Password....help!

[pace59]

I have a laptop that I took off the domain today and made it a work station. I like an idiot do not know what any of the user names or passwords were before i did that. Is there anything I can do? I have xp and a dell precision m6300. Help!

[Suspishio]

Maybe the default Administrator has no password. Try llogging into Administrator in Safe Mode.

[pace59]

I have tried from the safe mode too as Administrator....no luck.

[Suspishio]

Then Elcomsoft sell some software that cracks the system password.

[pace59]

I tried doing an xp install. I get to the point to pick which installation I want to repair. I choose that and then it tells me to enter my administrator password. That's the problem. I do not remember the admin password or any users password if there even was one. I am only getting to the part where you enter ctrl-alt-del and then password. I cannot get past that. Do you know if there is any place in bios to reset it or to access user accounts?

[Suspishio]

If you can't deduce the password or Administrator isn't default blank, it gets difficult. If there is no back door (but see below), you need software to crack the password.

There is a potential back door you might care to try described at the below URL:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=305

Let us know.

[MatEpp]

Couldn't the drive be accessed with a live cd?

[pace59]

I installed the xp cd, and got all the way to the point where it said to pick which installation needed to be repaired. It showed
1- c:\windows
(press enter to cancel): **command prompt here**

so seeing this above I thought that I had to enter 1 to repair that installation. So when I entered 1 and hit enter, i got the prompt to enter the administrator password. The problem now is I do not know the admin password, so I am stuck. After 3 tries of unsuccessfully entering the admin password, I was not able to go any further. Any ideas.

[Suspishio]

Hello.

What about my ideas?

[caperjack]

I installed the xp cd, and got all the way to the point where it said to pick which installation needed to be repaired. It showed
1- c:\windows
(press enter to cancel): **command prompt here**

why are you try a repair ,why not format and reload xp

[pace59]

Suspishio,

I tried your ideas. STill no luck.

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

I am trying to avoid reinstalling xp all together. With the advice you gave me, I still get stuck at the command prompt that I listed above.

[Suspishio]

Then why don't you buy Windows password crack software? It usually involves making a boot CD or USB stick and working fromthe DOS, the software cracks the Admin password.

You've otherwise drawn a blank.

[caperjack]

I like an idiot do not know what any of the user names or passwords were before i did that. Help!

this part confuses me ,Why would you not know these things

[jbennet]

because he removed it from the domain

that means it reverts to having only the local admin account, which was set during initial setup.

[jay8390]

You can try a program like passware windows key enterprise (http://www.lostpassword.com/windows.htm. Extremely simple to use.

[caperjack]

because he removed it from the domain

that means it reverts to having only the local admin account, which was set during initial setup.

brain fart !me feeling stupid now!lol

[jbennet]

is it a big deal to just wipe everything and start over?

[Suspishio]

In many cases, it is a big deal to wipe everything out and start over for all the reasons you could think of.

He should buy the fairly low cost software that'll do the job. Anyway he's had advice from some of the best in the forum and what he does with that his now down to him.

[Thinka]

How about pulling the power out of the BIOS? That would remove the admin BIOS password and let him carry out the repair, and possibly utilise the backdoor information posted earlier? I know it's not easy, but it's gotta be an option right?

[jbennet]

its not a BIOS password, its the windows password

[Thinka]

Ah, yea of course, get it now. Didn't realise you needed the Windows admin password to carry out a repair. Means that that backdoor method can't really work in this sort of situation surely?

Anyways it's been marked solved now, don't know if pace cares to share if he went with the re-install in the end?

[caperjack]

Ah, yea of course, get it now. Didn't realise you needed the Windows admin password to carry out a repair. ?

yeah if the administrator acct created when winxp is installed, is passworded you need it to do the repair,and you also need it to get to the admin acct in safe mode

[Suspishio]

So we're back to buying that password busting software (in the unsolved case!).