Password has me locked out

Hello,

I'm having a serious crisis....I have a new to me computer and I can not remember the passoword to log on.....Is there anything I can do to log on the computer....I have Windows 2000..

Thanks
Ash

 

WELCOME to Major Geeks

Someone did a search for "forgot password" -- was that you? If so there was a lot to look through.

One person's advice was:

So you need to go to the main page and find a program called "secret explorer" and install it and see if it answers your problem.

Here - I found it for you:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=846

 

OK...I must confess..I'm really not very good with computers. Would someone have the patience to explain to me what I need to do.

I have a laptop computer and I am trying to figure out how to do this. If anyone has a few extra minutes could you break down how to do this like I'm lets say a 6 year old.

Thanks
Ash

 

If this is a password that came with the computer the easiest way to find out is to ask them if you know who they are.

 

Thanks for your reply....but I can't do that Its not really an option for me!

Ashley

 

Do you mean you want help with the download I showed you? Or something else?

 

Well, as I said before....I'm not sure what to do...I only have an available floppy drive so I'm really now sure how to take the file I downloaded and get it on the floppy the correct way...when I did it and put it in the laptop it just says NON SYSTEM DISK PLEASE REPLACE AND STRIKE ANY KEY WHEN READY

are you a patient person

ashley

 

I'm patient -- I just downloaded the program myself to make sure you needed it...still not sure but...
When the download started the box came up - did you click on OPEN or SAVE?

 

I did a search for "password recovery" and found this site:

http://www.elcomsoft.com/awpr.html
Someone stop me if you know something bad about this company.

But they have a 30 day trial of a program to recover passwords from Windows 2000:

 

Well - I just downloaded it myself -- seems real "user friendly", I think you should give it a try. You only get the demo version, but I think it's enough to give you your answer.

You will download the .zip file onto your floppy drive (probably drive A) so when you're downloading you save it to that location. Then when you insert the floppy, you need to direct your computer to READ from the floppy (go to drive A -- or whatever drive it is) and then open of the .zip file -- hopefully you have an "un-zip" program.

Then you go to where the program now is located, probably Crogram files/AWPR and double-click on that. Then double-click on the AWPR.exe icon (it's a padlock) and it will get your program up and running.

 

Thanks for helping me...I really appreciate your time.....but now I"m stuck. I downloaded the file to the floppy.....I then put the floppy in the laptop and when it starts up it says NON SYSTEM DISK REPLACE AND STRIKE ANY KEY WHEN READY. How do I get the laptop to read the disk...

Like I said I'm a big dummy -- please be patient..take a deep breath!!


THANKS!!
Ashley

 

You're NOT a DUMMY

Let's get this straight tho:
you have windows 2000 right?
You downloaded WHICH program onto a floppy? ____________
You used the laptop to download the program to the floppy?
You used the same laptop to download the program and now you put that floppy into the laptop to try to open up the program?
No - wait -- you're putting the floppy into another computer -- the computer you're locked out of right? Both the computer and the laptop have Windows 2000?

 

Man, I'm glad you're patient!! I'm getting more frustrated at meyself!!


Here is what I did. I used my moms computer - it had Windows XP - I downloaded the file to the floppy disk. I put the floppy disk in the laptop and when it starts up it says "NON SYSTEM DISK -- YADDA YADDA YADDA"

I know that I'm an idiot and probably doing this all wrong - I can't do anything on the laptop except turn the thing on- it has me logged out askig for the administrators password

thanks so much

breath in - breath out

Ash

 

I know this isn't particularly helpful but

I think are you putting in the floppy before you switch on your laptop and thus it is trying to boot from that.

Worse, how can you unzip or run the program if you cannot login to the machine to see your floppy?

 

Well, now that's true...I thought at first she could get her computer turned on and it was up and running at least...but she couldn't log on. So I thought maybe if it could boot from the floppy (?) or she could still tell it to read the floppy (?) which I guess she can't if she can't "get in"...

I was confused at what was the problem at first and figured someone would have jumped in by now. Thanks for jumping in.

So what does one do if you can only turn a computer on but can't go any farther if you don't know your password?

Can you start in safe mode somehow -- does that require a password?
Can you have a computer read from a floppy in safe mode? (I don't use safe mode usually)
Then use this program and find the password? Or change it?

 

Thanks guys for your help....should I just give up?? Am I at a dead end??

 

Really - no answer for this problem??

 

Where exactly did you get the computer from if asking the previous owner for the password is not an option?

 

I used this last week worked great.
Somehow computer wanted pasword, I never had password set, found this on a post here at Majorgeeks.
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

I first tryed to make bootable CD, that didnt work but downloaded floppy version it worked. just follow directions.
Then once your able to get into windows, youll need to reinstall aprox 20 critical updates/ program removes them.
No other stuff was affected.

 

I was going to give you the link for the FREE Windows Security Update CD -- includes all of them through Feb. 2004 -- but I checked it out and you can no longer order it.

I'm posting this message in case someone else reads the last post and gives you the advice to order this CD...maybe someone has one they can give/loan you. It takes 5 minutes to get up-to-date with CD as opposed to all the time it would take online...

 

I have read your post and have the same problem plus I also forgot the administrator password as well. Is this laptop your personal pc with no other users accounts? If so try using the admin account. administrator with a blank password. If this doesn't work there is other ways that we can explorer.

 

QUOTE: Where exactly did you get the computer from if asking the previous owner for the password is not an option?


I work for my mother and she is a real estate agent that cleans out forclosed/abannded homes. We usually just get stuck taking a bunch of junk to the dump of which the previous owners of the home haven't claimed within their alloted 30 days. This particular house we cleaned out, had a laptop in it. I brought it home and ordered the powercords off of ebay. I just firgued since it was left behind that it probably didn't work - but when I plugged everything in to my surprise she fired up - then I couldn't go any further b/c it is now asking for the admin - password!!

 

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
I posted this already.
It does work.
Follow directions at the link/web site, here is the basics save to desk top/unzip folders/apply to floppy.
For program to work no need to acess windows.
The floppy is inserted before you turn on laptop, laptop boots from floppy, loads drivers and stuff, takes a minute, then follow prompts/and direction's from web site.

Another option FDISK whipe HDD/ reinstall another OS
Another Option send it to me I'll fix it, then I'll buy it from ya Maybe, or I'll send back to ya for small fee or trade?

Another Question what brand and model?

 

Erroneous post removed.
AbbySue

 

Just wanted to say thank you all for your help...I'm still lost - but thanks so much for your time

 

ARGH! I need to correct this before someone does somthing dire to their computer as a result!!

1. Bios Flash is the wrong terminology. A Bios Flash is when you "flash" the BIOS software with a newer version, usually from a floppy disk. It overwrites the old software with new software, so updating it. This usually resets all config settings, so would remove a BIOS password

2. The Li battery is there for a reason. It keeps the clock running and lets you clear CMOS seettings without turning the machine on. Thats right, WITHOUT turning the machine on. Booting the machine while the CMOS is being flushed is a bad idea. When you boot the machine, the BIOS chip reads the config data out of the CMOS memory. If you are flushing it while its being read, it will read blank settings on bootup, and because the "failsafe" bit won't be turned on, it wont load failsafe settings either.

To do a real CMOS reset, simply make sure that the battery isnt dead, and put the jumped to the CMOS reset position for about 30 seconds. It usually doesnt take this long, but 30 seconds ensures that all settings are erased completley. Put the jumper back to the original position. The same effect can be achived by removing the battery for a few minutes or so (CMOS memory only retains data while current is going through it). When you boot the machine, it should POST with failsafe settings (the CPU speed will probably be wrong, as will memory settings). Go into BIOS setup and redetect all settings, which will write the settings to the CMOS, and so you have all your old settings back needed for booting.

3. Resettings the CMOS data will not remove a windows password!!!!!! For that, you need a utility like the afore mentioned Offline NT Password Reset tool, which boots a linux console from a CD or a boot floppy and lets you edit the security registry files and edit the passwords.

No offense munky, but I really felt I should get that straight before someone went the wrong way about somthing in the future.

 

Aww, girl, don't give up.

Do you have someone you know right there - by you - who could come over, read this thread and help you with all the links and ideas everyone came up with?

I hate to see a laptop go to waste...

 

My bad goldfish. I'll use correct terminology next time in my future replys. . Thanx