trying to restore a backed up System State (in Windows 2000/XP/2003) or a ERD (in NT 4.0) in which you do remember the password.
3. A third method might be to install a parallel operating system on a different partition on the same computer, then use a simple trick to gain access to the old system.
http://www.petri.co....logon_trick.htm
4. The fourth option is by using 3rd party tools that will enable you to reset the lost password and logon with a blank password.
5. visit petri.com's password forum: http://www.petri.co....isplay.php?f=27

Let us know how it all turned out; what steps you took to solve the problem, if successful

[fleamailman]

Be careful when you do a google for this then, if you land on a hacksite you are open game to have your computer and network compromised, make sure that your router is passworded, oh and don't forget that password either.

[b1caez01]

Excellent point...maybe I took that action for granted and should not have

[scotty59]

Thanks for your replies and have to say i thought i will have to format.

keep the good work up nice to come to a site where you get fast replies and help

cheers

scotty

[b1caez01]

Any problem that takes me more than an hour to figure out, or repair, is not worth the agony... I spent nearly 48 hours straight in front of my computer once...got quite physically ill over it [yes, computers can make you sick] ...became obsessed about it...until I discovered how docile windows becomes once you reformat it and reinstall only the most essential progs, and then only as I need them...no passwords, lots of back up disks...