Any way to dig up admin password in Windows 7?

[taq8ojh]

Can this be done somehow, without using any Linux stuff?
Ideally with a simple tool I'd run and it would show me the password?

 

[QuietDad]

Nothing will show you the password, But there's plenty of things out there like Hirens Boot CD at http://www.hirensbootcd.org/ that will allow you to boot a CD and change it to something else.

 

[taq8ojh]

That's what I feared, but it makes sense.
Thanks.

 

[Viper GTS]

If you have physical access to the machine and can boot it off a CD/DVD then there are solutions that will tell you the password. They can take a while depending on the complexity but they do work and I've used them successfully in the past when relatives/friends locked themselves out of their machines.

Ophcrack is the one I have used before.

Viper GTS

 

[cmdrdredd]

Ophcrack will show you the password and won't remove it. It usually takes only a few minutes. Other apps usually linux based like you mentioned, will delete the password.

 

[Ferzerp]

Ophcrack is not overly useful on Windows Vista and newer as LM hash is disabled by default (the only reason it was easy to do a rainbow table lookup) and the rainbow tables are unmanageable large (and not freely available for anything beyond tables for the most simple of passwords). Your best bet is just to wipe the password.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Ophcrack is not overly useful on Windows Vista and newer as LM hash is disabled by default (the only reason it was easy to do a rainbow table lookup) and the rainbow tables are unmanageable large (and not freely available for anything beyond tables for the most simple of passwords). Your best bet is just to wipe the password.

which won't help, if he is trying to recover files encrypted with EFS. You need the user cert, combined with the account password to decrypt.

 

[cmdrdredd]

which won't help, if he is trying to recover files encrypted with EFS. You need the user cert, combined with the account password to decrypt.

So if you go in and clear the password and then log into that account, you lose access to those files?

I know there are paid versions of some password lookup utilities but I have never needed to try them so I don't know how they work.

 

[hanspeter]

So if you go in and clear the password and then log into that account, you lose access to those files?

Yes. The decryption key will be unavailable.

 

[takeru]

use kon-boot
http://www.piotrbania.com/all/kon-boot/

boot with the disc. put in a known username. type whatever you want in the password field, and it'll go right in. leaves account password intact.

 

[hanspeter]

use kon-boot
http://www.piotrbania.com/all/kon-boot/

boot with the disc. put in a known username. type whatever you want in the password field, and it'll go right in. leaves account password intact.

If we are still talking about EFS that will not help.

 

[takeru]

If we are still talking about EFS that will not help.

when did OP say he's using EFS?

 

[fyb3r]

There are tools out there you can use. I know Kali Linux has a few that will crack the hashed passwords.

But that goes against the no linux boot disc thing ^_^.

 

[hanspeter]

when did OP say he's using EFS?

He didn't, but the last three posts was about it, so it wasn't illogical that your post was about it too.

 

[QuietDad]

He didn't, but the last three posts was about it, so it wasn't illogical that your post was about it too.

And he said Windows 7 and it's the default.

 

[takeru]

And he said Windows 7 and it's the default.

first, i am answering OP question. second, EFS is OFF by default.