Lost Admin Password, HELP!

Hello,

I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
(local account) is there a way
to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.

com.object

If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
ctrl-alt-delete
twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password blank and
press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden account
during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
doesn't likely have one either,


This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select the
specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the password
it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking "Prevent a
Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
> (local account) is there a way
> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>
> com.object
>
>

Hey Michael,

An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any ideas
on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.

c.o



"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
news:%23MG%(E-Mail Removed)...
> If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
> ctrl-alt-delete
> twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password blank
> and
> press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden account
> during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
> doesn't likely have one either,
>
>
> This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select the
> specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
> password
> it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking "Prevent
> a
> Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.
>
>
> --
> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> Windows Shell/User
> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
>> (local account) is there a way
>> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>>
>> com.object
>>
>>
>
>

First, let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm not talking
about an account you created. There is a default account in both XP Home
and XP Pro, it is named "Administrator" and it is usually hidden, though,
until a user creates a user account, often it will appear on new systems, at
least until the first user account is created. Hence, this would be an
account you didn't create at the end of XP setup, rather its an account
automatically created during setup with the option of also password
protecting it.

You can always tell the difference between this and user created accounts as
it can only be named "Administrator," the name cannot be changed and it is
the only account by that name. NOTE: not the only account admin privileges,
just the only account with that name.

If in fact you are talking about this default account, you might try running
a search on the Internet for an application that helps find lost passwords.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hey Michael,
>
> An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any
> ideas on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.
>
> c.o
>
>
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
> news:%23MG%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
>> ctrl-alt-delete
>> twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password blank
>> and
>> press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden account
>> during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
>> doesn't likely have one either,
>>
>>
>> This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select
>> the
>> specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
>> password
>> it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking
>> "Prevent a
>> Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>> Windows Shell/User
>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>
>> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
>>> (local account) is there a way
>>> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>>>
>>> com.object
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

"msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
> (local account) is there a way
> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>
> com.object

You can download some password cracker from the Internet. Depending
on the complexity of your password and the speed of your machine,
it could take hours, days or weeks to crack the password. Some of the
following might do it:

http://www.l0pht.com
http://www.nmrc.org/files/snt/index.html
http://www.sysinternals.com: NTLockSmith
http://www.ducktank.net/tips/ntdisk.html
http://www.ntbugtraq.com/default.asp...=NTBUGTRAQ&P=R

A far more elegant way to stay clear of this trap is to plan ahead
and create a second admin account right at the beginning, same
as you have a second set of car keys and house keys.

With respect to your extensive cross-posts: What's your problem
got to with Windows servers?

"msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> skrev i melding
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
> (local account) is there a way
> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com contains tools to change the admin password on
any NT/2000/XP computer.

"André Gulliksen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> skrev i melding
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
> > (local account) is there a way
> > to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>
> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com contains tools to change the admin password
on
> any NT/2000/XP computer.

Without a recovery CD?

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 19:39:31 +1100, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>
>"André Gulliksen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> skrev i melding
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
>> > (local account) is there a way
>> > to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>>
>> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com contains tools to change the admin password
>on
>> any NT/2000/XP computer.
>
>Without a recovery CD?

Sure, if the system is booting okay otherwise although I would just get
the single tool for resetting the pw instead of an entire CD full of
tools. http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

--
Michael Cecil
http://home.comcast.net/~macecil/

It's possible to change the built-in administrator account name. It's not
possible to delete it.

--
Ravi Ambros Wallau
r w a l l a u @ s p r i n g w i r e l e s s . n e t

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> First, let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm not talking
> about an account you created. There is a default account in both XP Home
> and XP Pro, it is named "Administrator" and it is usually hidden, though,
> until a user creates a user account, often it will appear on new systems,
> at least until the first user account is created. Hence, this would be an
> account you didn't create at the end of XP setup, rather its an account
> automatically created during setup with the option of also password
> protecting it.
>
> You can always tell the difference between this and user created accounts
> as it can only be named "Administrator," the name cannot be changed and it
> is the only account by that name. NOTE: not the only account admin
> privileges, just the only account with that name.
>
> If in fact you are talking about this default account, you might try
> running a search on the Internet for an application that helps find lost
> passwords.
>
> --
> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> Windows Shell/User
> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hey Michael,
>>
>> An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any
>> ideas on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.
>>
>> c.o
>>
>>
>>
>> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23MG%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
>>> ctrl-alt-delete
>>> twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password blank
>>> and
>>> press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden account
>>> during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
>>> doesn't likely have one either,
>>>
>>>
>>> This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select
>>> the
>>> specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
>>> password
>>> it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking
>>> "Prevent a
>>> Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>>> Windows Shell/User
>>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>>
>>> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro
>>>> SP2 (local account) is there a way
>>>> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>>>>
>>>> com.object
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

And I've been so informed by others.

Thank you for the head's up. The name of the default, built-in
Administrator account, can indeed be changed.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"Ravi Ambros Wallau" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It's possible to change the built-in administrator account name. It's not
> possible to delete it.
>
> --
> Ravi Ambros Wallau
> r w a l l a u @ s p r i n g w i r e l e s s . n e t
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> First, let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm not
>> talking about an account you created. There is a default account in both
>> XP Home and XP Pro, it is named "Administrator" and it is usually hidden,
>> though, until a user creates a user account, often it will appear on new
>> systems, at least until the first user account is created. Hence, this
>> would be an account you didn't create at the end of XP setup, rather its
>> an account automatically created during setup with the option of also
>> password protecting it.
>>
>> You can always tell the difference between this and user created accounts
>> as it can only be named "Administrator," the name cannot be changed and
>> it is the only account by that name. NOTE: not the only account admin
>> privileges, just the only account with that name.
>>
>> If in fact you are talking about this default account, you might try
>> running a search on the Internet for an application that helps find lost
>> passwords.
>>
>> --
>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>> Windows Shell/User
>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>
>> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Hey Michael,
>>>
>>> An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any
>>> ideas on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.
>>>
>>> c.o
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in message
>>> news:%23MG%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
>>>> ctrl-alt-delete
>>>> twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password
>>>> blank and
>>>> press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden
>>>> account
>>>> during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
>>>> doesn't likely have one either,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select
>>>> the
>>>> specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
>>>> password
>>>> it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking
>>>> "Prevent a
>>>> Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>>>> Windows Shell/User
>>>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>>>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>>>
>>>> "msnews.microsoft.com" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>
>>>>> I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro
>>>>> SP2 (local account) is there a way
>>>>> to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.
>>>>>
>>>>> com.object
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>