Bypass Windows password?

Richard53

I was under the impression that the password protection on a Windows user account (say on a shared computer) was pretty good - good enough to prevent unauthorised access by anyone without specialist knowledge, at least. Then I see a website which advertises a product which can be inserted into a USB port to allow access to any user account on the machine without needing the password. "Using this specialist tool does NOT mean that you have to reset the password, but simply bypasses the need to enter one."


https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/windows-master-key/


Is this snakeoil, or would it genuinely allow someone to get into someone else's account on any computer? My laptop gets left in places where other people could have unsupervised access to it for long periods, and it's a bit worrying if they could get into my user account at will. Any views?


[Edit: I'm running Windows 7]

John_Gray

Apply a power-on password to your laptop's BIOS.

unforeseen

If you are running Win10 Pro then Bitlocker it.

missile

…… and try not to forget your password :-)

AndyPix

Windows passwords are very simple to bypass with out much "specialist knowledge"


You certainly dont need to spend hundreds of pounds on that silly little device ..


If you want to be sure no one can access your data then either encrypt the machine as advised above or ensure no-one has physical access to the device

Neil_Jones

Its common knowledge that Windows passwords aren't particularly difficult to remove or get round. Windows 10 is slightly more difficult but you can usually get the data anyway just by taking the drive out and connecting it to another computer.

I would probably question how wise you consider it to be to leave your laptop unsupervised in the first place.

AndyPix

Neil_Jones wrote: »

Windows 10 is slightly more difficult.

Sticky keys hack works as it always has done

that

AndyPix wrote: »

Sticky keys hack works as it always has done

Not if you use bit locker

Colleen6

It should a software that works the similar way as Kon-Boot and PCUnlocker.
If you lock the boot sequence in the BIOS so the computer won't boot from CD/USB/network, then all above softwares won't work any longer.


Of course, the best way is to encrypt the whole hard drive sector by sector using BitLocker.

Richard53

John_Gray wrote: »

Apply a power-on password to your laptop's BIOS.

Is this just a setting in the BIOS, or does it need extra software etc? (I used to think I was quite competent in the days of Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0, but now most of it goes over my head.) If it's just a matter of going into the BIOS and changing a parameter, I could do that.


Thanks for putting me right about the insecurity of the Windows password. I didn't realise this.


Will look into locking the boot sequence and perhaps a form of encryption.


Thanks all for the suggestions.

forgotmyname

Stick the boot CD in a few commands to enable and no more password.

Boot Disc's are freely available, usually with data recovery and boot options.