I forgot my win2003 server logon password. Any help?

[Madcatatlas]

Silly me..

I have this server, brand new (relatively new) with win2003 server installed from the store. I wanted to fire it up again today after a few months of rest but found out i had forgotten my password.


Could anyone help me out with some alternative ways of resetting the password etc? I have the server right here infront of me, hooked up to a screen with mouse and keyboard.

 

[rasczak]

workgroup or domain? if workgroup, you could use a password crack tool. if domain, not sure there's anything you can do unless you created a back door account for situations just like this.

 

[Madcatatlas]

just the logon screen you know..
Windows 2003 server starts up and then requires your logon name (which is set as Administrator and you logon password, which i thought was admin or something but i might have changed it to something... and now i cant remember it..

 

[Dahak]

if you know the local administrator password for the machine and not the domain you can do the following at http://www.nobodix.org/seb/win2003_adminpass.html
if you have forgotten even the local password you can use http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ to reset the local machine administrator password and then can do the domain password reset

 

[Chiefcrowe]

wow that looks really handy, thank you!

if you know the local administrator password for the machine and not the domain you can do the following at http://www.nobodix.org/seb/win2003_adminpass.html
if you have forgotten even the local password you can use http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ to reset the local machine administrator password and then can do the domain password reset

 

[Dahak]

yea, had to do it myself. Completely forgot my login info for an old point of sale server I had when the company I work for merged with another. Had to keep the old server and needed some data, and had do use those 2 links and was able to get in

 

[Madcatatlas]

this is great, ill try it out right away!

 

[Madcatatlas]

what is a "bootloader"..

copy pasting this:

1. Copy all files from this CD onto the USB drive.
It cannot be in a subdirectory on the drive.
You do not need delete files already on the drive.
2. Install the bootloader (you may have to be administrator)
On the USB drive, there should now be a file "syslinux.exe".
Run this from a command line, like this:


what is the bootloader..!?

 

[Madcatatlas]

Solved/Fixed, Ty for you help. It worked like a charm once i burned the iso to a cd.

windows home server broke however..not sure if it was because of the password reset..cant belive it was..but whatever 🙂

 

[rasczak]

if you know the local administrator password for the machine and not the domain you can do the following at http://www.nobodix.org/seb/win2003_adminpass.html
if you have forgotten even the local password you can use http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ to reset the local machine administrator password and then can do the domain password reset

very nice find. i'll keep this in my toolbag 🙂