Forgotten password

waddler_8

Trillionaire wrote: »

I'm just a little bit worried that if I press that F4 button, once restored it will still ask me for a password:eek::(

It shouldn't. And if it does you've lost nothing - That is if i understand you correctly - You've been given a netbook which is now your property?

macman

Why can't you just ask the person who gave it to you what the password is?

bluesnake

Trillionaire wrote: »

No CD or disk drive on netbook.

this model come with a 250Gig hard disk drive. A boot disk should work.

You would have to visit someone with a laptop or pc to do the links below. Why would a pen drive not work as described via the creation methods in the links below?

have a look here http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-oph...sword-cracker/

this demo uses a boot cd, but you will boot of a usb key however the method will be the same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmlNqo7UODE

here is a better one which instructs how to put your boot cd onto a usb stick, install files onto the usb from cd and swap the bios boot order https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8fAIaB9hOQ&feature=related

marleyboy

macman wrote: »

Why can't you just ask the person who gave it to you what the password is?

That would depend if you knew the original owner or not, laptops\netbooks generally ARE password protected, for security reasons......In case they get stolen. Trouble is password protections are too easy to override.

Hopefully the owner did not password protect the BIOS and administrator settings with separate passwords as I do with mine, just in case it gets nicked.

macman

'I've gotten a netbook of someone and it's passworded'

Which would imply that the OP knows the original owner...

bluesnake

macman wrote: »

'I've gotten a netbook of someone and it's passworded'

Which would imply that the OP knows the original owner...

Does not mean the owner has not forgot the password.

We had one Christian priest at work (are priests only Christian?), all the engineers kept changing his password weekly, as he kept forgetting. He came to me just before Christmas, so made his password christmas (thought it was foolproof), 2 days later he forgot it. I had to change his password at Easter time, and he forgot easter too. One chap told him his password was now set to jesus - the big guys son, c'mon, how can you be a Christian and forget the big guy's son, he is quite a major player in the book too? but a few days later.... just no hope foe some.

Trillionaire

I bought it off ebay!!!:eek: The owner sent me their amazon confirmation (so I would know that it's not stolen?). So, as soon as I turned it on and it asked me for the password I messaged the owner - and for the life of me, the owner has not responded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I've opened a case with ebay and will eventually get my money back one way or the other.

It's just weird that the owner hasn't responded you know. So I thought I would find out if something can be done in the meantime. I've decided not to do anything until the owner contacts me or it's resolved via ebay. It's such a pain though as I have to wait until next week for the owner to respond (ebay process). I don't know why the owner didn't just write the password on the amazon confirmation letter (his address had been removed). This is really strange. I'm 98% convinced that it isn't stolen - but why hasn't the owner responded? He posted it on Monday 25th and I got it Tuesday 26th so - why no response? Maybe he's gone on holiday and, like me, hasn't got a smart phone so no internet access?

Anyhow, thanks for your responses. I'll let everyone know the outcome, but bear in mind the ebay process is long winded.

All I wanted was a netbook to use upstairs in bed:rotfl:

santer_2

The free version of Kon-Boot may help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lr7SYER8x4

http://www.piotrbania.com/all/kon-boot/index2.html

http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/kon-boot-from-usb

Pretty sure I saw it lets you on then reverts to needing a password next time the machine is restarted, so whether you can add a user / administrator account etc while it is running is worth a look

Toxteth_OGrady

This was linked to by smos585 in post #5 and definitely works, providing you have another PC to download onto and burn CD:

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/walkthrough.html

andy2004

Trillionaire wrote: »

I bought it off ebay!!!:eek: The owner sent me their amazon confirmation (so I would know that it's not stolen?). So, as soon as I turned it on and it asked me for the password I messaged the owner - and for the life of me, the owner has not responded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I've opened a case with ebay and will eventually get my money back one way or the other.

It's just weird that the owner hasn't responded you know. So I thought I would find out if something can be done in the meantime. I've decided not to do anything until the owner contacts me or it's resolved via ebay. It's such a pain though as I have to wait until next week for the owner to respond (ebay process). I don't know why the owner didn't just write the password on the amazon confirmation letter (his address had been removed). This is really strange. I'm 98% convinced that it isn't stolen - but why hasn't the owner responded? He posted it on Monday 25th and I got it Tuesday 26th so - why no response? Maybe he's gone on holiday and, like me, hasn't got a smart phone so no internet access?

Anyhow, thanks for your responses. I'll let everyone know the outcome, but bear in mind the ebay process is long winded.

All I wanted was a netbook to use upstairs in bed:rotfl:

Trouble with buying from ebay is the fact it could be stolen and sold, anyone can say they are the owner, why didnt he remove the password before selling it, 2 simple answer. 1. it was stolen and he didnt know what it was password protected., 2. it was his and he'd forgotten it. but most likely 1 as now you cant contact him.
as you say maybe his gone on holiday, but i doubt it, did you check to see how many items he'd sold, is his id still seeable on ebay?