forgotten password

[pilipk01]

my friend came back from overseas and he forgot his admin password, is there anything i can do before reinstalling windows ?

regards
chris

[RedDeathDrinker]

Back up everything you can....

Is there another administrator account on the computer?

[Xaotic]

If it's really important, check out Locksmith from winternals.com here:

http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/locksmith.asp

Very expensive, but very useful. Requires a second computer to use.

[pauldriver]

delete or rename the SAM files.

the Admin account will have no password.

[Albuquerque]

You can only delete the SAM files if the machine is formatted FAT or FAT32; an NTFS partition gives you no way to get in there via a DOS floppy.

That being said, there are a few Linux-based "NTFS boot" disks you can get that will let you into the drive, which would allow you to blow away the SAM databases. Might go looking for that...

[pauldriver]

If it's WinXP then a Win2K installation CD will allow you access to the filesystem.

NTFSPro, Windows PE ( Pre-installation Environment ), there are other tools as well, if you need to recover the machine you can.

Another option is to copy the SAM off the machine and crack it.

I'm being purposly vauge here folks, I'm not going to run CS 101 classes on cracking NT based systems.

Paul.

[pik4chu]

not to jack the thread but im having similar pproblems and am looking for a program like the mentioned "Linux NTFS boot disk" or something similiar so I can read (AND WRITE) NTFS partitions from outside windows operating system (DOS or Other) so, perhaps a point in the proper direction? tried the winternals NTFSPro thing and still can get it to work..asks for disk when installing but the file its looking for wont fit on a disk :D....anyways.,...thanks and sorry bout the thread jack

[DaBigJ]

Well, my brother found an iso that is supposed to do just that a while ago. I've never tried it, but that's what it's supposed to do.

just burn this 1.5 mb file with a cd-burning program and try it out:

new linky if ya want it: http://www.users.qwest.net/~mcclellanlon/images/cd030225.iso

edit: post back here when you have it, because that link will be gone in a day or two

[pauldriver]

The n00b solution.

http://winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/erdcommander2002.asp


Paul.

[pik4chu]

Originally posted by pauldriver
The n00b solution.

http://winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/erdcommander2002.asp


Paul.

the n00b whos got a extremely overweight pocketbook


anything else that DOESNT cost much?

[DaBigJ]

Originally posted by pik4chu


the n00b whos got a extremely overweight pocketbook


anything else that DOESNT cost much?

see my post above

[pauldriver]

What do you need to do?

remove a corrupt driver? use the recovery console off of the CD.

Fix a lost admin password on a WinXP machine? Use the Win2K recovery console (no password needed) or get a copy of Windows PE.

If you can't get the other resources to work, get a full copy of NTFSPro then use that. It's what I used that last time I had to pry open a downed box, the instructions suck, but if you look, you can find pre-built boot disks that just require you in plug in your copy of NTFSPro

Copy the SAM database off using the regulare read only version of NTSF and use a utility to crack the database (16-20 hours depending on password strength)

Doesn't providing a step by step instruction on how to crack the SAM on a machine violate the policies on this forum?

Try altavista or google, the information is out there.

[pik4chu]

if you are talking to me now thats not what im asking... and ya it might violate the forums but thats for me to choose... my problem is that I need to get data off drives that windows wont recognize that are formatted NTFS... and Im trying NTFSPro but it asks for install disk 2..but the file it needs wont fit on a disk :eh?:

[pauldriver]

extract all of the required NTFS files to a directory on a host machine and build a zip file, this should be small enough to fit on a disk.

when you build your boot floppy, include a RAM drive of a about 4 megabytes.

Extract the NTFS file to the ram disk, and run them from there.

if that's too hard, try this link

http://ramattack.mailru.com/ubd/indexen.html

Paul

[pik4chu]

Originally posted by pauldriver
extract all of the required NTFS files to a directory on a host machine and build a zip file, this should be small enough to fit on a disk.

when you build your boot floppy, include a RAM drive of a about 4 megabytes.

Extract the NTFS file to the ram disk, and run them from there.

if that's too hard, try this link

http://ramattack.mailru.com/ubd/indexen.html

Paul

heh, sdilly me I forgot about the RAM drive...lol ok, will try that, thanks

*edit* those are bad links for the dis image.....guess Ill have to hack one myself, but thanks anyways

[pilipk01]

so do i have to delete / rename all of the .sam files or just specific ones ?

cheers

[DaBigJ]

Do you have a cd burner? If so, just click on the link I gave above and burn it with Nero or something. Did you even read my post??

[pik4chu]

Originally posted by DaBigJ
Do you have a cd burner? If so, just click on the link I gave above and burn it with Nero or something. Did you even read my post??

I would like to note that you cannot DOWNLOAD that program, you must give them shipping info and contact stuf and they will send you a demo (I have one on the way)

[FarEast]

Actualy if you call microsoft they can tell you how to recover the system but have all your Keycode for the O/S ready as they like to check that it's registered to you!

[DaBigJ]

Originally posted by pik4chu


I would like to note that you cannot DOWNLOAD that program, you must give them shipping info and contact stuf and they will send you a demo (I have one on the way)

THAT is a LINUX bootable cd that is supposed to change your win 2k/xp admin password. It is FREE, not warez, as you are thinking.

edit: that's the wrong file, this is the new link http://www.users.qwest.net/~mcclellanlon/images/cd030225.iso

edit2: and i tried it just today on an old computer. It works.

[poluga]

Yeah, I was going to post that. It works. Just burn it to a cd, and set the computer to boot from a cd. I forgot where I got mine from, but it is not warez or shareware.