Author Topic: Locked out of my laptop (Read 5590 times)

cjturbo · « **on:** February 22, 2009, 03:02:50 PM »

Hello all. I am new to your forum and unfortunately have a problem.
I am working with Vista on my laptop and my son changed my log in (the administrator's) password to I don't know what. Now I am not able to log in.
Help???

soybean · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2009, 04:31:08 PM »

You can't get the password from your son?

cjturbo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2009, 04:39:43 PM »

That would be the obvious solution.

He is 3 yrs old and most likely didn't realize that he even changed it.

Geek-9pm · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:42:13 PM »

How does a 3 year ago change a password?
Clever Kid!
If the Laptop is a Dell, you can check into their site and get some help from them. They will want to know the service tag or the serial number.

Broni · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:45:13 PM »

"Forgot my password", excuse #486.

Carbon Dudeoxide · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2009, 08:15:32 PM »

Quote from: Broni on February 22, 2009, 05:45:13 PM

"Forgot my password", excuse #486.

Standard response:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000172.htm

cjturbo · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2009, 08:35:37 PM »

Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 22, 2009, 05:42:13 PM

How does a 3 year ago change a password?
Clever Kid!
If the Laptop is a Dell, you can check into their site and get some help from them. They will want to know the service tag or the serial number.

He is very good with the computer. This is the reason we got him this one, which is a cheap Acer Aspire 4330.
How he changed the password I will never know. The problem is that I can not log in so I am assuming he changed the password as vista was asking me to change it everytime I was logging in.
Thanks to all who replied

Kurtiskain · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2009, 09:03:53 PM »

Just because I cannot update the CH Help document...I will write it here and hope one of the mods notice..

I am not sure if this works on XP home/vista home basic etc....but,

You do not need to switch to safe mode to access the 'administrator' account built into windows.

Just as the computer starts, and the welcome screen appears, push control+alt+delete twice, and a logon box will appear.

You can simply type administrator into the username box.

This will not work if somebody is already logged in, however.

Geek-9pm · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2009, 09:13:56 PM »

Well, if everybody is just going to tell him anyway, there are lots of free programs the resets the windows password. Or, if you know what you are doing, you boot up one of the Linux CDs and go into the place where the passwords are kept and just zap the file.
Or just Google it. I did "reset vista password" and got 384 hits. So maybe it is not a secret after all.

Kurtiskain · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:33:29 PM »

Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 22, 2009, 09:13:56 PM

Well, if everybody is just going to tell him anyway, there are lots of free programs the resets the windows password. Or, if you know what you are doing, you boot up one of the Linux CDs and go into the place where the passwords are kept and just zap the file.
Or just Google it. I did "reset vista password" and got 384 hits. So maybe it is not a secret after all.

Well the CH document that Broni Linked to basically says that anyways

And I just gave a shorter way of getting to the administrator account

Carbon Dudeoxide · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:37:25 PM »

Quote from: Kurtiskain on February 23, 2009, 08:33:29 PM

Well the CH document that Broni Linked to basically says that anyways

That I linked to.

Broni · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:49:42 PM »

I didn't do it

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:57:07 PM »

Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 22, 2009, 09:13:56 PM

Well, if everybody is just going to tell him anyway, there are lots of free programs the resets the windows password.

Such programs only exist in your mind.

Broni · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:58:53 PM »

Hmmmmmmm

Geek-9pm · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2009, 10:59:43 PM »

Quote

Such programs only exist in your mind.

Sorry, I was just thinking out oud.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2009, 11:18:04 PM »

Quote from: Geek-9pm on February 23, 2009, 10:59:43 PM

Quote
Such programs only exist in your mind.

Sorry, I was just thinking out oud.

OK.

they exist for 9x, but the ones for NT subsystems require the version 3.1 controller (for compatibility with NT 3.1) to be enabled- it is vulnerable to inspection and uses a very low hash key, much like win 9x's PWL files.

Kurtiskain · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2009, 11:59:08 PM »

Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on February 23, 2009, 08:37:25 PM

Quote from: Kurtiskain on February 23, 2009, 08:33:29 PM

Well the CH document that Broni Linked to basically says that anyways

That I linked to.

Oh noes! sorry Broni and Carbon...My mind totally went out of it I guess...

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #17 on:** March 30, 2009, 10:32:10 PM »

here I am posting a link to the forum rules.

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,58736.0.html

Additionally I find it curious how somebody would prefer to pay for a password recovery then to reinstall the OS.

In the event that data needs to be recovered a new version of the OS can be installed alongside the current version, data copied, and the old version deleted.

patio · « **Reply #18 on:** March 31, 2009, 05:24:33 PM »

You're expecting Logic ? ?
C'mon BC....................................

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2009, 02:17:35 AM »

somebody needs to take a god *censored* hint here.

cjturbo · « **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2009, 06:59:43 AM »

Just to close this thread, I ultimately did a system restore by booting up in safe mode and returning to a restore point prior to the password being changed.
Thanks to all who contributed.

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Author Topic: Locked out of my laptop (Read 5590 times)

cjturbo

soybean

cjturbo

Geek-9pm

Broni

Carbon Dudeoxide

cjturbo

Kurtiskain

Geek-9pm

Kurtiskain

Carbon Dudeoxide

Broni

BC_Programmer

Broni

Geek-9pm

BC_Programmer

Kurtiskain

BC_Programmer

patio

BC_Programmer

cjturbo