Still kind of a clusterf***, lol

[LurkingInNC]

ok.

The history (to spare u from having to ask me how this happened, lol):

Mistakenly deleted the administrative account I usually log onto XP pro sp2 with (I'd swear the account I deleted was named differently than the one I use, but I can't prove it). I used an account with admin privileges cause i thought you had to log out of a non privileged account & into an admin privileged one to do anything. Just found out that you can just type in your admin password & don't have to switch accounts (yea, i'm somewhat ig'nant wrt these matters).

Cant remember my admin password & didn't write it down.

The password reset floppy i thought i'd created (labeled & dated & everything) is blank.

Went to download Login Recovery so I can get my admin password. Freshdownload is my default download tool, and it's broke (invalid file list format, Access violation. ..).

Can't uninstall freshdownload cause I don't have admin privilages. Don't know how to switch to something other than Freshdownload so I can, well, download.

Can anyone help out a poor ignant bastage and tell me how to break out of this cycle of frustration (suicide is not an option, even tho some of you might feel it would be good re the natural selection process, lol)? In other words, how can i download something given the circumstances listed above?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Reset your BIOS by using the clear CMOS jumper.

 

[mechBgon]

At the Welcome screen (if that's what you're seeing), hit CTRL ALT DEL twice in a row to bring up the conventional username/password prompt. Use the username Administrator and try a blank password. If you haven't changed the password on that normally-hidden account yourself, this will probably work.

Otherwise... press the Undo button on your forehead a bunch of times OH WAIT

 

[BigJ]

Use Outlook to receive a message from someone with Login Recovery as an attachment.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Magnus: what are the implications of clearing the bios? i'd like to keep as much intact as possible...

mechBgon: unfortunately I built the computer and created an admin password; the admin account isn't even hidden on the XP sign in page. Tried the undo button on my forehead by hitting it against the wall; didn't work, lol.

BigJ: your solution is too simple. Wait, I mean so simple, as in so simple why didn't I think of that?

All: thanks for your suggestions!

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: LurkingInNC

Tried the undo button on my forehead by hitting it against the wall; didn't work, lol.

ROFL

 

[Fox5]

Look up ophcrack, burn it onto a cd, boot off of it, crack your windows password.

 

[AeroEngy]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Look up ophcrack, burn it onto a cd, boot off of it, crack your windows password.

I have reset tons of Admin passwords on XP, 2000, and NT systems using Linux boot disks. I don't know about ophcrack but it is probably something similar. I think the last time I used the following. But feel free to try whatever you are comfortable with. Just do a search for Linux Recovery CDs

EBCD ? Emergency Boot CD (v0.61 - October 2004)
EBCD is a bootable CD, intended for system recovery in the case of software or hardware faults. It is able to create backup copies of normally working system and restore system to saved state. Change password of any user, including administrator of Windows NT/2000/XP OS. You do not need to know the old password. It contains the best system software ever created, properly compiled and configured for the maximum efficient use.

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_...nistrator_password.htm

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: AeroEngy

Originally posted by: Fox5
Look up ophcrack, burn it onto a cd, boot off of it, crack your windows password.

I have reset tons of Admin passwords on XP, 2000, and NT systems using Linux boot disks. I don't know about ophcrack but it is probably something similar. I think the last time I used the following. But feel free to try whatever you are comfortable with. Just do a search for Linux Recovery CDs

EBCD ? Emergency Boot CD (v0.61 - October 2004)
EBCD is a bootable CD, intended for system recovery in the case of software or hardware faults. It is able to create backup copies of normally working system and restore system to saved state. Change password of any user, including administrator of Windows NT/2000/XP OS. You do not need to know the old password. It contains the best system software ever created, properly compiled and configured for the maximum efficient use.

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_...nistrator_password.htm

Plenty of boot disks let you change the windows password, ophcrack is a linux loading with password cracking software and look up tables for the windows password mechanism that is capable of cracking most passwords in under a minute. If you want to continue to use the original password it works, though just replacing it with one you'll more easily remember might be a better idea anyway.

 

[skyking]

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
It's a handy one to have around anyway.
Use the offline NT password and registry editor.
Here's the walkthrough
I would print that up for reference.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Thanks for help so far, still not resolved.

neither Password Recovery nor Ophcrack could crack my admin password. They got 1 of my non-admin pw's, but didn't crack another non-admin comprised of just 6 lowercase alphas & two numerics.

Made an EBCD boot disk, but when the first menu comes up (to choose the password editor) my keyboard is frozen & I have to reboot. Any suggestions?

(Ultimatebootcd is not an option until I get to a friend's place with hi-speed to download, earliest would be next week).

EDIT: microsoft usb natural ergonomic 4000 keyboard

 

[TSDible]

Originally posted by: LurkingInNC
Thanks for help so far, still not resolved.

neither Password Recovery nor Ophcrack could crack my admin password. They got 1 of my non-admin pw's, but didn't crack another non-admin comprised of just 6 lowercase alphas & two numerics.

Made an EBCD boot disk, but when the first menu comes up (to choose the password editor) my keyboard is frozen & I have to reboot. Any suggestions?

(Ultimatebootcd is not an option until I get to a friend's place with hi-speed to download, earliest would be next week).

EDIT: microsoft usb natural ergonomic 4000 keyboard

I used to have all sorts of problems with my USB Microsoft Natural keyboard and DOS/boot CDs.

I had to keep around a PS/2 keyboard as a backup for when I was doing some work. I would give that a try if you can.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Originally posted by: TSDible

I used to have all sorts of problems with my USB Microsoft Natural keyboard and DOS/boot CDs.

I had to keep around a PS/2 keyboard as a backup for when I was doing some work. I would give that a try if you can.

I don't but I'll see if a neighbor might. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[LurkingInNC]

DONE, FINALLY!

Borrowed a PS/2 keyboard which worked. Still, there was one last issue. EBCD wouldn't reset my password. I'd get a message that included "Page at 0x8000 is not 'hbin', assuming file contains garbage at end" and "Segmentation fault". In addition to my primary hard drive I had an old hard drive with Win 98 (FAT32) on it hooked up. Even though it looked like EBCD was choosing my primary hard drive, I unhooked the old drive & EBCD worked fine.

Thanks to all who had suggestions!