Windows XP - Administrator Password - LOST

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:07 pm

I just bought an IBM Think Centre (floor model). I know, but it was a VERY good price. Anyway, I get it home and of course, it's already up and running with the stores name and it won't let me log into the computer except under "Guest". I call the store and they give me the password to the other account that was created. It worked, but still did not give me access to the "Administrator" account. I called them back and asked for the admin account password, but all they told me was that they didn't know what I was asking for and that I could do evereything through the account that they gave me. Well, that would probably work for somebody else, but not me. I don't want a "Store" account on my PC and I can't delete any of it without being logged on as the REAL admin. I tried creating a new account and making it an admin, but it still won't let me delete or change the stores account.

I called IBM, but they couldn't help me due to the warrantee being expired (guess that's why it was so cheap). I'm not really complaining, but would like to just reset this PC back to the original settings or somehow find out what the password is. It's a 3 GHz Pentium 4 that has a real serial port AND an "A" drive!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **wavetar** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:24 pm

There are many utilities that'll reset the admin password for 2000/XP. Here's one I've used several times:

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

You download the executable file, which when run will create a bootable floppy with all the required files. You then just boot the computer from it, and follow the instructions in the 'readme' text. It doesn't show the existing password(s), but allows you to change it to whatever you want, or make it blank.

Todd

spareparts · Post by **spareparts** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:29 pm

I have used Cain & Able with good results. http://www.oxid.it/cain.html

Although considering it was a floor model, perhaps a wipe & re-install is in order anyway

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:50 pm

Like spareparts said, format and reinstall. You may need to burn the installation discs from the current copy of Windows, but you need to wipe that entire drive before you even think of doing anything real with that computer.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:50 pm

spareparts wrote:I have used Cain & Able with good results. http://www.oxid.it/cain.html

Although considering it was a floor model, perhaps a wipe & re-install is in order anyway

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, but it wan't hooked up to the internet, they just clicked YES to everything when they set up the computer...

Well, IBM suggested that I try one of their recovery files which did not work. All it did was make the compuer do exactly what it did before - behave normally. As there was no problem with it other than it has bad crap on it that I don't want there.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:54 pm

Problem with that is that new computers these days do not come with OS Discs or even recovery discs... Puzzles me, but that's the way they do it now days...

I'd be happy if someone would post a download area on Microsofts website that I could download XP and then enter my registration code.

I HATE computer manufacturers because their in bed with Bill Gates...

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:19 pm

While it was meant for a Thinkpad T Series it will probably work for you to help you create a recovery disk, if there are not disks with it, or the recovery partition. I used this to make a recovery disk for my Thinkpad A31p.

http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_Install/

spareparts · Post by **spareparts** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:12 pm

RESCUE161 wrote:Problem with that is that new computers these days do not come with OS Discs or even recovery discs... Puzzles me, but that's the way they do it now days

Drop out to a dos prompt & look for c:\support. That's the recovery partition.

Check the Infamous Microsoft sticker, If it does not say OEM, IBM will happily sell you a set of disks. I jusat went through this with a pair of IBM NetVista machines that I bought from TigerDirect.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:02 pm

Holy crap! That's a lot of crap to go through.

I tried it, but started running into trouble when the files wouldn't transfer to a CD. I think I'm gonna just install Windows 2000 and say "to Hell" with XP...

I made a Ghost back up of the original hard drive just in case anyone has a solution for me.

Thanks!

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:26 pm

XP Pro or XP Home??

Just get a disc from some, borrow one, whatever. Toss it in the cd drive, boot from it, do a fresh install using the CD Key from the COA on the case, or if for some reason it doesn't have that you can recover the key from the current install using one of the many tools out there.

DON'T go back to 2K for gods sake. Thats like putting a bandaid on a broken leg. Now that support for 2K is gone from Microshaft you will be hanging your wang in public as the security problems stack up on the older operating systems.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:29 pm

I've heard that you can download XP straight from Microsoft, but then you'd have to use a hack-tool to remove the time-bomb from it.

Jesus, I hate to buy a new copy of XP for a PC that I just bought...

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:32 pm

Does it have a genuine COA label on the case somewhere? Is is Pro or Home edition?

I dont think they are doing the demo download of XP anymore, its been years since they did that.

They did recently do a free download of XP 64bit when it was still Beta, but that program has ended now also i think, and you can't use a 32bit key for it to register and remove the time limit.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:33 pm

Sorry, It does have the label on the side and it is Windows XP Home version.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:34 pm

You don't know ANYONE locally that has a XP disc?

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:35 pm

I just moved here from Spain. In the military and I'm around a bunch of students that I'm not allowed to associate with...

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:41 pm

Ahh i see..

Well if nothing else for now just use one of the utilities to remove the password from the admin account and then clean up the current install.

Best way to do that is login with the admin account after resetting the password under safe mode and delete all other user accounts. Then create a new account for yourself and then reboot. Make sure you put a new password on the admin account for protection.

Once you have the new fresh user account then just use add/remove to uninstall everything you don't want and then use CCleaner to remove any garbage from the registry and the hard drive. Follow that up with a virus scan, just grab the freebie version of AVG 7.5, and then do a full scan for adware/spyware with any of the freebies out there. I usually use Adaware SE since its free, but for real time protection i used and recommend SpySweeper.

Then run it and don't worry about it!

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:46 pm

Only problem is that I don't have the admin password. I have the password to the account that the store created that has admin privileges, but it doesn't give me the same access that a true Administrator account would.

I really am two steps away from backing it up to Windows 2000. I HATE XP.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:47 pm

I realize you dont have the password, but it takes like two minutes to remove the password from the admin account!!

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:50 pm

Go to the one Wavetar posted, thats what i use.

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

A 3mb download for a bootable cd image, or a 1.1mb download for a bootable floppy image.

Then just follow the directions on the website and boot up with the disc you created and remove the password. It does work!

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:52 pm

I tried to "Restore" the system to factory default, but it only went back to the way the store had it. I am IRATE that manufacturers don't include a restore disc with new PCs... I mean WTF- OVER???

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:55 pm

It must just be some that dont. Every Dell i have dealt with brand new out of the box this year came with one, as well as Acer, HP, and Compaq.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:59 pm

The $1500.00 Sony that I bought recently didn't even have a disc with it. It gave me instructions on how to make my own out of 10 CD-Rs or 3 DVDs. Cheap-Ass Bastards...

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:14 pm

Here's what I'd try, if you don't have access to a "home" cd

PAY ATTENTION to what Jaymz posted

http://www.4saad.com/WhatsNew/Fresh_XP_Install/

That can put you on the right track of AT LEAST having a reinstallable media.

You don't really need a legit XP cd, IF IF IF you have the I386 folder somewhere on the sick computer. I'm not familiar with these new systems that use these hidden restore partitions, so if it's not on the main C: drive, try to get into the hidden partition--if it's still there, and check for that folder. Then, you can burn that I 386 folder to a CD

You CAN LAUNCH a reinstall from DOS mode, and there are a number of ways to do this

One is, you can download the appropriate version of startup floppies (there are several) from Microshaft

Another is, you CAN perform a DOS launched install. You do NOT run setup from the I386 folder. You run either winnt.exe or winnt32.exe. If you start this from something like a win98 boot disk, it helps to configure smartdrive. SOMEWHERE on the 'net I found a coold bootdisk that did just that

THERE IS NO WHERE to legally download XP The only thing I know of you can dowload is the beta version of Vista.

If you decide you want to reinstall XP and you can convince me that you do have a legit sticker/license, I could burn you a copy of XP home for a few bucks. Bear in mind that product keys are specific to a "version." This means that a RETAIL pro key won't work with an OEM pro key, nor will either work with a PRO upgrade disk.

I don't know how many version disks of "home" there are, but a "complete" home key won't work with an "upgrade" cd. I suspect that RETAIL and OEM are also different.

You might also want to get "magic jelly bean" and see if the key in the installed system is actually the same as the one on the sticker.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:54 am

I do have the sticker on the side and the I386 folder.

So I can use a Windows 98 boot disk and then access the I386 folder and run setup from there?

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:37 am

Okay, I figured out the Admin password and why it wasn't working. The account was disabled. Logged into Safe Mode and now am deleting the stores info.

With any luck, I can get all of the crap off of this machine and Ghost it so I won't have to do this again.

Thanks guys!

Post by **wavetar** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:52 am

RESCUE161 wrote:I do have the sticker on the side and the I386 folder.

So I can use a Windows 98 boot disk and then access the I386 folder and run setup from there?

You're in luck if they copied the entire I386 folder to the hard drive. That's their method of providing 'back-up', I guess. If it's plain old XP, the folder should be about 465MB in size. If you're really lucky & it's slipstreamed with SP2, it'll be about 530MB. Not sure what size the SP1 version would be.

Burn the I386 folder to a CD, then boot the machine with a Win98/ME floppy. Make sure you place a copy of "smartdrv.exe" on the floppy and run it from the command prompt before starting the install...otherwise it'll take hours for the set-up to copy all the needed files to complete the install. You can download smartdrv.exe here:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/SMARTDRV.zip

Once you've got smartdrv.exe running, navigate to the I386 folder on the CD, and run "winnt.exe". That will start the installation process & you're off & running to the races.

Todd

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:30 am

Thanks, wavetar, that's exactly what I was trying to say, in a convoluted way.

However, I don't know if you can do an "over the top" reinstall from the I386 folder on the hard drive, the way that Rescue161 was advocating

Glad you got it running, but I'd still get busy and "build" yourself some reinstall media, as well as a Ghost of the drive.

You never know when......

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:37 am

Well, I did as Todd suggested, but now it's asking for a valid XP Setup Instalation. I point it to the i386 folder, but it doesn't work...

Post by **wavetar** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:38 am

440roadrunner wrote:
However, I don't know if you can do an "over the top" reinstall from the I386 folder on the hard drive, the way that Rescue161 was advocating

.

You could, but not with a Win98 floppy unless the drive was formatted as FAT32. You wouldn't be able to do a format of the drive however, since the needed files would be on the hard drive. So it's best to do it from a CD...or have the I386 folder on a separate partition, that would work, and faster too.

I use Acronis True Image for complete back-up...it'll load a fresh installation of XP SP2 with all updates from an image in about 6 minutes...awesome.

Todd

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:46 am

Well, it started working when I pointed it to just the CD without typing i386, but then it said it couldn't find a drive big enough to store XP on??? It says that it couldn't find a local hard drive???

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:56 am

Not sure how well this will work, but I started it in Safe mode DOS prompt and then went to the i386 folder on the hard drive and ran winnt32. Seems to be working - fingers are crossed.

Post by **astroman** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:46 pm

Give a address to send you a cd and i will send you a password reset cd it is simple to do .I have used it to reset the admin passwords on the systems where i work and it works great. very simple.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:49 pm

Okay guys. I got it to load a fresh install, but apparently with newer versions of XP Home, you can't just access the admin account unless you're in Safe mode.

I changed the OS to XP Pro and all is well.

Thanks for the help.