Staples won't help you if you have forgotten your password?

[techs]

My customer is a "secret shopper"
She brought in a computer to Staples to have them do a "tune up" after which she was supposed to write up her experience and send it in to the company that was evaluating Staples service.

However, she brought in her sons computer which he didn't use anymore since he got a new one for college. She didn't know his password. Staples said they can't do anything without the password. They wouldn't even go into the Adminstrator account, which didn't have a password, and remove the users password.

Ok, wtf. If you forget your password forget about going to Staples for service?

 

[leckley]

My customer is a "secret shopper"
She brought in a computer to Staples to have them do a "tune up" after which she was supposed to write up her experience and send it in to the company that was evaluating Staples service.

However, she brought in her sons computer which he didn't use anymore since he got a new one for college. She didn't know his password. Staples said they can't do anything without the password. They wouldn't even go into the Adminstrator account, which didn't have a password, and remove the users password.

Ok, wtf. If you forget your password forget about going to Staples for service?

I am sure they have a privacy policy that does not allow them to do so, for all they know it could be a stolen PC you are trying to have them hack into.

 

[Alone]

I wouldn't have done it either. Fuck that.

 

[Nik]

I tried to call Microsoft once cuz I "forgot" the password for "my" computer.

Imagine the balls those assholes have in telling me no.

THE NERVE.

 

[rudeguy]

and she couldn't call her son and get the password why????

If you call into my work and want to add every single channel out there, 60 meg internet and unlimited calling home phone, I can't do a thing if you can't verify the account.

Policy is policy. The guy did his job. Your "customer" could have easily fixed the situation if it was legit. Tons of red flags on this one. I would have told her to have a nice day.

 

[coxmaster]

As others said, yes there is a very strict policy against doing that. It is in dozens of training systems that if the customer doesnt have/know/or give the password you CAN NOT do any work.. It really makes sense TBH


Worked at Staples as an "EasyTech Associate"--- Thank god I quit that shit

 

[pcgeek11]

Why didn't she go into the Unpassworded Admin account and remove the password then take it back.

No problem found. Staples was correct in their call.

Post Fail.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Rant fail - I wouldn't expect them to work on a PC if you can't even supply the password to the machine. They're not a password cracking service.

 

[darkswordsman17]

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Your "secret shopper" "customer" should send in "her" "evaluation" as "Superb service."

 

[bruceb]

I must agree. It is not Staple's or any other computer repair service's job to remove a password from a computer. For all they know, it could be stolen goods, in which case they could be legally liable for doing so.

 

[Soundmanred]

I wouldn't have done it either.

 

[MotionMan]

So, a woman walks into Staples and asks for a tune-up for "her" computer.

Staples finds there is a password and asks the woman for the password.

She says she does not know the password, but asks Staples to simply remove the password.

Nah, that does not sound suspicious to me.

Staples win. She should give them a positive review.

MotionMan

 

[Jaepheth]

Geek Squad will remove Windows passwords for $30

 

[erikistired]

Geek Squad will remove Windows passwords for $30

considering it's geek squad removing the password probably means reformatting the system.

 

[Jaepheth]

considering it's geek squad removing the password probably means reformatting the system.

You'd think so... but nope. They use a Linux based OS that allows them to mount Windows' security hive and strip passwords from accounts

 

[erikistired]

You'd think so... but nope. They use a Linux based OS that allows them to mount Windows' security hive and strip passwords from accounts

i can't believe anyone there knows how to do that. amazing. it must have a lot of menus and "click here to do this" buttons.

 

[Jaepheth]

i can't believe anyone there knows how to do that. amazing. it must have a lot of menus and "click here to do this" buttons.

That's pretty much what it is. You just click "remove passwords" and it'll run a series of scripts culminating in a list of user ids and a check box next to them indicating they're password protected. Uncheck the boxes and the program backs up the registry and removes the passwords. Takes about 30 min, most of which is just booting from the disk.

When I worked there, the standard procedure failed once. For which there's a more involved command line procedure. But it's still pretty much spelled out for you.

 

[erikistired]

That's pretty much what it is. You just click "remove passwords" and it'll run a series of scripts culminating in a list of user ids and a check box next to them indicating they're password protected. Uncheck the boxes and the program backs up the registry and removes the passwords. Takes about 30 min, most of which is just booting from the disk.

When I worked there, the standard procedure failed once. For which there's a more involved command line procedure. But it's still pretty much spelled out for you.

there have been command line programs to do this that fit on a floppy disk for a long time. they do the same thing, but you have to actually enter in commands. takes a few minutes at most. i haven't had to change a password since...probably windows 2000...but i would assume the same things are available now.

it IS somewhat amusing that the geek squad offers this as a service. i would think they wouldn't want to be liable if the computer were stolen or if someone was accessing data they weren't supposed to be able to. a lady came into our shop once and wanted us to break into her husband's computer so she could get sensitive data to prove something or another in her pending divorce. my boss decided it wasn't worth the headache for an hour labor charge.

 

[MotionMan]

Geek Squad will remove Windows passwords for $30

Do they require proof of ownership first (asks the lawyer)?

MotionMan

 

[techs]

You'd think so... but nope. They use a Linux based OS that allows them to mount Windows' security hive and strip passwords from accounts

That's what I use to do it. You can download them all over the web. I use the free trinity rescue.

 

[Jaepheth]

Do they require proof of ownership first (asks the lawyer)?

MotionMan

They're supposed to get a photocopy of a photo id/PC serial number and preferably some proof of ownership if memory serves.