How do I get around windows password?

Question

I bought a used computer that has Vista on it, when it powers up it asks me to click on one of 2 users names, I dont know either users password and I was told the following which I need more info because I am a layman at computers;
try using the Safe Mode workaround. Simply Start the computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8. If the administrative account was left unlocked....you can get into the OS that way. If you can get in...go to start, then run, type in 'control userpasswords2' and you can reset any password in the computer.
I did this start in safe mode but the windows comes up still asking me which of the 2 users I am and I dont know the password for Neither one. thanks

Answer 1

Admin Password Recovery WindowsXP-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=



If you have lost or forgotten the administrator password, first reboot Windows



in safe mode by re-starting the computer and pressing F8 repeated as the



computer starts up. Then (in safe mode) click Start and then click Run. In the



open box type "control userpasswords2" without the quotes.



You will now have access to all the user accounts, including the administrators



account and will be able to reset the lost password.



Just click the administrators user account, and then click Reset Password.



Windows VISTA

Of course, you can always reset a password if you have another admin account for this machine. However, if this isn’t the case, things can get a bit tricky. As a sys admin you are usually confronted with this problem if users have laptops where you don’t have an admin account. Even if you don’t have to reset a password now, you should get acquainted with this issue. Rest assured that sooner or later a user will bug you with this problem. I must admit that I managed to forget my own password more than once.



Option 1: Create a password reset disk

Vista allows you to create a password reset disk which enables you to reset your password without much hassle. The problem with this option is that you have to create the reset disk before the password is lost. If you have many Windows machines where users logon locally, this might be a daunting task. You can find a description of how to create a password reset disk here.



Option 2: Get Petter Nordhal-Hagen’s NT Password & Registry Editor

With this option you have to boot from a CD and then manipulate the SAM database. Manipulating the SAM database is always a bit risky. But if you have no password reset disk, this is the only way. Note that this tool comes without any warranty. I’ve been using it quite a few times on Windows 2000 and had never any problem with it, though. The latest version also supports Windows Vista. The download link of the tool is a bit hidden. Search for “download” on this page, if you can’t find it.







Option 3: Get the commercial Password Changer

Password Changer essentially works like the NT Password & Registy Editor. An advantage of this tool is that you’ll get support if any problem arises. Based on Joseph Fiber’s description of the tool it might be a bit easier to use than Petter Nordhal-Hagen’s solution. This especially applies if you are not familiar with Linux. Prices start at $39.99.



Update (10/29/08):

Option 4: Use Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset

MSDaRT is a toolset from Microsoft that allows you to repair a Windows installation. With its Locksmith tool you can reset an admin password easily. Please check out my review about MSDaRT for more information.

Answer 2

Looks like they didn't create an Administrator account when they set up Windows. You're probably not going to be able to get into Windows through the two existing users. You're going to have to reinstall Windows Vista from either the (hopefully) Recovery partition on the hard disk or a set of Recovery DVDs that might have come with the computer.



The biggest drawback of this is that you'll probably lose all the non-Vista programs on the machine. That includes Microsoft Office, Firefox, Adobe Reader, any added games or applications. If you bought the machine with those as a selling point, unless you can get a valid user password out of the seller, you've lost that money.



The good news is that you're at least not going to lose any data.



I haven't tried to do a System Recovery (they're not everyday occurrences around my house), but I think you start off by booting the machine and pressing the F8 key about once a second until a white-on-black text menu appears. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate it. Go down the System Recovery path from there.



Good luck.

Answer 3

There are 3 ways to reset misplaced Windows7 password. a million. Logging in Windows 7 with an to be had admin account to get better Win 7 password two. Creating a password reset disk to get better the Win 7 password, through this ways, you wish to have create a Windows password reset disk earlier than you may have misplaced or forgotten your Windows admin password. three. Using Windows Password Recovery application to get better Windows 7 password.

Answer 4

I've used Nordhal-Hagen’s program (the link Cinder gave you) many times on machines people forgot passwords to with no problems. Just READ the prompts. People have problems with the program because they think they're reading what they expect to read - and it may not be saying what you expect.



Once you have the passwords cleared, enable the administrator account (without a password unless you want to protect the computer), give yourself an administrative account and a normal user account. (Only use the administrative account - or the administrator account [they're slightly different] if and when you need them. Using a normal account can prevent you from making a typo that damages something.) Then you can delete the accounts that are in there now, if you want to.

Answer 5

100% Reset Windows Admin Password - http://tinyurl.com/hWXqNfqoiW

Answer 6

well the first thing you should do is try and get a hold of the people you got the computer from and ask them. If for whatever reason you can't find them, what you need to do is buy a copy of vista, or other os and reinstall windows, this will erase everything on that computer and allow you to install your own stuff on there. So once you buy the new OS get the neighbor kid or some one who know how to use computers to help you install windows.

Answer 7

You can get Windows Password Recovery Tool from: http://www.windowspasswordsrecovery.com . It will work fine!

Answer 8

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



Download this and burn the ISO image to a CD or extract it to a USB Flash Drive (Formatted as FAT32, 4k allocation size) and boot off of it.



Remember, with Windows Vista, you cannot change the password, you can only clear it.

Answer 9

you should try http://www.resetwindowspassword.com/

it is the recommend recovery tool in http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/prem-windows-password-recovery.htm

Answer 10

http://wiki.e107.org/?title=How_to_reset_windows_vista_password_if_you_have_forgotten_the_password%3F there is an article specially fro those who have been locked out vista computer