Forgotten Password

[Lithobid]

Broke out my old laptop, 2003 I think, and started it up, and realized I'd forgoten my Windows XP password. Is there any way around that, other than creating a bootable CD with my new computer and erasing the hard drive of the old one?

Thanks

Lithobid

[Boater]

This is possible, as i had the same problem before,

I just took my computer to the local repair shop, and he did it for 50THB

Took him 5 mintues

[Rice_King]

Broke out my old laptop, 2003 I think, and started it up, and realized I'd forgoten my Windows XP password. Is there any way around that, other than creating a bootable CD with my new computer and erasing the hard drive of the old one?

Thanks

Lithobid

fgdump and Ophcrack (If you're completely locked out and cannot login to the machine with any current account(s) then get the LIVE CD version.)

Edited June 28, 2008 by Rice_King

[Lithobid]

Broke out my old laptop, 2003 I think, and started it up, and realized I'd forgoten my Windows XP password. Is there any way around that, other than creating a bootable CD with my new computer and erasing the hard drive of the old one?

Thanks

Lithobid

fgdump and Ophcrack (If you're completely locked out and cannot login to the machine with any current account(s) then get the LIVE CD version.)

Just to sound like a complete idiot, which I am when it comes to computers, I download the live version of Ophcrack and burn that to CD , and boot the other computer with it??

Thanks for the info

Lithobid

[Rice_King]

Just to sound like a complete idiot, which I am when it comes to computers, I download the live version of Ophcrack and burn that to CD , and boot the other computer with it??

Thanks for the info

Lithobid

Yes.

Edited June 28, 2008 by Rice_King

[bino]

Another thing you might try first that might be a h*ll of a lot more simple...

Most people overlook / forget about the default admin account when they create user accounts in XP. It stops showing on the default XP login screen once another admin user is created.

When you get to the login screen in XP, push CTRL-ALT-DELETE two or three times; you should get a "classic" login prompt.

Try logging in with User: Administrator, and leave the password field blank.

You just might be lucky and be able to log in to the master admin account. Probably 90% of the PC's I've ever come across can be accessed using this method.

[stumonster]

if the comp can boot from usb and you a confident to follow some instructions I have used this method to blank the admin passwords on xp machines before

this is the readme from my USB stick I have to do the job - go to the URL and get youself started - you might be able to use a CD , I can't remember

***************************************************************************

* *

* Windows NT/2k/XP/Vista Change Password / Registry Editor / Boot CD *

* *

* © 1998-2007 Petter Nordahl-Hagen. Distributed under GNU GPL v2 *

* *

* DISCLAIMER: THIS SOFTWARE COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTIES! *

* THE AUTHOR CAN NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE *

* CAUSED BY THE (MIS)USE OF THIS SOFTWARE *

* *

* More info at: http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ *

* Email : [email protected] *

***************************************************************************

Just boot this CD and follow instructions.

Usually, just pressing return/enter should work, except maybe

pressing d to load drivers when it asks for that.

To make a bootable USB drive / key:

1. Copy all files from this CD onto the USB drive.

It cannot be in a subdirectory on the drive.

You do not need delete files already on the drive.

2. Install the bootloader:

On the USB drive, there should now be a file "syslinux.exe".

Run this from a command line, like this:

j:\syslinux.exe -ma j:

replace j with some other letter if your USB drive is on another

drive letter than j:

If it says nothing, it did install the bootloader.

Please note that you may have to adjust settings in your computers BIOS

setup to boot from USB.

Also, some BIOS (often older machines) simply won't boot from USB anyway.

Unfortunately, there are extremely many different versions of BIOS,

so I am unable to help you.