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Need help on password recovery on Windows XP

  • ott75
    Anyone else ever have this problem, I forgot my password ( I changed it often to keep kids off computer and simply forgot to write it down the last time!)

    I found (Off another computer) that there are free and paid for recovery softwares that can assist, however, if you cant get on your computer, how do you download it?
  • I Wear Pants
    Stop trying to break into other people's computers. :P
  • wildcats20
    Straight from the help and support:

    Recovering a user's passwordIf you forget your user account password, check your password hint. (Your password hint is located on the Welcome screen beside the password prompt.)

    If you have a password reset disk, you can use it to create a new password for your account. Your personalized computer settings will be retained. For more information about using the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk, click Related Topics.

    If your password hint does not help you remember your password and you did not create a password reset disk, you will need to have someone with a computer administrator account create a new password for you. For security reasons, a computer administrator cannot recover your password if you forget it; he or she can only create a new one for you.

    Notes

    A user with a computer administrator account can create and change passwords, and create password hints for all users. Users with limited accounts can only create and change their own passwords, and create their own password hints.
    If a user with a computer administrator account changes the password for another user, that user will lose all personal certificates, and stored passwords for Web sites or network resources.
  • wildcats20
    Not really sure that helps though....
  • tk421
    wildcats20 wrote: Straight from the help and support:

    Recovering a user's passwordIf you forget your user account password, check your password hint. (Your password hint is located on the Welcome screen beside the password prompt.)

    If you have a password reset disk, you can use it to create a new password for your account. Your personalized computer settings will be retained. For more information about using the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk, click Related Topics.

    If your password hint does not help you remember your password and you did not create a password reset disk, you will need to have someone with a computer administrator account create a new password for you. For security reasons, a computer administrator cannot recover your password if you forget it; he or she can only create a new one for you.

    Notes

    A user with a computer administrator account can create and change passwords, and create password hints for all users. Users with limited accounts can only create and change their own passwords, and create their own password hints.
    If a user with a computer administrator account changes the password for another user, that user will lose all personal certificates, and stored passwords for Web sites or network resources.
    Why would anyone who owns a computer not be the computer administrator? That doesn't really help if the administrator has forgotten the password.
  • wildcats20
    It's basically saying if you have more than one account on the computer. But yeah if it's YOUR computer, you should probably be the admin....
  • tk421
    wildcats20 wrote: It's basically saying if you have more than one account on the computer. But yeah if it's YOUR computer, you should probably be the admin....
    Then you're screwed. :D
  • wildcats20
    Not me!! lol
  • tk421
    wildcats20 wrote: Not me!! lol
    You as in the computer administrator.
  • Nate
    If you have to write down the password to login to your computer, you probably shouldn't have a login on your computer. Just my honest, IT opinion.
  • BORIStheCrusher
    ott75 wrote: ( I changed it often to keep kids off computer and simply forgot to write it down the last time!)
    How many times do you have to change a password to keep a kid off. You're telling me kids are constantly hacking your system yet you can't remember the password to keep them out?
  • Nate
    BORIStheCrusher wrote:
    ott75 wrote: ( I changed it often to keep kids off computer and simply forgot to write it down the last time!)
    How many times do you have to change a password to keep a kid off. You're telling me kids are constantly hacking your system yet you can't remember the password to keep them out?
    Exactly, that and what are you doing on your computer that you do not want your children to see?
  • GoChiefs
    Keebler wrote:
    BORIStheCrusher wrote:
    ott75 wrote: ( I changed it often to keep kids off computer and simply forgot to write it down the last time!)
    How many times do you have to change a password to keep a kid off. You're telling me kids are constantly hacking your system yet you can't remember the password to keep them out?
    Exactly, that and what are you doing on your computer that you do not want your children to see?
    I don't see where he said the kids were HIS kids. I have a friend that does this as well..his wife's family will come over..and the kids will get on the computers..play games..download stuff..all while he's at work..and a couple of times I had to fix his computer b/c he'd get a virus b/c of them. So finally..he had enough..and just password protected his computer so he's the only one that has access to it.
  • Nate
    GoChiefs wrote:
    Keebler wrote:
    BORIStheCrusher wrote:
    ott75 wrote: ( I changed it often to keep kids off computer and simply forgot to write it down the last time!)
    How many times do you have to change a password to keep a kid off. You're telling me kids are constantly hacking your system yet you can't remember the password to keep them out?
    Exactly, that and what are you doing on your computer that you do not want your children to see?
    I don't see where he said the kids were HIS kids. I have a friend that does this as well..his wife's family will come over..and the kids will get on the computers..play games..download stuff..all while he's at work..and a couple of times I had to fix his computer b/c he'd get a virus b/c of them. So finally..he had enough..and just password protected his computer so he's the only one that has access to it.
    Nothing wrong with assuming it is his kids. Either way, if you have to write down a password to just login to you computer, you shouldn't have one. There are other ways of preventing people from getting on your computer.

    If you are going to put a password on it, make sure you have more than 1 admin user so that you can get in through one of the accounts to fix the other.
  • GoChiefs
    Keebler wrote: Nothing wrong with assuming it is his kids.
    Well I disagree..when your making that assumption and then questioning him like he's doing something illegal on his computer that he must hide it from his children.

    I don't care either way..I was just letting you know why some people do this. It's not like it's unheard of. Forgetting passwords isn't an uncommon thing.
  • Nate
    GoChiefs wrote:
    Keebler wrote: Nothing wrong with assuming it is his kids.
    Well I disagree..when your making that assumption and then questioning him like he's doing something illegal on his computer that he must hide it from his children.

    I don't care either way..I was just letting you know why some people do this. It's not like it's unheard of. Forgetting passwords isn't an uncommon thing.
    I know forgetting passwords isn't an uncommon thing. I work in IT but if you lack the common sense to remember a password that you HAVE to use every time you get on to a computer, you probably shouldn't have one.
  • iclfan2
    I agree with Keebler. How hard is it to think of one unique password that kids won't be able to think of? They are kids! You shouldn't have to change it that often. Also, like stated above, there should be password help prompts if you can't remember it.