Computer Hope

Other => Other => Topic started by: cjturbo on February 22, 2009, 03:02:50 PM

Title: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: 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???
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: soybean on February 22, 2009, 04:31:08 PM: You can't get the password from your son?
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: cjturbo 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Broni on February 22, 2009, 05:45:13 PM: "Forgot my password", excuse #486.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Carbon Dudeoxide 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
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: cjturbo 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
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Kurtiskain 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: 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. ::)
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Kurtiskain 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
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: 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. ;)
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Broni on February 23, 2009, 08:49:42 PM: I didn't do it ;D
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: BC_Programmer 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Broni on February 23, 2009, 08:58:53 PM: Hmmmmmmm ;D
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: BC_Programmer 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: Kurtiskain 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...
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: BC_Programmer 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.
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: patio on March 31, 2009, 05:24:33 PM: You're expecting Logic ? ?
C'mon BC.................................... ;)
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: BC_Programmer on April 01, 2009, 02:17:35 AM: somebody needs to take a god *censored* hint here. ::)
Title: Re: Locked out of my laptop
Post by: cjturbo 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.