Lost password to access Windows

[lectrocrew]

My young neighbor's father died last month after which he received several items that had belonged to his father including a computer. But his dad had set a password to access Windows and he doesn't know what that password is. He asked me how to figure out what the password is. He's is a great little, hard working guy and this is his 1st computer and I'd like to help him out if I can.
 As always, thanks for any help on this!!!
Mike 

[DaveLembke]

I'd use a password reset disc. You burn it to a CD and boot the system off of this disc, and then you can force change the password to no password or a password of choice.

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

[lectrocrew]

 I have the file burned to disc and will give it a try tomorrow evening when he gets home from work.
I'll post back with results.
Thanks so much,
Mike

[rubaiyat]

Is that correct that it is such a small file (3-4Mb) for a CD burn?

Almost seems a waste of a CD.

[lectrocrew]

I'd use a password reset disc. You burn it to a CD and boot the system off of this disc, and then you can force change the password to no password or a password of choice.

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

It took me a while to figure out how to do it but I got it done and he has his PC up and running - with his own password.
 Thanks for the help DaveLembke !!!
Mike

[lectrocrew]

Almost seems a waste of a CD.

Waste? Not when he's a young man with his first computer, and it will be worthless unless he can access the OS.
 CD's are $ cheap for me compared to not being able to show a beginner how to get started, even with my limited 13 yrs of knowledge. I wish I would have had a live person there to help me back in 2000 when I got my first computer and had no idea of how to operate it. The only help I ever got was from the kindly giving members of this forum, and I'm no guru now. But I sure know where to go for help!
And I'm proud that this young man chose me for help!!!

Mike

[DaveLembke]

Great to hear you have the issue fixed now.

And as far as waste of a CD with a small bootable tool added to it... CD's are so cheap and this tool is handy to have on hand to either use next time you or a friend face this issue, or can share it with someone else who has this issue and if you never see it again its just 1 CD vs a USB thumb drive which you might be out $10 or $20 vs 20 cents at a stack of 50 for $10 for cheap CD-R's

I burned this tool a few years ago and used it a few times as well as shared it with my brother who had a friend who trash picked a Celeron eMachine tower running Windows XP Home and wanted to use the OS that was on the 80GB IDE HDD vs having to install a new install, and it allowed him to gain access to this system to take ownership of it, wipe it manually of personal data from the prior owner and use it as his own.

[patio]

Kinda ridiculous someone questioning solid advice for the cost of a blank CD anyways...
Just sayin...

[lectrocrew]

Kinda ridiculous someone questioning solid advice for the cost of a blank CD anyways...
Just sayin...

Agreed. I have gotten so much joy in my heart from helping this young man this last couple of weeks, and learning myself also, that I rarely dwell on my own 'life crap' = PRICELESS. CD cost = minimal!
  Thank you so much for the solid advice and the link DaveLembke, and to you patio for another round of your help to me for several years now!!!
"Just sayin..."
Mike