lost administrator's password!!!! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

wayne21 · 08-16-2006, 05:57 AM

I tinker with building and repair on computors but, I don't know how start tring to sort this problem out. The admin-
at a small church school quit after his kid got expelled for squriting other kids with a fire bottle. The computers are lock-out from adding a printer or even getting to the teacher's desk top. What can I try to fix this problem for them. I don't charge them because it is just my hobby and I'm learning alot for my own use. Thank you guy's and girl's for any help. Ken

P.S> they are older computer with OS XP.

healer · 08-16-2006, 06:24 AM

I've had this happen to me, albeit a very long time ago. I used a Linux password recovery CD given to me by one of my friends. It was basically just a bootable Linux CD that allowed you to change/reset the administrator password on the machine. I scratched around but I couldn't find it anywhere.

I did, however, find this site which explains a couple of ways to get around your problem. Check it out - hope it helps.

Dilbert1234567 · 08-16-2006, 07:15 AM

u se ophcrack for all my cracking needs

http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/

windows xp is lame for passwords, it stores all password hashes for passwords under 14 characters in the old, outdated LAN manager hash system, even worse is it breaks these passwords into two, 7 character chunks, making cracking very easy. Download
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/o...1.iso?download
And burn to a cd, let it boot and it will start cracking right away; eventually it will display the passwords for you for each account.

Crack · 08-16-2006, 11:38 AM

Is the admin password the one you need, or is it just the user password? You said you couldn't even get to the teacher's desktop, so I am gonna just assume it's a user account..

1. Boot into safe mode (F8 at boot up)
2. Log into the admin account (sadly most admin accounts are not PW protected because they are not seen nor used normally. Security by obscurity, it's the M$ way!)
3. Change the user account PW to whatever you want.
4. Log off.
5. Boot normally, log-on with your new password!

if the admin account is PW protected, then take Dilbert's advice, and start cracking those hive files!

heyal256 · 08-16-2006, 06:14 PM

I use this program to reset the admin password.

Quote:

* This is a utility to (re)set the password of any user that has a valid (local) account on your NT system.
* You do not need to know the old password to set a new one.
* It works offline, that is, you have to shutdown your computer and boot off a floppydisk or CD. The bootdisk includes stuff to access NTFS and FAT/FAT32 partitions and scripts to glue the whole thing together.
* Will detect and offer to unlock locked or disabled out user accounts!
* It is also an almost fully functional registry editor!

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

Krycheck · 08-16-2006, 08:10 PM

I use EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) every time. Very easy and straight forward.

http://ebcd.pcministry.com/

Edit: Wtf?! I remember a second atempt at this post and it ended up coming out so fubar'd

Willravel · 08-16-2006, 08:28 PM

Note to self....hide fire extinguishers at church....

Krycheck, very good finds. I'm going to have to save those pages for myself in case I ever need them.

Dilbert1234567 · 08-16-2006, 10:19 PM

befor you clear the password... does this account have any files encrypted with EFS? if it does, clearing the password will hose any chance of recovering them.

oh, if you have ANY accounts that can get to windows, i can tell you (PM) how to elevate your user rights to System, which can create new accounts with admin rights, which can then change the password of the other account.

trache · 08-16-2006, 11:10 PM

Try the Ultimate Boot CD. I know it works for FAT drives, it may also work under NTFS nowadays, too. It has the option to blank the password out so you can login and change it at will.

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

cyrnel · 08-16-2006, 11:41 PM

I'll second Dilbert's warning about encryption. It's unusual, but if there's any chance the login uses it you really don't want to clear the password.

wayne21 · 08-17-2006, 03:29 AM

Dilbert, I can open a student desk top and I tried to change the user level but it was blocked by admin. It sound like I can start a new user opition with admin rights and change or add programs and hardware. which is the whole problem as it stands now. There is no one acting as pm for these computers thats why I'm trying to help. THanks again for everyones help!!

Dilbert1234567 · 08-17-2006, 08:20 AM

Well in the past few months, MS fixed the problem, so i will just openly share the exploit. when windows used to runs a screen saver, it is ran under system privileges, with a boot disk, make a copy of cmd.exe and rename this copy cmd.scr, boot the system, and change the screensaver to this new file. change the timeout to 1 minute, and wait, after a minute, if your system is not fully patched, the command prompt that pops up will be running as system instead of the current user, then you can use the 'net user' command to add a new account with admin rights, log in with that user and you have a new admin account. This method works much better with win2k, where 'everyone' has full access to all directories by default, instead of just read as is the case under winxp.

Glory's Sun · 08-17-2006, 10:15 AM

Not sure if I'm understanding the problem correctly, but there was a computer here in the office that had the same issue. All I did was put a win2k disc in the drive and boot off of it. Then I went into the recovery console naturally since it's 2k and not XP it didn't need the PW. So I loaded XP in 2k's recovery console. Then.. I just exited and booted up and the pw was gone

Maybe I got lucky.

monkeysugar · 08-17-2006, 02:36 PM

I take it calling the guy who left and asking him for the password is completely out of the question?

wayne21 · 08-17-2006, 04:11 PM

We called him and he has just happen to forgotten what it is. Thanks for asking, Ken

08-16-2006, 05:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
wayne21 Crazy Location: florida	lost administrator's password!!!! I tinker with building and repair on computors but, I don't know how start tring to sort this problem out. The admin- at a small church school quit after his kid got expelled for squriting other kids with a fire bottle. The computers are lock-out from adding a printer or even getting to the teacher's desk top. What can I try to fix this problem for them. I don't charge them because it is just my hobby and I'm learning alot for my own use. Thank you guy's and girl's for any help. Ken P.S> they are older computer with OS XP.

08-16-2006, 07:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dilbert1234567 Devils Cabana Boy Location: Central Coast CA	u se ophcrack for all my cracking needs http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/ windows xp is lame for passwords, it stores all password hashes for passwords under 14 characters in the old, outdated LAN manager hash system, even worse is it breaks these passwords into two, 7 character chunks, making cracking very easy. Download http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/o...1.iso?download And burn to a cd, let it boot and it will start cracking right away; eventually it will display the passwords for you for each account. __________________ Donate Blood! "Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

08-16-2006, 11:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	Is the admin password the one you need, or is it just the user password? You said you couldn't even get to the teacher's desktop, so I am gonna just assume it's a user account.. 1. Boot into safe mode (F8 at boot up) 2. Log into the admin account (sadly most admin accounts are not PW protected because they are not seen nor used normally. Security by obscurity, it's the M$ way!) 3. Change the user account PW to whatever you want. 4. Log off. 5. Boot normally, log-on with your new password! if the admin account is PW protected, then take Dilbert's advice, and start cracking those hive files! __________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx

08-16-2006, 08:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Krycheck Sultana ruined my evil persona Location: Los Angeles	I use EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) every time. Very easy and straight forward. http://ebcd.pcministry.com/ Edit: Wtf?! I remember a second atempt at this post and it ended up coming out so fubar'd __________________ His pants are tight...but his morals are loose!! Last edited by Krycheck; 08-19-2006 at 09:56 PM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

08-16-2006, 10:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dilbert1234567 Devils Cabana Boy Location: Central Coast CA	befor you clear the password... does this account have any files encrypted with EFS? if it does, clearing the password will hose any chance of recovering them. oh, if you have ANY accounts that can get to windows, i can tell you (PM) how to elevate your user rights to System, which can create new accounts with admin rights, which can then change the password of the other account. __________________ Donate Blood! "Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen Last edited by Dilbert1234567; 08-16-2006 at 10:25 PM..

08-16-2006, 08:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Note to self....hide fire extinguishers at church.... Krycheck, very good finds. I'm going to have to save those pages for myself in case I ever need them.

08-16-2006, 11:10 PM	#9 (permalink)
trache Insane	Try the Ultimate Boot CD. I know it works for FAT drives, it may also work under NTFS nowadays, too. It has the option to blank the password out so you can login and change it at will. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ __________________ "You looked at me as if I was eating runny eggs in slow motion." - Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip

08-16-2006, 11:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	I'll second Dilbert's warning about encryption. It's unusual, but if there's any chance the login uses it you really don't want to clear the password. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

08-17-2006, 03:29 AM	#11 (permalink)
wayne21 Crazy Location: florida	Dilbert, I can open a student desk top and I tried to change the user level but it was blocked by admin. It sound like I can start a new user opition with admin rights and change or add programs and hardware. which is the whole problem as it stands now. There is no one acting as pm for these computers thats why I'm trying to help. THanks again for everyones help!!

08-17-2006, 08:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
Dilbert1234567 Devils Cabana Boy Location: Central Coast CA	Well in the past few months, MS fixed the problem, so i will just openly share the exploit. when windows used to runs a screen saver, it is ran under system privileges, with a boot disk, make a copy of cmd.exe and rename this copy cmd.scr, boot the system, and change the screensaver to this new file. change the timeout to 1 minute, and wait, after a minute, if your system is not fully patched, the command prompt that pops up will be running as system instead of the current user, then you can use the 'net user' command to add a new account with admin rights, log in with that user and you have a new admin account. This method works much better with win2k, where 'everyone' has full access to all directories by default, instead of just read as is the case under winxp. __________________ Donate Blood! "Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

08-17-2006, 10:15 AM	#13 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	Not sure if I'm understanding the problem correctly, but there was a computer here in the office that had the same issue. All I did was put a win2k disc in the drive and boot off of it. Then I went into the recovery console naturally since it's 2k and not XP it didn't need the PW. So I loaded XP in 2k's recovery console. Then.. I just exited and booted up and the pw was gone Maybe I got lucky.

08-17-2006, 02:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
monkeysugar I'll be on the veranda, since you're on the cross. Location: Rand McNally's friendliest small town in America. They must have strayed from the dodgy parts...	I take it calling the guy who left and asking him for the password is completely out of the question? __________________ I've got the love of my life and a job that I enjoy most of the time. Life is good.

08-17-2006, 04:11 PM	#15 (permalink)
wayne21 Crazy Location: florida	tried and got nowhere! We called him and he has just happen to forgotten what it is. Thanks for asking, Ken