Can't get Computer Name (XP)

[adn_cube]

Hello to you all, first please excuse my english for it's not my former language.

I just did something very stupid at work this morning.

We have a client computer under Windows XP Pro.

The network configuration on this computer had some things wrong (IP Adress, DNS, wins etc...) and our DPC had some problems to fully accept that client.

Ok, no problem, we move the client OUT of the domain, and we put it back in, clean. That should do it.

This computer is, for now, in NO domain. More exactly on the standard local group named WORKGROUP.

So we just have to log in back locally with the local administrator account we used before, restart our network configuration from the beginning, and put it back on the domain, this time correctly.

But...our administrator account to locally log in...is made of :

A login :

(the same one for ALL the computers of the company

A password :

made of the 3 same letters (always) and the LAST numbers and letters of the COMPUTER NAME.

Some of you perhaps see where I am coming...

I did NOT write down the name of the computer...(my boss is very happy atm...)

So I don't have anymore the local password, and of course I didn't add my administrator login as a local login... /clap

My question is :

Is there a way to see the computer name (the one you see when you right click on Computer / Network Identification), without starting the OS ? The problem is that the name is crypted while generated, I mean it follows no law. Techs are supposed to stick it on the laptop, but they forgot this one.

I tried a lot of things, even the safe mode doesn't show me the computer name.

Is there a way I remove the hard drive, put it on another computer, and find the name of that damn computer again ?

Because now...the computer is not usable anymore...

I hope the explaination of my problem is ok...feel free to ask me for details, and thanks by advance if you can help me.

adn_cube

http://www.eskwad.com

http://www.e-skwad.com

[k22]

could you boot to a command prompt (from the safe mode menu) and issue the SET cmd; Computer Name should be the 6th line

[adn_cube]

Hmm ok I will try that ! However when I use F5 while booting, even if I choose Command Line, it asks me for the Login and Pass.

I am gonna check if I missed an option...

[Turge2000]

When you boot up the system and it prompts you for the password, what do you see? The classic window logon screen, or the XP Welcome screen?

If you don't see the classic logon screen, press control-alt-delete twice and it should come up.

On the classic logon screen, you should see Username, Password and possibly Logon To (Maybe Workgroup, or domain). If you click the down-arrow beside Logon To, it should show you the computer name.

[k22]

  Turge2000 said:

When you boot up the system and it prompts you for the password, what do you see? The classic window logon screen, or the XP Welcome screen?

If you don't see the classic logon screen, press control-alt-delete twice and it should come up.

On the classic logon screen, you should see Username, Password and possibly Logon To (Maybe Workgroup, or domain). If you click the down-arrow beside Logon To, it should show you the computer name.

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yeah but since he is off of the domain it doesn't have a logon to field

[adn_cube]

k22 : Ok I checked again. I hit F5 during boot up, and whataver I choose (even Safe mode with Command Line) it shows me the User and Password window. The system won't show me any prompt :(

Turge2000 : That was true when the computer was configured to reach any of our domains. Effectively we could see the "third window" aka Domain Names or "This Computer" with the "so valuable" computer name when we choosed to locally log in.

Since the computer has been set to log on his own Local Group, no way to get this third window anymore. Of course, for the system now, there's no need to :(

Furthermore, I tried to log with a boot disk onto wich I copied NTDetect.com, Boot.ini and NTLDR from another XP. The boot never occured correctly, and never shew me any prompt... Murphy's law...

Hopefully the DATA on this comp is not so important than it seemed, so if I can't find a solution we will just reghost it and WRITE DOWN that damn name once for all.

[c.grz]

Try resolving the IP address, it may resolve to the old host name.

Or try looking in the DHCP logs, for any machine that had the IP the machine currently has.

[adn_cube]

TheReasonIFailed : I tried that first, but it didn't work, probably because of the initial problem of the computer, the fact that it couldn't be fully recognized by the DPC.

It's a client with his own IP Adress, not dynamic, so there is no trace of its activity on any log, on any server (just checked), so no way to solve its IP Adress.

I know, it seems complicated...it's just so dumb... :(

And now that it works locally, when I let it on the window asking for the Login and Pass, I can't ping its IP from another computer !

Dunno if it's linked to the fact it works locally now, and that it's not anymore supposed to log on a domain...

There is still activity behind the network card.

[c.grz]

Maybe a domain log?

It may show you removing the PC from domain.

[MerlinTheCat]

Should be quite simple -

1. Attach the pc to the network an boot it up, just leave at the log in prompt.

2. Go to another pc on the network and browse through network neighbourhood or network plces\entirenetwork into the workgroup, any pcs that are a member of the workgroup should be displayed here.

[MerlinTheCat]

also, check the computer accounts in active directory, moving the pc locally does not necaserilly delete the computer account from active directory.

[adn_cube]

MerlinTheCat :

  Quote

Should be quite simple -

1. Attach the pc to the network an boot it up, just leave at the log in prompt.

2. Go to another pc on the network and browse through network neighbourhood or network plces\entirenetwork into the workgroup, any pcs that are a member of the workgroup should be displayed here.

!!! I try that asap !!

[AxelStone]

  MerlinTheCat said:

Should be quite simple -

1. Attach the pc to the network an boot it up, just leave at the log in prompt.

2. Go to another pc on the network and browse through network neighbourhood or network plces\entirenetwork into the workgroup, any pcs that are a member of the workgroup should be displayed here.

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or nbtstat, or look for barts pe disk. Make one and have winternals plugin installed on it. That way you can pull the name out of the registry.

[teh h4x0r5]

Alternatively, you could reset the admin password with a windows resetter linux live disc. For obvious reasons, I cannot give you the link to download this with, but the NFO is as below and the ISO itself is 2.51MB:

  Quote

Windows Admin Hack allows you to reset the administrator password on Windows 2000 & XP.

The ISO must be burned onto a CD or Flash drive.

When you boot the PC with the CD, a mini version of linux starts which allows you to reset the administrator password to whatever you want.

If you still can't find it and want it, PM me. ;)