[knight_47]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Don't you have to be 'administrator' to do that?

Yes I think you do, which I only figured out a few days ago..

[DoubleHelix]

The link posted is for a boot disk. There's no "Administrator" rights involved. Using it bypasses the operating system and security. Anyone with physical access to a Windows XP computer can reset the Administrator account password. There's no way to prevent it.

[Stoner]

If you are referring to the link I posted to Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, that is a boot floppy ( Or boot CD ) that loads a small Linux distro and rewrites the sam file to change the administrator password to 'blank', allowing anyone to reboot as administrator.
Quite handy if you buy a used computer you can't get into because of unknown login passwords and don't want to reinstall the os if you don't have to.
It won't fix a corrupted sam file, however.
Also, it won't read the existing password, so there is no way to reset back to the original without previously knowing it.

[Bluetiger0990]

I got a used computer and i didnt know the administrator's password and all i did was delete the sam file.

[knight_47]

How do you delete the sam file??

[Bluetiger0990]

It was in the registry (Windows 2000) you can do a search for it....it might wreak your computer...you will lose all your accounts passwords.....here is a place that will tell you about it http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-1538326.php

[Stoner]

Interesting, but as I don't need to 'break' in, I'm a little leary in experimenting
Good to know, though

Next used comp I come accross that I'm locked out, Ill try that first.
Easy way to delete the sam file for me is to boot into Bart's PE, copy the sam file to another folder and delete the original.

[Bluetiger0990]

This one was helpful for me it is called Advanced Windows Password Recovery (AWPR)
http://www.downloadjunction.com/prod...181/index.html

[superchick_9458]

Ok, I forgot my password for the administrative user, and I really need it back! I have tried different methods, and I don't have an XP cd, or anything else. I don't want to reboot my computer and loose all of my files...what do I do? I'm on the limited account.

[JohnWill]

Originally Posted by superchick_9458

Ok, I forgot my password for the administrative user, and I really need it back! I have tried different methods, and I don't have an XP cd, or anything else. I don't want to reboot my computer and loose all of my files...what do I do? I'm on the limited account.

Think hard and remember the password.

[Pistoff]

Originally Posted by JohnWill

Think hard and remember the password.

Good answer John..
Tee Hee

[knight_47]

Originally Posted by superchick_9458

Ok, I forgot my password for the administrative user, and I really need it back! I have tried different methods, and I don't have an XP cd, or anything else. I don't want to reboot my computer and loose all of my files...what do I do? I'm on the limited account.

Try this:

http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

[JohnWill]

Originally Posted by knight_47

Try this:

http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

And how does one reboot to run that without rebooting?

[knight_47]

I think your confusing formating, with rebooting. (formating is completely wiping out your hard drive, rebooting is simply restarting your computer)

You have to reboot and boot from that bootable cd or floppy.

[JohnWill]

I'm not confusing anything, just responding to the scenario presented.