Help installing Windows (It's not THAT simple!)

By TrickyDickie
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TrickyDickie

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This is a bit of a story, so please bear with me!

 

My sister died a few months ago, and we have her laptop, which may contain images of her children and or family photos, as well as important documents.

 

The problem is this: Her Windows 7 user account is a password protected admin account and there is only a normal guest account.

There is a password hint and we tried hundreds of guesses...lol

 

I can't re-install windows because there is also a password on the bios that won't let me boot from USB / DVD, or use the laptop's built-in recovery stuff.

 

A friend took the laptop apart, but cannot find any way to reset the BIOS, and I scoured the net trying to find a way around this (trying default passwords etc.) with no luck.

 

However, we have a plan - We removed the hard drive and I will plug it into my PC and boot with a Linux Live CD to remove documents (Hopefully not encrypted or anything like that lol), and will therefore have an opportunity to install windows (I have an OEM disk, and the key is on the bottom of the laptop).

 

What I don't want, though, is for Windows to detect my hardware and install drivers etc. while the hard drive is connected to my PC.

Is there a way to either copy the setup to the HDD and install, or start the install in my PC and return the hard drive to the laptop to complete?

Any other options? I imagine that setup could read from the DVD drive, just not boot from it.

 

Any suggestions are most warmly welcomed!

 

Thanks

 

Richard

 

 

 

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LittleNeutrino Veteran

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you can always just reset her user account password.

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/96630/how-to-reset-your-forgotten-windows-password-the-easy-way/

 

or Enable the hidden admin account on the PC 

 

http://www.petri.co.il/enable-the-windows-7-administrator-account.htm

  • InTheSwiss and The Evil Overlord
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The Evil Overlord

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if you get a usb enclosure for the hard drive, then the host computer should be able to read the drive without trying to boot it

note I said should, it's hit and miss sometimes

 

that's one option if you REALLY need to save the files and pics on the drive

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spikey_richie

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if you get a usb enclosure for the hard drive, then the host computer should be able to read the drive without trying to boot it

note I said should, it's hit and miss sometimes

 

that's one option if you REALLY need to save the files and pics on the drive

 

This, but make sure your boot priority is set correctly in the BIOS before trying to boot...  which you can't do.

 

I hope you get the data off, for your families sake.

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riahc3

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Hello,

As much as this story is true (probably is), we cannot give help to pass any security measures.

I have some ideas so you can PM and thru PM I can help you out. :)

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TrickyDickie

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you can always just reset her user account password.

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/96630/how-to-reset-your-forgotten-windows-password-the-easy-way/

 

or Enable the hidden admin account on the PC 

 

http://www.petri.co.il/enable-the-windows-7-administrator-account.htm

 

Nope! - Can't boot from DVD (Bloody BIOS password!) and the only other account is Guest - Even if it elevates when trying to open the Admin Command Prompt, I still don't have the password!

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paul0544

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Once you have recovered your data you can install Windows up to the stage where its copied the files to the drive and performs the first reboot. At this point power the machine off to halt the install.

 

Remove the drive and put it in the PC you want to run that installation of windows on and it will continue installing on the 2nd PC as normal. This works well, I have had to do this on other PCs where the bios password was lost and recovery failed.

 

I hope this helps you out.

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Ironman273

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Nope! - Can't boot from DVD (Bloody BIOS password!) and the only other account is Guest - Even if it elevates when trying to open the Admin Command Prompt, I still don't have the password!

Reset the BIOS password so you can boot from DVD or USB.  I'm not sure what brand the laptop is, though.

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TrickyDickie

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Hello,

As much as this story is true (probably is), we cannot give help to pass any security measures.

I have some ideas so you can PM and thru PM I can help you out. :)

 

Umm..Yeah - That just made me think about what I asked here lol.

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TrickyDickie

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Once you have recovered your data you can install Windows up to the stage where its copied the files to the drive and performs the first reboot. At this point power the machine off to halt the install.

 

Remove the drive and put it in the PC you want to run that installation of windows on and it will continue installing on the 2nd PC as normal. This works well, I have had to do this on other PCs where the bios password was lost and recovery failed.

 

I hope this helps you out.

 

I think I'll try this method after using the Linux live cd.

Thanks

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+BudMan MVC

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First thing - sorry for your loss. As mentioned a usb enclosure or just a cable is quite often the simplest way to access a drive while not having to connect it to your PC via sata or pata.

example

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002

Vantec 2.5"/3.5"/5.25" SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter - Model CB-ISATAU2

Then you can just take ownership of any files/directories and copy the files over to your machine.

This works as long as the drive or files are not encrypted/locked in some way.

As to a bios password, they have gotten harder to reset/break without replacement of chip, etc. Your best bet would be to call the maker of the laptop. Normally they have a master password that can be used to reset, as long as you can prove ownership of the laptop. Ie family member after death should work, you might have to prove your story with some paperwork, etc.

This might be your best best if bios password locked disk, etc.

As mentioned, this sort of discussion is not really promoted here on neowin. Even if your reasons are valid and legit, the information given in the thread could be used by people with less than honorable intentions.

Even if you can get the files off the disk, and even if you could get OS installed on it, etc. You would still want to reset the bios password in the long term. So I highly suggest you contact the manufacturer of the laptop for support of this nature.

  • Pygmy_Hippo, The Evil Overlord and teknix360
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The Evil Overlord

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Sorry, I was rushed and had to go to pick up my children, My deepest condolences.

The subject is technically, a violation somewhere as it is circumventing a security feature, but under the circumstances no one here with a heart will mind too much.

Again, sorry for the hasty reply earlier.

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snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member

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I really doubt this falls under violation of what we are allowed to talk about. The OP or OP's family owns the HDD now that his sister passed away so it is simply a recovery issue at this point and not of illegally accessing someone else's files.

 

This wouldn't even have been mentioned if the thread had been -- "I lost access to my machine because I can't remember the password, how do I get my files back?" I'm rather sure the very same recovery discussion has occurred hundreds and hundreds of times over the years on these forums. Guess we should never discuss anything that a nefarious user could potentially latch onto at some point to do something bad no matter how simple it is for them to figure out or whether it is being discussed under legitimate circumstances  :laugh:

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TrickyDickie

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Update!

Plugged the hdd into my machine and booted with an old Linux live cd and copied the users folder (the whole lot!) to a usb key. Checked some files and they don't seem to be encrypted. And there are some photos and videos we hadn't seen.

will plug it in to the laptop tomorrow and hopefully have windows running. (I installed up to the first reboot as suggested earlier)

I will contact packard bell about the bios password - perhaps flash the bios from windows instead? Surely this would take the password off?

[edits because this phone keeps truncating my posts!]

  • snaphat (Myles Landwehr) and Pygmy_Hippo
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thechronic

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For Future reference and as a summary i guess;

 

If it's a Laptop Sata Drive you can either use a USB Enclosure or insert it into a computer, without causing any harm and you can use the 'Take Ownership' Reg Edit to make it easy to get access to files that you don't have permission to open. (Saves learning how to do it the 'proper way').

 

The Bios Removal is a tricky one. Hopefully Packard Bell Assist!

I was fortunate with a bunch of HP Laptops to discover the (Official) HP Protect Tools. With this App that let me add 'new users' to the Bios (which had a GUI Overlay) - giving me 'some' access to certain features and allowing me to pass the Bios and Start-up Passwords (involved swapping drives, messing about). Perhaps you'll be this lucky!

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zhangm Supervisor

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The staff have decided that this thread is ok. Please keep the discussion to support rather than speculation. Otherwise, next thing you know, we'll all be checking each other's activation statuses. :)

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TrickyDickie

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Anyone think that flashing the bios will remove the password?

I don't think it is still under warranty.

 

This is the only thing from the original post left to do - I have all the data I wanted, and have installed and updated Windows 7 on it (With the original key).

 

Also, there is no recovery partition now. Not my fault. It just sort of 'fell off'...lol

 

Having said this, I have a recovery image of the fresh installation, so this BIOS password can stay. I don't care - I don't want yet another damn computer to maintain anyway. Download those "Blah blah.mp3.EXE" files anyone...? lol

Bloody people won't listen to me. And tracks are only 79 pence on Amazon...

 

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions from you all to help me get the files and re-install.

Very much appreciated.

 

Richard

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