Windows 2000 Password

[Ted1]

Have a situation where a person left a company and left behind a Windows 2000 Professional system with an unknown Administrator password. The system has necessary and much needed files (they didn't leave on the best of terms) and we cannot access the system. Any idea on how to get around the Administrator password so the files can be accessed, or even recover the password so the system can be accessed? Any help would be most appreciated...

 

[stash]

If the comp is fat32, you can boot with a 98 boot disk and delete the sam file. If it is formatted in NTFS you have a much bigger problem

 

[ctll]

if it's in a domain, use the active directory users and computers mmc snapin on the DC

 

[ctll]

also, try booting from the cd and then access the recovery console and have fun there... if he did not enable require administrator password for recovery console in the security settings, it can be done (if you know your way around in the recovery console)(i still don't)

i locked myself out

 

[Psychoholic]

Depending on how the file security is set up you may be able to put the drive in another computer and get to the files. If when the security was set up if these directory permission were set to the group Administrators instead of the user Administrator putting the drive in another computer as a second drive should allow you to access the files.

If that doesn't work the recovery console would be your next best bet.

 

[Rogue]

Use a password cracker on the local SAM. Better yet, just re-install Windows2k and it will require you to re-enter a new Administrator password.

 

[ctll]

reinstall... good idea

but you probably would be forced to do a clean install... you would need admin priv. to upgrade

long as the files aren't in or under winnt or program files it should be ok though

 

[Spiff]

the assumption here is that this is on a NTFS system...

options:

- put the drive in another system and boot with that system's OS. chances are, you'll be able to take ownership of the drive.

- you can do a new install of Win2k into a new folder on the same partition. this does not require a format of the drive.

- you could take the system off the network temporarily and use the ERD from another system to replace the SAM.

- you could try using a hacking tool like l0phat to crack the SAM

Because you have direct physical access to the entire system, you have many options, some I'm probably forgetting.

 

[ctll]

looks like spiff maybe been there done that

 

[stef]

A colleague of mine forgot his administrator password and asked me (why?? ) how to fix it, after some searching on the web I found this link http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ that claims to be a mini linux installation that fits on a floppy, that will mount the NTFS partition and modify your password, guess linux does not care about NT priviliges !

When I finally had it up and running I asked if anything was stored on local disk that was importaint, of course he had forgot to save some things, and after doing that he tested a new password and finally remembered it, so I never had the chance to try it out. But I think it will work.

Good luck!

 

[ctll]

you ever fix this problem, ted?