Recover lost password?

I have friends laptop with Windows Media Editon installed. The computer had
viruses and spyware which have been removed. Since removing the viruses,
spyware & fixing the registry, it now brings up the log in screen.
Originally when you started Windows, it would just go to the desktop
bypassing the log in.

It's been so long since this person used their password, they don't remember
it or the one for the admin account. With Windows being inaccessible, I
can't even find out how much space is left on the drive to do a new
installation of windows and copy information over.

Is there any utility or something that will recover a lost/forgotten
password for either account? Or is wiping the drive and reinstalling
everything the only option?
Thanks for any help/information.

Jim

David
Mon Jun 09 13:11:51 PDT 2008

A Google search will yield a couple of utilities to accomplish a password
reset, my favorite is the linux based boot floppy/cd.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"Jim" <jim@gordonferon.com> wrote in message
news:OcMR44lyIHA.1772@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>I have friends laptop with Windows Media Editon installed. The computer had
>viruses and spyware which have been removed. Since removing the viruses,
>spyware & fixing the registry, it now brings up the log in screen.
>Originally when you started Windows, it would just go to the desktop
>bypassing the log in.
>
> It's been so long since this person used their password, they don't
> remember it or the one for the admin account. With Windows being
> inaccessible, I can't even find out how much space is left on the drive to
> do a new installation of windows and copy information over.
>
> Is there any utility or something that will recover a lost/forgotten
> password for either account? Or is wiping the drive and reinstalling
> everything the only option?
> Thanks for any help/information.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>

Jim
Mon Jun 09 13:35:24 PDT 2008

I found a utility that supposedly does a password reset, but it says the
drive has been flagged "Read Only" so the changes aren't permanet.

"David B." <mail@nomail.net> wrote in message
news:O4$dP0myIHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>A Google search will yield a couple of utilities to accomplish a password
>reset, my favorite is the linux based boot floppy/cd.
>
> --
>
> ----
> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>
>
>
> "Jim" <jim@gordonferon.com> wrote in message
> news:OcMR44lyIHA.1772@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>I have friends laptop with Windows Media Editon installed. The computer
>>had viruses and spyware which have been removed. Since removing the
>>viruses, spyware & fixing the registry, it now brings up the log in
>>screen. Originally when you started Windows, it would just go to the
>>desktop bypassing the log in.
>>
>> It's been so long since this person used their password, they don't
>> remember it or the one for the admin account. With Windows being
>> inaccessible, I can't even find out how much space is left on the drive
>> to do a new installation of windows and copy information over.
>>
>> Is there any utility or something that will recover a lost/forgotten
>> password for either account? Or is wiping the drive and reinstalling
>> everything the only option?
>> Thanks for any help/information.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

S
Mon Jun 09 17:28:26 PDT 2008

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

regards,
S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]

Jim wrote:
> I have friends laptop with Windows Media Editon installed. The computer had
> viruses and spyware which have been removed. Since removing the viruses,
> spyware & fixing the registry, it now brings up the log in screen.
> Originally when you started Windows, it would just go to the desktop
> bypassing the log in.
>
> It's been so long since this person used their password, they don't remember
> it or the one for the admin account. With Windows being inaccessible, I
> can't even find out how much space is left on the drive to do a new
> installation of windows and copy information over.
>
> Is there any utility or something that will recover a lost/forgotten
> password for either account? Or is wiping the drive and reinstalling
> everything the only option?
> Thanks for any help/information.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>