Forgotten password

[alkatran]

My girlfriend forgot her password for her user account on her computer (the sole account)

She's using windows XP home, and just changed it to what she says is her name and phone number (like 15 characters here..) She says she didn't use any upper case letters.

Is there a way to get in?

[wossname]

What, besides killing her and wearing her skin to work?

[Acidic]

http://www.sharemation.com/darkgamer/linux/ntfsboot.exe
Allows you to make a bootable floppy disk so you can get back your lost password or change it

Note that I've never tried this file, it might be a trojan or have virii. On the other hand it might work.

[wossname]

Originally posted by Acidic
http://www.sharemation.com/darkgamer/linux/ntfsboot.exe
Allows you to make a bootable floppy disk so you can get back your lost password or change it

Note that I've never tried this file, it might be a trojan or have virii. On the other hand it might work.

Might work and have viruses on it.

[Acidic]

yep, I suppose this will only work if you have another account you can log in from, or another PC you can use to create the disk.

there is a way to crack the encrypted password that WinXP stores, I'll look into it if you want me to.

[wossname]

Not worth the effort. It'll be at least DES encrypted if not TripleDes! Have you got a supercomputer handy? No? Nah, me neither.

[alkatran]

Any techniques for remembering a password? Common errors?

Think I can scare it out of her?

[Acidic]

Originally posted by wossname
Not worth the effort. It'll be at least DES encrypted if not TripleDes! Have you got a supercomputer handy? No? Nah, me neither.

True, maybe you can find a DES raindbow table out there. Or take the HD and put it in your PC as a slave drive. Then back up everything and reformat it.

[alkatran]

Originally posted by Acidic
True, maybe you can find a DES raindbow table out there. Or take the HD and put it in your PC as a slave drive. Then back up everything and reformat it.

That was what I told her we would probably have to do. But can we get at any files within her documents?

[Acidic]

hmm. maybe there is a way though. If you find where it stores the password, then change that hash to the hash of what it is on your PC. Then the password is the same as on your PC, then log in and change it to something she'll remember.

[Acidic]

Originally posted by alkatran
That was what I told her we would probably have to do. But can we get at any files within her documents?

Yes, make it a slave drive on your PC. Then you can read any folder on the drive.

[alkatran]

She can't remember the password composed of her own name and phone number. What should I use? "password"?

[alkatran]

Can I delete files on the drive as well? I bet if I deleted all the user accounts windows would pick it up and make a new, passwordless one.

[Acidic]

Originally posted by alkatran
She can't remember the password composed of her own name and phone number. What should I use? "password"?

whjy have a password at all. if it's the sole account, like on my PC. then don't bother with a password and it'll auto log you in. makes booting up that much faster.

[alkatran]

She wants her brothers out of it.

I think she changed it because I guessed it on my first try. And so did her brothers.

Sge likes that dog waaay too much.

[Acidic]

Originally posted by alkatran
Can I delete files on the drive as well? I bet if I deleted all the user accounts windows would pick it up and make a new, passwordless one.

I don't think that's where it stores the password, but yes you can delete files. You can do anything you want to it when it's a slave drive, it's just a bunch of files, none of them are being used and it's windows on your main drive which is being run.

[alkatran]

But all the files in those documents are accesible only if I have the same ID as was used to create them?

[Acidic]

Originally posted by alkatran
She wants her brothers out of it.

I think she changed it because I guessed it on my first try. And so did her brothers.

Sge likes that dog waaay too much.

aaah, ok. For a minute I was going to suggest setting a BOIS password instead, then I realised that might not be a good idea if she fogets that too. At least it's easier to reset that, just flash the BIOS.

[Acidic]

Originally posted by alkatran
But all the files in those documents are accesible only if I have the same ID as was used to create them?

normally yes, but not when it's a slave drive.

[wossname]

Have you guys been reading the other threads? Check out the "Parksie one."

[dglienna]

just tell her to tell you the password in case she forgets.
or make admin the password for the administrator account.
it works a lot more than it should.

sorry to hear about Parksie.

[demotivater]

Try pressing F8 to go into safe mode, then find system restore and restore it back to before the password was changed.

Edit...

Here's more detail, it says it's for XP pro, but something similar may work for home.

reboot computer click on F8 button , if you dont know when to do this just keeping pressing it till the screen pops up that lets you choose safe mode..then click enter then click xp or the operating system you have installed...i assume its xp pro.
...click on administrator when prompted then type in password pretty sure you can put anything here....
click on yes on the popup screen.
go to start/control panel/adminstrative tools then choose the icon that says computer management.
go to local users & groups
click on users..
pick the account name that you see when you were getting the error message.... double click that icon (account) check/tick the box that says password never expires.....cauze if you choose to just change the password you will lose stuff on your computer.
so after that close the box....now you can select the other icons or you can reboot and start up...
YOU WILL NEVER GET THAT MESSAGE AGAIN..
if you chose to stay before rebooting you can do lots of things..like selecting account lockout icon, you can stop being locked out of programs etc when your password is incorrect etc...you can select password management and get a password history etc.....just check it out...

[dglienna]

if you hold the control key down during boot, the system will automatically go into safe mode. (added due to increased processor speed, and too short a time to press it)

[alkatran]

As it turns out, the administrative account has this nifty "remove password" option for any account. (Start in safe mode, go to admistrator, remove password)

You don't even need the password to do it!


Just goes to show how secure your average computer actually is...
How can I make sure my administrator has a password?

[dglienna]

its an option during installation, but you should be able to set one in safe mode.