Please Help: XP Users Only

ID:190146
 
Mar 8 2003, 3:27 am (Edited on Mar 8 2003, 3:39 am)
Please someone respond. This is extremely important. I changed my password so my brother couldnt get on. Then I forgot it. Is there anything I can download tha can reset my password?

Thanx DiZzyBonne

P.S. I don't want to reboot my computer in safe mode and do it that way.
Mar 8 2003, 4:31 am
nope, you have to get the administrator to change your password for you in his user, and if you were the administrator, you're screwed!


<FONT COLOR = "red">~ Jermman</FONT>
Mar 8 2003, 8:31 am
This is a really good example of why you should write your passwords down.
Mar 8 2003, 8:39 am
Try going to windows.com and go to there help database, search it there.
Mar 8 2003, 8:52 am
In response to Scoobert
why dont u wanna go into safemode to change it? I dont think you can do it that way anyways....

if you still have free support call tech support...

http://support.microsoft.com/ default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321305


sorry:/ doubt you will be able to recover without a clean install

Mar 8 2003, 9:08 am
In response to Jerico2day
As long as you can log into the computer in any way, you can. The passwords are just saved as a text file with a odd extention. I bet you could do it in dos if you knew the path. Just look it up in windows knolage database.
Mar 8 2003, 9:21 am
In response to Scoobert
Scoobert wrote:
As long as you can log into the computer in any way, you can. The passwords are just saved as a text file with a odd extention. I bet you could do it in dos if you knew the path. Just look it up in windows knolage database.

Nope, Sorry can't happen. Windows XP is based on Windows 2000, A password can't be changed that easly. Moreover DOS can't even use NTFS. DOS will also ask for a password in fat32.

Mar 8 2003, 9:26 am
DiZzyBonne wrote:
Please someone respond. This is extremely important. I changed my password so my brother couldnt get on. Then I forgot it. Is there anything I can download tha can reset my password?

1.Did you make a password disk? If so use it.

2.Did you ever change the administrator password? I'm not talking about the accout with your name. The administrator account you can uses as back door.

I belive the defalts are:

Name: administrator
password: administrator

3. Reinstall the OS

P.S. I don't want to reboot my computer in safe mode and do it that way.

I'm sorry but you can't change a password in safe mode.
Mar 8 2003, 9:32 am
In response to Xzar
When you startup in safemode you have access to the administrator account, which by default has no password, you can use this as a backdoor to recover passwords
Mar 8 2003, 9:39 am
In response to Scoobert
This was quite simple to do in win95. Although, im not sure if its the same for later version.
Mar 8 2003, 9:44 am
In response to Nick231
Nick231 wrote:
When you startup in safemode you have access to the administrator account, which by default has no password, you can use this as a backdoor to recover passwords.

Yea that is true I forgot about that, But being that I did ask if he can login or ever changed the administrator password. the Later would never matter. (He also said He did not want to use safe mode :P)
Mar 8 2003, 10:45 am
In response to Jotdaniel
Jotdaniel wrote:
This is a really good example of why you should write your passwords down.

I disagree completely. Writing down a password defeats the entire purpose of having one. Someone finds that piece of paper and you're screwed. It's like people who can't remember their ATM PIN, so they keep it on a piece of paper in their wallet. Duh!

The ideal password should be easy for you to remember, but not for someone else to guess. It should also contain some mixture of upper case, lower case, numbers, and symbols. This sounds like it would be impossible to remember, but construct it out of things that you do remember. Like if you went and saw Metallica in 1999, you could make your password Mtllc;99. Something you're likely to remember but is very hard to guess.

If you find yourself having trouble remembering your password, the best solution is practice. Force yourself to logout often so you use the password until it becomes automatic.
Mar 8 2003, 11:15 am
In response to Xzar
Im talking about deleting the password file, not doing anything else. Its very simple. Im not sure were the file is located though.
Mar 8 2003, 3:41 pm
In response to Air Mapster
I don't write down my passwords, but I never forget them either. If hes just trying to keep his brother out of the computer, its ok to write it down, just make sure to keep it somewhere his brother wont look.
Mar 8 2003, 5:47 pm
In response to Jotdaniel
Jotdaniel wrote:
just make sure to keep it somewhere his brother wont look.

Like in between a fall issue of PlayBoy! erm...HotRod magazine...
Mar 8 2003, 9:54 pm
In response to Goku72
Goku72 wrote:
Like in between a fall issue of PlayBoy! erm...HotRod magazine...

ya right like his bro wont look there!!
Mar 10 2003, 12:12 am
In response to Air Mapster
Air Mapster wrote:
Jotdaniel wrote:
This is a really good example of why you should write
your passwords down.

I disagree completely. Writing down a password defeats
the entire purpose of having one. Someone finds that
piece of paper and you're screwed. It's like people who
can't remember their ATM PIN, so they keep it on a piece
of paper in their wallet. Duh!

That's why I keep my hard-to-remember passwords (some 20 in all) in a database on my Palm computer - which is secured by a password itself... so I only need to recall the one to access the others! =)
Mar 19 2003, 7:00 pm
In response to digitalmouse
...what happens when you lose the pass to your palm pilot?!