If a User forgets a pass

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 19th, 2002, 06:03 AM

What am I meant to do if the user forgets the password for my app? I can't reveal where the password is stored, as the risk of someone cracking or deleting it are two great.... and using the web would be a lot of work for something this small (screensaver)

Any ideas?

**JordanChris** · Nov 19th, 2002, 06:18 AM

Many choices:
- Re-install your app (which will delete all previous instances on installation).
- Send an e-mail to you, and you return a new program that will run (once, then delete itself and the e-mail !) and tell him what the password is.
- Allow the user to re-format the disk and start again.
- Send a floppy disk that will boot up into DOS and show the password on the screen.

It all depends on what the user can still do on his PC having lost the password.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 19th, 2002, 06:21 AM

Well... they can restart the comp and disable the screensaver, if I go down the route of having it as a .scr or whatever it is...

At the moment I just have it as a short cut on my desktop....

I don't particully want it to involve the net, cause the app itself doesn't need it, and it should be able to work on a computer without internet access.

Reinstalling looks like the best option...

**JordanChris** · Nov 19th, 2002, 06:48 AM

Originally posted by Pc_Madness
Well... they can restart the comp and disable the screensaver, if I go down the route of having it as a .scr or whatever it is...

It sounds like you are thinking in advance, rather than "Help, what shall I do with this user who is stuck".

In which case, you can also think about:
- Having an admin password (that you give out by e-mail to certain pople)
- This could be hardware based - on the serial number etc. of the users hard disk. They tell you the serial numer, you tell them the password that will unlock that serial number.
- Could be software based - using a serial number within your application.
- Could be date based - so that it will only work for one day or one month before it needs changing.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:01 AM

Originally posted by JordanChris
It sounds like you are thinking in advance, rather than "Help, what shall I do with this user who is stuck".

In which case, you can also think about:
- Having an admin password (that you give out by e-mail to certain pople)
- This could be hardware based - on the serial number etc. of the users hard disk. They tell you the serial numer, you tell them the password that will unlock that serial number.
- Could be software based - using a serial number within your application.
- Could be date based - so that it will only work for one day or one month before it needs changing.

Yep, I love to plan..

Thats definately an idea... will take some work to figure out though...

**Slaine** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:12 AM

Originally posted by Pc_Madness
Well... they can restart the comp and disable the screensaver, if I go down the route of having it as a .scr or whatever it is...

If it is possible to bypass the password in this manner then TBH there is no point having it at all - Remove it and your problem goes away.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:16 AM

Originally posted by Slaine
If it is possible to bypass the password in this manner then TBH there is no point having it at all - Remove it and your problem goes away.

The idea behind the project is that the user runs the screensaver when the leave the computer, ie click the icon on the desktop, so that anyone else can't use it. I didn't want to use a normal screensaver, cause if I'm watching a dvd, it will click on... and if I turn it off permenantly... I feel this is the best middle between security and useability.

**Slaine** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:21 AM

My point though is that the password does not prevent anyone from accessing the machine - all they have to do is reboot the machine and they have access.

This provides no security whatsoever.

It would only work if the machine has a password to logon - if this is the case then just make your screensaver a .scr and the user can elect to use password protection via the display properties dialog - this will be the same password they use to log on meaning they are unlikely to forget it and you don't have to worry about doing any fancy coding.

Anything else is a waste of time becuase it just isn't secure.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:24 AM

Well... if someone goes to the trouble of using my app, then I'm going to take a wild guess that there is some kinda of password at login.

The program is for when the computer is left unattended, as I know I have quite a few people who see what I'm doing when I leave my comp.

**Slaine** · Nov 19th, 2002, 07:37 AM

That's a fair enough assumption.

But if they do have a password in place then there is no need to implement it in your program - just use the built in password protection for screensavers.

If you don't want to implement your program as a scr then instead use the API routines to authorise re-entry based on the windows password.

That way you don't have to worry about having seperate passwords for the user and your program.

BTW what does the screensaver do - is it anything fancy?

**DeadEyes** · Nov 19th, 2002, 08:01 AM

Just out of curiosity what's wrong with Ctrl+Alt+Del Lock Computer?

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 02:25 AM

Originally posted by DeadEyes
Just out of curiosity what's wrong with Ctrl+Alt+Del Lock Computer?

?

Its just a Matrix thing... and I was thinking of doing some other stuff, like acouple of different forms with different stuffthat the user can choose from... but I have to think of those first...

**Feetstink** · Nov 20th, 2002, 04:12 AM

I don't really understand the purpose of this screensaver.

In NT, Win2k, winXP, you can hit ctrl-alt-del and lock the computer as DeadEyes said. This will bring up the default screensaver and require a password to get back to the desktop.

Win98... well... i guess it would kind of work there. i mean, they could still get back to your computer by rebooting 'cuz there's no login, but they wouldn't see what you had open, i guess.

Also, as for dvd's being stopped by the screensaver, most players should have a setting to automatically disable the screensaver when a movie is playing.

If you really want it to be "secure" you should be sure to lock the computer when you leave it. If the screensaver comes on automatically, it may require a password, but I've heard you can get by this.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 04:35 AM

Whats this lock with Alt+Ctrl+Del thing? Never heard of it...

No login on Win98? Sorry.. I thought you knew what u were on about... but obviously I'm mistaken.

You don't mention Win95?

As for Dvd players, I use the standard one that seems to come with most dvds, InterActual, it doesn't offer the ability to disable the screensaver whilst running.

Really, all I want to do is have some scrolling matrix stuff, its not meant to be a prog for public release... but .... I figured I may as well release it if I can get it right.

And it being "secure" isn't that big a deal. Sometimes the presence of a login screen can deter most snoops.

I may well allow the password thing to be turned on/off, I haven't thought about it that much yet.

**Feetstink** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:22 AM

Whats this lock with Alt+Ctrl+Del thing? Never heard of it...

In Win2k, WinXP and NT if you hit Ctrl,Alt and Delete it pops up something with the option to lock the computer. Are you being sarcastic or do you really not know what this is?

As for a login in win98, the login doesn't prevent someone from getting into your stuff, as far as i know.

You don't mention Win95?

I believe win95 and winME are crap and better left unmentioned.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:24 AM

Originally posted by Feetstink
In Win2k, WinXP and NT if you hit Ctrl,Alt and Delete it pops up something with the option to lock the computer. Are you being sarcastic or do you really not know what this is?

I hadn't heard of it before, and went and had a look on my WinXp Pro, and couldn't see nothing about locking the comp

**Feetstink** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:40 AM

ok, i'm a fool.

sorry. i shouldn't talk so much without thinking.

anyways, it is available in win2k for sure. i think it's in winNT, but then, i thought it was in winXP so... what do i know.

anyways, in XP they replaced it with the ability to switch users without logging off. I forgot, i'm sorry. you could do this, but this is obviously not as cool as running a screensaver.

it's weird because i was actually trying to do what you are talking about on my XP box at home. I didn't go so far as making my own screensaver, i just made a shortcut to my default screensaver. However, it doesn't ask for a password unless the timer for the screensaver actually kicks in, but that was good enough for me.

sorry again.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:41 AM

I was wondering whether you could run screensavers after they had their extension changed...

**Slaine** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:54 AM

'Lock Computer' is certainly there on my copy of windows XP - see below.

As for passwords on Windows 98: It might popup a box asking for your login details when you switch on but have you ever tried just pressing escape without entering a password?

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 05:58 AM

Originally posted by Slaine
'Lock Computer' is certainly there on my copy of windows XP - see below.

As for passwords on Windows 98: It might popup a box asking for your login details when you switch on but have you ever tried just pressing escape without entering a password?

Care to tell me where I can find this "lock computer" thing?

Can't u stop that with some registry editing?

**Slaine** · Nov 20th, 2002, 06:06 AM

I just pressed CTRL+ALT+DEL.

But my computer is part of a domain and as such does not use the crap (oops I mean new) login system that XP has - perhaps this is why it does this.

No amount of registry editing will disable it if you have your policies set up correctly.

**Pc_Madness** · Nov 20th, 2002, 06:11 AM

Yeah... that might explain it.... I prefer to use the new login style, looks much nicer, and since I'm the only user.

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