Mum's Password Help

dipsy81

My mum said she daren't lift it up as she may drop it. I will have to try all of your comments the next time i go up.

If you can think of anything else, it would be much appreciated as i won't be able to ask any questions whilst i am there of course.

Hi Fifer, will do.

mj12_2

Kingsd316 wrote: »

Does that work with Vista cause they don't have admin accounts (unless you activate it using the CMD prompt)

If it does its very hand to know

by default the admin account is inactive in vista (or so i thought) always has been when i've installed it anyway, its only accessible via the console in Computer Management not the normal user/accounts where you can enable it to show in a normal startup. Its visible starting in safemode though i believe

something-witty_2

Vista doesn't have the same admin account set up as XP did, which makes this more tricky.
Has she tried what to her would be obvious passwords? (Marigold etc)

Kingsd316

Thats strange cause i didnt have mine activated when i set it up, i used the instructions here:

http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_administrator_activate.htm

Also on that page there is a paragraph that says:

Another benefit of knowing this method is to keep the hidden Vista administrator account as a 'back door', for example, if you inadvertently lock out your main account. Sitting there at your computer, you can never believe that you will be so foolish as to lock yourself out, yet logic dictates that somewhere in the world, someone has just done that: locked themselves out of Vista. Would not they like to know how to activate the administrator account?

Which would indicate the safe mode wouldnt work unless it is active

scheming_gypsy

Kingsd316 wrote: »

Also the info you have given isnt the make and model, she has just read the stickers on the bottom right hand corner which tells you what hardware is in the laptop, ask her to turn the laptop over and there should be a barcode type sticker which will have the serial number (which we dont need) and the model number

usually on the top right of the screen as well.

mj12_2

Kingsd316 wrote: »

Thats strange cause i didnt have mine activated when i set it up, i used the instructions here:

http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_administrator_activate.htm

Also on that page there is a paragraph that says:

Another benefit of knowing this method is to keep the hidden Vista administrator account as a 'back door', for example, if you inadvertently lock out your main account. Sitting there at your computer, you can never believe that you will be so foolish as to lock yourself out, yet logic dictates that somewhere in the world, someone has just done that: locked themselves out of Vista. Would not they like to know how to activate the administrator account?

Which would indicate the safe mode wouldnt work unless it is active

the 'best answer' here is how i understand it, could be wrong though. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090705140201AAxQ8Hi maybe it differs between service packs?

EDIT: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsvistasecurity/archive/2006/08/27/windowsvistasecurity-.aspx if the machine is upgraded to vista from xp, the admin account is enabled by default (if it was in xp)

Kingsd316

mj12 wrote: »

the 'best answer' here is how i understand it, could be wrong though. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090705140201AAxQ8Hi maybe it differs between service packs?

EDIT: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsvistasecurity/archive/2006/08/27/windowsvistasecurity-.aspx if the machine is upgraded to vista from xp, the admin account is enabled by default (if it was in xp)

All i know is its bloody complicated, god knows why they ever changed it!

dipsy81

Funnily enough something witty, yes we tried Marigold and marigold as well.

Kingsd316 Will have a look at the link you have posted, thanks

scheming_gypsy

did you check the number lock? as it's pretty common that people don't realise the number lock is on when using a laptop, so the letters get picked up as numbers.

steveE2

Sounds to me like shes trying to sign in to ICQ
Is this the Marigold?
http://www.icq.com/en
To get on the internet she needs to open a browser Internet Explorer for example