Windows Vista Forgot Password

[Dinggus]

My buddy has a HP laptop, he forgot his password to his main account. I log into his Guest, can't do anything without admin password. His CD rom drive doesn't seem to work.

Does anyone have or know of a password recovery/resetter that could boot USB? There are supposedly some very important documents on there that I'm in need of.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

This topic is bound to get locked as it breaks NeoWin rules..

[Dinggus]

There's rules on asking how to help my friend get his password back?

[djdanster]

This topic is bound to get locked as it breaks NeoWin rules..

Password resetting should hardly be against Neowin's rules. People have it done daily in local PC stores. It's not like he stated he stole it :p ;)

[skilithead]

You said your after some of his important docs . If they were in fact important , you buddy would surely know his own password . Your story is highly suspect .

[Dinggus]

You said your after some of his important docs . If they were in fact important , you buddy would surely know his own password . Your story is highly suspect .

Read what I posted.

There are supposedly some very important documents on there that I'm in need of.

If you think it's suspect then stop reading my thread unless you're willing to help out.

---

Right now I have PCLoginNow on a USB, doing a system restore real quick to see if I can gain some access that way.

[skilithead]

Just an observation .

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Password resetting should hardly be against Neowin's rules. People have it done daily in local PC stores. It's not like he stated he stole it :p ;)

From the rules:

Discussions involving warez, cracks, security circumvention, using torrents for downloading copyrighted or illegal material is strictly prohibited. This includes music files or other unauthorized software. Asking for help in doing so will cause warns or suspensions of accounts.

[Dinggus]

If you guys must know its pictures and documents from when we were in Iraq for 15 months.

[Dinggus]

Also, I'm on a mac. So I'm trying to learn how to make bootable USB's. His CD room isn't working anymore.

[nub]

Actually, if you just boot into linux can't you access the ntfs partition and pull the files off? They're not encrypted, you can ignore the permissions.

[lars77]

Actually, if you just boot into linux can't you access the ntfs partition and pull the files off? They're not encrypted, you can ignore the permissions.

Or, just pull out the hard drive & plug it into another computer? (or plug it into a USB adapter thing)

Recovering docs off it is extremely easy from another computer (unless your friend went to the trouble of encrypting his hard drive). You really only need the pw if your friend intends to keep the laptop & use it, otherwise if he/she has no need for it then reformatting shouldn't be a problem.

You might want to do this on a non-Mac, you're adding some extra hurdles there for yourself. Then again, I think Macs can read NTFS hard drives so you should still be able to plug in the Vista hard drive via USB & read the files off it.

[Detection]

Take the drive out and install it as a slave drive in another machine, copy documents, done

There are plenty of password removal programs if you google for them

[Dinggus]

I don't know what my friend did but on his Guest account, you can't do anything. No internet, installing programs, nothing.

Right now I'm using UNetbootin which is making a bootable USB from my Mac. It's putting PCLoginNow on the USB. I'll give updates.

[quick]

Take the drive out and install it as a slave drive in another machine, copy documents, done

This is really the easiest way, if you have a external usb hard drive enclosure, if you have a desktop with a sata cable free you could also just plug it in there, I've done it before.

I'm assuming its a laptop, so removal isn't so difficult, there is usually screws on the bottom of the laptop which gives you direct access to the drive, just remember to remove the adapter deal that's usually stuck on the end of the hard drive, then put it in a usb enclosure, or plug it in to a desktop pc via sata and power cable. Boot and copy the files over, if windows gives you trouble just change the permissions of the folders etc...

[lars77]

I don't have a HD enclosure. Wouldn't it still ask for the password to his main account?

No (unless your friend went to the trouble of encrypting his hard drive, which seems unlikely).

[Dinggus]

I doubt he did, I can't even get his computer to boot USB.

I went into Bios and moved all USB to the top of the list. Nothing.

[John S. Veteran]

From the rules:

Discussions involving warez, cracks, security circumvention, using torrents for downloading copyrighted or illegal material is strictly prohibited. This includes music files or other unauthorized software. Asking for help in doing so will cause warns or suspensions of accounts.

thread closed