wow, do users even TRY?

[Red Squirrel]

A user brings a PC at my house because she wants to use it for her kids and does not know the password. I procrastinated all week because I just did not feel like doing it.

Finally today I decide to boot it up. It's one of those old compaq presarios that is basically an emachine with the huge chunk of plastic on the front. Inside this are a few CDs and lo and behold, a recovery CD. I pop it in but it did not work, it just told me my PC would reboot, and that I had to remove the CD.

So before going through the trouble of a normal reinstall (finding drivers for those is pure hell) I decide to try a few passwords. 3rd try, I'm in. Do users even TRY!?! The password was, password. Like seriously. You'd think the user could of tried this before getting me involved.

 

[Reckoner]

KOOL

 

[her209]

I find that users are deathly afraid of "messing up" their computers.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: her209
I find that users are deathly afraid of "messing up" their computers.

Which is funny because they find the most weird ways to do so, while trying not to.

Some people are simply not meant to use computers though. They should work in construction or something... no wait, I don't want to drive on bridges built by these people.

Maybe they should just stay in school forever or something.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
A user brings a PC at my house because she wants to use it for her kids and does not know the password. I procrastinated all week because I just did not feel like doing it.

Finally today I decide to boot it up. It's one of those old compaq presarios that is basically an emachine with the huge chunk of plastic on the front. Inside this are a few CDs and lo and behold, a recovery CD. I pop it in but it did not work, it just told me my PC would reboot, and that I had to remove the CD.

So before going through the trouble of a normal reinstall (finding drivers for those is pure hell) I decide to try a few passwords. 3rd try, I'm in. Do users even TRY!?! The password was, password. Like seriously. You'd think the user could of tried this before getting me involved.

Easy money, you shouldn't be complaining.

 

[dbk]

:camera:

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
A user brings a PC at my house because she wants to use it for her kids and does not know the password. I procrastinated all week because I just did not feel like doing it.

Finally today I decide to boot it up. It's one of those old compaq presarios that is basically an emachine with the huge chunk of plastic on the front. Inside this are a few CDs and lo and behold, a recovery CD. I pop it in but it did not work, it just told me my PC would reboot, and that I had to remove the CD.

So before going through the trouble of a normal reinstall (finding drivers for those is pure hell) I decide to try a few passwords. 3rd try, I'm in. Do users even TRY!?! The password was, password. Like seriously. You'd think the user could of tried this before getting me involved.

Easy money, you shouldn't be complaining.

That's the problem, I end up doing it for free because it's people I know. If they offer money I just take it though. But if I actually charge, I'll be seen as an ass, as most people expect it free.

I should use my new job as an excuse. "sorry I only do servers now". Probably would not get very far with that unfortunatly.

 

[waffleironhead]

I just did a reinstall of the os. Can I drop the system off at your place along with all of my application disks so you can install them for me?

 

[KevinCU]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
3rd try, I'm in.

Attempt one and two were:
<blank>
admin

?

 

[nageov3t]

why didn't you just use a password recovery program like ERD?

 

[drinkmorejava]

Why would you do a reinstall to reset the password?

 

[zerocool84]

Someone didn't bother reading my carefully prepared memo on commonly-used passwords. Now, then, as I so meticulously pointed out, the four most-used passwords are: love, sex, secret, and...god. So, would your holiness care to change her password?

 

[rgwalt]

What you need...

 

[Pepsei]

i was going to suggest Ophcrack XP for heavy duty password cracking, but it looks like you have it under control

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: KevinCU

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
3rd try, I'm in.

Attempt one and two were:
<blank>
admin

?

Actually it was blank, then q1w2e3r4, I was going to try admin and administrator next.

And I don't have much PC boot CDs as I don't really actively do this stuff anymore, so never bothered to research any and get caught up with what is the latest in recovery disks.

I know there's ways to reset the password using linux and modifying the SAM db but never bothered to look further into it.

 

[eLiu]

Ultimate Boot CD can reset XP passwords. It also has tons of other helpful tools.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
What you need...

Yes I need to get one stat! lol.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: frostedflakes

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
A user brings a PC at my house because she wants to use it for her kids and does not know the password. I procrastinated all week because I just did not feel like doing it.

Finally today I decide to boot it up. It's one of those old compaq presarios that is basically an emachine with the huge chunk of plastic on the front. Inside this are a few CDs and lo and behold, a recovery CD. I pop it in but it did not work, it just told me my PC would reboot, and that I had to remove the CD.

So before going through the trouble of a normal reinstall (finding drivers for those is pure hell) I decide to try a few passwords. 3rd try, I'm in. Do users even TRY!?! The password was, password. Like seriously. You'd think the user could of tried this before getting me involved.

Easy money, you shouldn't be complaining.

That's the problem, I end up doing it for free because it's people I know. If they offer money I just take it though. But if I actually charge, I'll be seen as an ass, as most people expect it free.

I should use my new job as an excuse. "sorry I only do servers now". Probably would not get very far with that unfortunatly.

I usually tell people that I know (for simple jobs) that I cant take money from them but a bottle of xxxxxxx would look nice in my bar. Works pretty well and they are usually more than happy to oblige after the work gets done.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
Someone didn't bother reading my carefully prepared memo on commonly-used passwords. Now, then, as I so meticulously pointed out, the four most-used passwords are: love, sex, secret, and...god. So, would your holiness care to change her password?

When saying any line from Hackers you need to post Angelina Jolie boobies from that movie. :|

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

You broke the electronic millennium copyright cyber security law thingy. BUSTED!

 

[JujuFish]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: her209
I find that users are deathly afraid of "messing up" their computers.

Which is funny because they find the most weird ways to do so, while trying not to.

Some people are simply not meant to use computers though. They should work in construction or something... no wait, I don't want to drive on bridges built by these people.

Maybe they should just stay in school forever or something.

I could correlate your poor grasp of English grammar with a lack of intelligence just like you seem to do with computer illiteracy.

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: eLiu
Ultimate Boot CD can reset XP passwords. It also has tons of other helpful tools.

Plus there are many other bootup programs that can do this for any os.

I had to hack vista for this chick in school because she set her password in a different language.

 

[magreen]

Which boot cd can hack vista?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: JujuFish

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: her209
I find that users are deathly afraid of "messing up" their computers.

Which is funny because they find the most weird ways to do so, while trying not to.

Some people are simply not meant to use computers though. They should work in construction or something... no wait, I don't want to drive on bridges built by these people.

Maybe they should just stay in school forever or something.

I could correlate your poor grasp of English grammar with a lack of intelligence just like you seem to do with computer illiteracy.

English is not my first language. Live with it.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
Why would you do a reinstall to reset the password?

My thoughts exactly.