Old password hack question...

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
113
Location
Dana Point, CA
OK. So. I'm working on a number of writing projects, and on trying to manage a website for an upcoming event...on the site, I'm supposed to provide 24-hour turnaround when a sponsor for a benefit kenpo seminar purchases a spot.

Problem? No PC. Solution? Friend loans me one of her extras, which she got from her pops. Problem? When she goes to turn it on to show me how to use dreamweaver, it says her password has expired, and needs to reset. She never had or used a password for it. So we contact her pops...she says its an old machine from work (now retired), and he has no idea.

So...how do I get past the password? It's an old dell Inspiron 8100, running Windows 2000. Since passwords exist for a reason, and I wouldn't want info on how to get past that "time to change your password" thingy being readily available online, if anyone has any information on how to slip through a back door and turn the password gate off, I'd much appreciate it. You can email it to me at kenpochiro1 @ yahoo.com Just remove the spaces.

Thanks,

Dave
 

Frostbite

Blue Belt
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
248
Reaction score
10
Location
Southern California
There's a boot disk image I use from time to time at work that you can find here:

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

It basically boots your computer into Linux and will allow you to rewrite the SAM file that contains local passwords for the computer. It's fairly straightforward to use but make sure you read the directions thoroughly because you can do some harm.
 
OP
Kembudo-Kai Kempoka

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
113
Location
Dana Point, CA
There's a boot disk image I use from time to time at work that you can find here:

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

It basically boots your computer into Linux and will allow you to rewrite the SAM file that contains local passwords for the computer. It's fairly straightforward to use but make sure you read the directions thoroughly because you can do some harm.

What's Linux?
 

jks9199

Administrator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
23,473
Reaction score
3,794
Location
Northern VA
What's Linux?
Not to be rude or a jerk... but if you don't know, it's quite possible that it's not the tool for you to use!

Linux is an alternative, largely or often open-source, operating system with a lot of similarities to UNIX. Which pretty much exhausts my knowledge of it! It sounds like the boot disk here would let you temporarily run the computer as a Linux PC long enough to fix the password.
 

Carol

Crazy like a...
MT Mentor
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
20,311
Reaction score
541
Location
NH
When Windows says the password is expired, it usually asked the user to enter in a new password (of the user's own chosing).

If there is no known password, then try logging on with the password blank.

If that does not work, try logging on as username: Administrator and a blank password

If that does not work, then the solution that Frostbite posted may be the most expedient way in.
 

Frostbite

Blue Belt
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
248
Reaction score
10
Location
Southern California
When Windows says the password is expired, it usually asked the user to enter in a new password (of the user's own chosing).

If there is no known password, then try logging on with the password blank.

If that does not work, try logging on as username: Administrator and a blank password

If that does not work, then the solution that Frostbite posted may be the most expedient way in.

Well, what's probably going on, if it was a former work computer, is that there's some domain group policy that dictates password expiration. If that's the case, he can try logging on locally, doing what you described. Although, no network admin worth their salt is going to leave a local administrator password blank.
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Well, what's probably going on, if it was a former work computer, is that there's some domain group policy that dictates password expiration. If that's the case, he can try logging on locally, doing what you described. Although, no network admin worth their salt is going to leave a local administrator password blank.


This assumes there is a network admin worth any salt at all. I've seen some really important systems running as Administrator, without a password. These are systems set up by a large, "professional" IT company.

Anyways, another option is to download and burn this:
http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/download.php?type=livecd

Which can crack most windows passwords in a few minutes.
 

DavidCC

Master of Arts
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Messages
1,938
Reaction score
35
Location
Nebraska
OK. So. I'm working on a number of writing projects, and on trying to manage a website for an upcoming event...on the site, I'm supposed to provide 24-hour turnaround when a sponsor for a benefit kenpo seminar purchases a spot.

Problem? No PC. Solution? Friend loans me one of her extras, which she got from her pops. Problem? When she goes to turn it on to show me how to use dreamweaver, it says her password has expired, and needs to reset. She never had or used a password for it. So we contact her pops...she says its an old machine from work (now retired), and he has no idea.

So...how do I get past the password? It's an old dell Inspiron 8100, running Windows 2000. Since passwords exist for a reason, and I wouldn't want info on how to get past that "time to change your password" thingy being readily available online, if anyone has any information on how to slip through a back door and turn the password gate off, I'd much appreciate it. You can email it to me at kenpochiro1 @ yahoo.com Just remove the spaces.

Thanks,

Dave
Still a problem?

if she never entered a password before, it is possible that the password is blank. Try hitting escape or clicking cancel, see if it lets you in anyway (of course that is so obvious you prolly already tried that!) or enter a new password and use blank for old password maybe??
 

Bob Hubbard

Retired
MT Mentor
Founding Member
Lifetime Supporting Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 4, 2001
Messages
47,245
Reaction score
771
Location
Land of the Free
Win2k won't allow you to avoid the login by escaping out. You can use a boot disk and a 3rd party reset utility. I had to do that for a client back in 03 who had been locked out of their network and workstations by their former IT guys. Can't recall the program though.

Here's a few links that might help


  1. Reset Windows 2000 admin password? / Infopackets.com

    How can I reset my Admin password? Thank you for reading this and any help is ... Put the disk in your locked-out Win2K Pro computer, and reboot. ...
    www.infopackets.com/.../20031030_reset_windows_2000_admin_password.htm - Cached - Similar
  2. How to Reset the Administrator Password

    My machine boots into Win2K Pro and Win2K Server, so I started Win2K Server and reset the Administrator password to blank. Then, I launched regedt32, ...
    windowsitpro.com/.../how-to-reset-the-administrator-password.html - Similar
  3. Access Denied: Reset the Administrator Password on a Locked-Out ...

    Because your machine is a Win2K system, you can't load its SAM into L0phtCrack to crack the administrator password. L0phtCrack would be unable to crack the ...
    www.windowsitsecurity.com/.../access-denied-reset-the-administrator-password-on-a-locked-out-machine.html - Similar
  4. Cool Solutions: Changing Local Administrator Password on Win2000 ...

    Feb 14, 2007 ... net user <userID> <newPassword> echo <UserID> password was reset on .... the Administrator password on over 2000 WinXP and Win2k PCs on a ...
    www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tip/15516.html - Cached - Similar
  5. Forgot the Administrator's Password? &#8211; Change Domain Admin ...

    Forgot the Administrator's Password? - Reset Domain Admin Password in Windows 2000 AD Note: In order to successfully use this trick you must first use one ...
    www.petri.co.il/reset_domain_admin_password_in_windows_2000_ad.htm - Cached - Similar
  6. Resetting the Administrator's password

    Jun 2, 2004 ... I've forgotten the Administrator password. How can I reset it? ... There is also a way to reset the Administrator password, do what you want ...
    www.techstorm.net/win2k/resetpassword.html - Cached - Similar
 

Jdokan

Black Belt
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
550
Reaction score
11
Location
Middleton, MA
i posted a similar question maybe a year or so ago...go several responses of which I replied to with the solution I found to work great...search on that. Hope this helps.....
 

Latest Discussions

Top