Getting past a windows log on password?

Lady_K

Tried that and it makes no difference as soon as I press ctrl alt del once it goes straight to the same windows log in so I can't press it twice and still if I change the name to administrator no change.

Wouldnt it take the comp back to the original configuration if I reinstalled windows? and wouldnt I need drivers? its got a dvd drive in it too which I don't think was in when it was bought and it was windows 2000 before now its windows xp pro

fwor

Lady_K wrote: »

its got a dvd drive in it too

Ok - that would explain why you're getting 2 boot failure messages - one from the CD drive and the other from the DVD drive. It's nothing to worry about.

It sounds as though it may be configured to log in to a Windows Domain - was it previously used in an office?

The "here's a good one" link that be_alright provided should do what you need. Go to the link provided and click on the Bootdisk tab near the top and it will give full instructions. This method gets around the password, as the PC is booted from the CD that you create.

Lady_K

Yes it was used in an office, wen I try to use the 2nd option for logging in it says you cannot log in as the domain is not available.

Is that fairly easy to do then with the 'heres a good one' link? Can I choose not to have a password at all if I want to? and if I can't find a disc can it be done by a usb thingy or floppy if I can find one of those?

fwor

Lady_K wrote: »

Is that fairly easy to do then with the 'heres a good one' link? Can I choose not to have a password at all if I want to?

It's not too hard. I've used it successfully before on an ex-office laptop in a similar state to your PC.

You can choose to have no password.

You will however need to reconfigure the PC so that it no longer tries to log you in to the (now unreachable) Domain Controller.

Lady_K

If the person that gave it to me gets back to me with the correct password (hes having another try tonight) will the password even work here seeing as its a domain login thing or would it work on the first drop down option that says 'admin103(this computer)' as I thought that part may just be for logging into the pc with or without being connected to the internet?

fwor

Lady_K wrote: »

If the person that gave it to me gets back to me with the correct password (hes having another try tonight) will the password even work here?

That depends on whether he gives you the user password or the admin password.

When I had the same problem, the company would not tell me the admin password because that would have breached their security policy.

If they give you the user password I think (IIRC - it's about 4 years since I last used Windows in a corporate setting) that you can get in by logging in locally as that user. But you will still be limited in what you can do.

Lady_K

Oh I'm so fed up they just got back to me with some other passwords to try and none work and niether does the administrator one (I mean trying it blank or using ADMIN103 thy didnt give me the true admin password). They were sure that these were the right ones so something must have gone wrong somewhere so with all this it doesn't look like I'm going to get the correct ones.

I read some of that step by step guide to the boot up disc and it says a lot can go wrong so I'm really unsure about doing that but I feel I have no choice

[Deleted User]

Have you used this : http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ which I recommended earlier from using it frequently myself with nothing ever going wrong?

Lady_K

Thanx yes I do but as there have been 2 put in the thread I really don't know which one to use I'm not confident about this at all...

I've just got the cd out to burn one of them to, is it easier than reformatting? I've never done that though either ony with the pcs that have it all on cd ready for you

[Deleted User]

It takes about five minutes todo and is about 100x easier than reformatting. If you follow the instructions then you'll be fine. I wouldn't worry about the disclaimers about the things that can go wrong, it's just covering their backs.