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Help, lost password for win2k

E

energyman

Member
I wasn't enable my home PC's password before. Last several days, I installed ethernet at home and reconfiged win2k to enable the network function. After win2k rebooted, it asked me for Adminisrator's password. I just don't remember! What I can do??? Or, if I reinstall win2k to a new harddisk, and put this win2k disk to the PC as second disk, can I see the files? I need to get some files out. I have IDE disks.
 
Try blank (no password) or password. When you installed W2K, it prompted you for a password--what did you put in?

If you install W2K again, even on the same drive, you'll be able to access your files fine. As long as you did not: encrypt any files or format the HD.

--Woodie
 
Thanks Woodie. I forgot what I put when I did win2k installation. I haven't tried
"password" for password yet, I will try it. But I tried to reinstall it without format the disk. it didn't work -> goes from installCD to harddisk and ask me for password.
 
Hmmm. Is it really booting off the CD? Try a boot diskette, and then running the setup.exe off the CD.

--Woodie
 
Yes, you can install Win2k in a different partition and access your files from your original install (assuming it's the fat32 file system you were using), or, if you want to shell out some bucks and keep everything as is, go to www.lostpassword.com and they'll get you a utility that will reset your Admin password to 1-2-3-4-5 or somthing similar. I believe it's $99.

Nice, huh? All of Windows 2000 security is now compromised for a mere $99.00.
 
If you just need a few files, you might also want to try the NTFS for dos utility. I thik it is made by a company called WinInternals or something like that, the same company that makes the Fat32forNT utility. Then after you save the files, nuke the 2k partition and reinstall.
 
You can get to your files from a parallel install even if the filesystem is NTFS. (Unless you used encryption, in which case you're hosed.)

You can also slap the drive into another machine running W2K and get to your files, no matter what the filesystem is.

If the filesystem is FAT, you can slap the drive into a Win9x machine and get to your files.

 
slikkster, I can reset the admin password on a Win2K box for you for free. (No, I am not going to post how publically. The info is out there if you search.)

A fundamental tenent of computer security is that anything you do to protect your machine assumes that the machine is physically secure. If an attacker can obtain physical access to the machine, no amount of logical/programmatic security will do you any good.

For some good reads, see

The Ten Immutable Laws of Security Administration and The Ten Immutable Laws of Security. In particular, law #3.

Now, if this $99 solution could work remotely, you'd have a valid point about defeating security. However, any attack that depends upon physical access to the machine is not a legitimate security threat. Physical security is assumed when analyzing security threats.
 
"If an attacker can obtain physical access to the machine, no amount of logical/programmatic security will do you any good." Well, given the fact that a most-underreported aspect of hacking happens from the inside (e.g. in a corporation), physical access to machines is almost always a given, to one degree or another. Now, granted, there's a good deal of difference between a machine admin account and a domain admin account, but nevertheless, it is troubling to see how simple it is to remove that layer of protection. It virtually obviates any reason for logins. (oh, ok, a little hyperbole, but you get the point).

By the way, I did find a little bootdisk linux thingy that claims to be able to reset NT Admin passwords...
 
You're right: it's simply amazing (appalling?) how many companies don't physcially protect their data. I work for a software company, and I'm working the weekend shift. Right now, the building is virtually abandoned. With nothing more than a phillips screwdriver, I could get access to lots of good stuff on ppl's machines.

Now, our servers ARE under lock and key protection. Most companies don't even put their most sensitive data under lock and key. Like you said, all it would take is an insider with a philips screwdriver to put those companies out of business.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I didn't read here during the weekend. I did try many ways to fix this password problem. But, I failed. So, I got the files out by booting from a win95 disk and copied over all the files I needed. Then, format, reinstall. (I should read here to download that "boot disk".

Here is another question:
From a win98 machine on the network in the same workgroup, I can see this win2k machine, but when I clicked on it, it asks me for a password for \\home\PC-NAME.
I only have password setup for administrator for win2k machine. What should I do?


 


<< Thanks for all the replies. I didn't read here during the weekend. I did try many ways to fix this password problem. But, I failed. So, I got the files out by booting from a win95 disk and copied over all the files I needed. Then, format, reinstall. (I should read here to download that &quot;boot disk&quot;.

Here is another question:
From a win98 machine on the network in the same workgroup, I can see this win2k machine, but when I clicked on it, it asks me for a password for \\home\PC-NAME.
I only have password setup for administrator for win2k machine. What should I do? >>


If you create a user on the Win2K machine with the same username and password you logon with on the Win98 machine it will pass-through and you can access the Win2K machine over the network.

If you don't know who you're logged on as on the 98 machine, do a Start -> Log Off (Or Start -> Shutdown -> Close all programs and log on as a different user), then it will say the login name of the last person that logged on, which for most home users 98 machines is the name that the Windows install is registered to and a blank password.
 
When you map a network drive (from the &quot;Tools&quot; menu) click on: &quot;Connect as another user&quot;

Oh, wait, you're on W98 client.

Start a command prompt: type in:
net use j: \\w2kcomputername\sharename /u:Administrator *
Then type in the Administrator password on the W2k machine when it prompts you.

If that doesn't work for you, then create the same exact ID on both the Win98 and the W2K computers. The ID must be identical, and the passwords as well. On the W2K box, make that ID a member of the Administrators group (assuming you want to give yourself full admin rights).
Now, always log on to the Win98 machine with that ID. Now you should be able to browse the W2K box across the network, without any trouble.

--Woodie
 
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