Lost Admin Password

My work has a PC running WinXP that they use for work in the field. The
first person to use is actually died, and the admin password died with him.
Is there a way to restore or recreate a new password? What about relaoding
XP? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks!

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,

If you have Home, boot into Safe Mode (F8 after the post test and before
Windows starts. Once Windows starts loading, you've missed it and will have
to try again). You'll have an option to log on as Administrator. Again,
the same procedure, you'll be asked to log in to get into safe mode, type
administrator, leave the password blank and press enter.

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/

"Barefoot Mark" <Barefoot Mark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F0867884-79D9-4B1C-95E3-A9D9AAF39BEC@microsoft.com...

> My work has a PC running WinXP that they use for work in the field. The
> first person to use is actually died, and the admin password died with
> him.
> Is there a way to restore or recreate a new password? What about
> relaoding
> XP? Any suggestions would be helpful.
>
> Thanks!

Thanks for the hint, but it seems there is a mystery password, and the system
won't allow me past the admin login either. Any other suggestions?

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:

>
> 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,
>
> If you have Home, boot into Safe Mode (F8 after the post test and before
> Windows starts. Once Windows starts loading, you've missed it and will have
> to try again). You'll have an option to log on as Administrator. Again,
> the same procedure, you'll be asked to log in to get into safe mode, type
> administrator, leave the password blank and press enter.
>
> 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/
>
> "Barefoot Mark" <Barefoot Mark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F0867884-79D9-4B1C-95E3-A9D9AAF39BEC@microsoft.com...

>
>
>

Apparently, they established a password for the hidden account, the only
thing you can do is format and start over. Formatting can be done from XP
Setup as follows:
Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive, boot with the XP
CD in the drive. If it isn't or you are not sure, you need to enter the
system's BIOS. When you boot the system, the first screen usually has
instructions that if you wish to enter setup press a specific key, when you
see that, do so. Then you will have to navigate to the boot sequence, if
the CD-ROM drive is not first line, set it first in the boot sequence. Save
your settings and exit with the XP CD in the drive. The system will reboot.

A few screens into the boot process, if you see the message on the boot
screen to "Press any key in order to boot from the CD," do so.

After loading drivers and files, you should be taken to a screen with
the following:

To Setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
To Repair a Windows XP Installation using Recovery Console press R.
To Quit setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

In your case, press ENTER.

Agree to the License agreement by pressing F8.

You will then be taken to a screen with two options.

To repair the selected Windows XP installation press R.
To continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP without repairing,
press ESC.

This will bring you to a partition map where you
can delete, create and format partitions.
Select the drive you wish to format, delete the partition, then create a new
partition, format as desired and continue with XP installation.

Other than that there's no way in unless you can crack the password. There
are utilities on the Internet, you might run a search on www.google.com and
see what comes up.

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

"barefootmark" <barefootmark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB272707-BA0A-415D-B1FC-6B4B1C1D7081@microsoft.com...

> Thanks for the hint, but it seems there is a mystery password, and the
> system
> won't allow me past the admin login either. Any other suggestions?
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:
>

Start here:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/lostpass.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/


"Barefoot Mark" <Barefoot Mark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F0867884-79D9-4B1C-95E3-A9D9AAF39BEC@microsoft.com...

> My work has a PC running WinXP that they use for work in the field. The
> first person to use is actually died, and the admin password died with
> him.
> Is there a way to restore or recreate a new password? What about
> relaoding
> XP? Any suggestions would be helpful.
>
> Thanks!

Can't say as I've had to use them but here are a couple of sites
that come recommended by the people who visit these newsgroups.

Keep in mind that if any of the files on the system were
encrypted and you change the password they'll be lost for good.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

http://xpcracker.mine.nu/xpcracker/
--
Nepatsfan
"barefootmark" <barefootmark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
news:BB272707-BA0A-415D-B1FC-6B4B1C1D7081@microsoft.com...

> Thanks for the hint, but it seems there is a mystery password,
> and the system
> won't allow me past the admin login either. Any other
> suggestions?
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:
>

at what point during the installation do we do partition if we want to have
more than 1 partitions? do we do it after the installation of the OS. Pls
advice, many thanks Sorry to jump in to a different topic, tks

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:

>
> 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,
>
> If you have Home, boot into Safe Mode (F8 after the post test and before
> Windows starts. Once Windows starts loading, you've missed it and will have
> to try again). You'll have an option to log on as Administrator. Again,
> the same procedure, you'll be asked to log in to get into safe mode, type
> administrator, leave the password blank and press enter.
>
> 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/
>
> "Barefoot Mark" <Barefoot Mark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F0867884-79D9-4B1C-95E3-A9D9AAF39BEC@microsoft.com...

>
>
>

Below are complete instructions as well as at what point during setup you
would partition the drive and how to get to that option during setup:

Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive, boot with the XP
CD in the drive. If it isn't or you are not sure, you need to enter the
system's BIOS. When you boot the system, the first screen usually has
instructions that if you wish to enter setup press a specific key, when you
see that, do so. Then you will have to navigate to the boot sequence, if
the CD-ROM drive is not first line, set it first in the boot sequence. Save
your settings and exit with the XP CD in the drive. The system will reboot.

A few screens into the boot process, if you see the message on the boot
screen to "Press any key in order to boot from the CD," do so.

After loading drivers and files, you should be taken to a screen with
the following:

To Setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
To Repair a Windows XP Installation using Recovery Console press R.
To Quit setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

In your case, press ENTER.

Agree to the License agreement by pressing F8.

You will then be taken to a screen with two options.

To repair the selected Windows XP installation press R.
To continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP without repairing,
press ESC.

This will bring you to a partition map where you
can delete, create and format partitions.
Select the drive you wish to format, delete the partition, then create a new
partition, format as desired and continue with XP installation.


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

"jim" <jim@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0CAF25EC-C746-43F5-95FE-87ADC7BD157A@microsoft.com...

> at what point during the installation do we do partition if we want to
> have
> more than 1 partitions? do we do it after the installation of the OS. Pls
> advice, many thanks Sorry to jump in to a different topic, tks
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:
>