Logon without domain - Offline Laptop

[crazihouse]

So I have a laptop that my friend got from a company.

It connected to the company's domain. And now that he no longer works there, whenever he tries logging onto the computer (Windows 2000 Professional), it will not let him since the company obviously no longer accepts him as user. He does not know the laptop's administrator's password.

In the end, all he wants to do is backup some files (maybe 50mb in total)

What could we do to be able to access the laptop's hard drive without obviously reformatting the computer just as of yet?

[Edit]Also, when he's at the log-on prompt, it does not say "Logon to xyz (this computer)" and says "Log on using dial-up connection".[/Edit]

Thanks :)

[Intelligen]

Well first, reset the local administrator password:

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm#4

Then, login, and remove it from domain

Also, if you just want some data, get the cable to connect ide to small 3.5 hdd. That way you can access the data through another hdd. There are also read-only NTFS boot disks out there that will give you access to the hdd through a command prompt.

But reseting local admin password is easy enough to do.

[crazihouse]

Alright, I reset the Administrator password, however I am still not able to logon to the actual computer. It only lets me try to logon to the company's domain network. How can I set it to logon to the computer?

In other words, how can I set Windows to enable logging on locally without using the Windows GUI, since I can't login in the first place?

Thanks

Edited January 29, 2006 by crazihouse

[Intelligen]

So its only letting you to logon to domain or dialup connection?

Sounds like domain administrator removed the logon locally option. Try booting into safe mode, since you reset the admin password, you should be able to get in then. then remove from domain. Choose network support in safe mode when booting though.

[crazihouse]

Yeah :(

It won't let me choose what to log on to.

It only gives me the option of logging on using dial-up and shutting down/etc. but no selection to log on to.

[Edit]Just saw your edit, I'll try that right away and get back. Thanks![/Edit]

[crazihouse]

Alright, tried safe mode, and same thing.... this is probably something they changed in the registry. Any other suggestions? Anyone know what to change in the registry to disable the company's change?

(Austrumi let's you change the registry's settings)

[Intelligen]

I've been searching and haven't found anything. You may need to just use BARTPE and get into the system that way. BAckup your data, and format that sucker

[semaja2.net]

when im in these cases what i do is use something like knoppix to boot in and take files, but at a lan the other day i used a program to crack the SAM file and give me the admin password

it was in a episode of the broken which should still be up for downloading

[crazihouse]

Alright, but how do I disable the company's prevention to log on to the local computer?

Is it a registry setting?

Thanks

[jahamus]

Check the Local Security Policy on your computer (Control Panel->Administrative Tools)...

Security Settings->Local Policies->User Rights Assginment

Check the "Deny logon locally" and "Logon locally policies".

[Liquid]

Check the Local Security Policy on your computer (Control Panel->Administrative Tools)...

Security Settings->Local Policies->User Rights Assginment

Check the "Deny logon locally" and "Logon locally policies".

To bad you have to logon to do that.

[s0nic69]

To bad you have to logon to do that.

logon on, in safe mode and do that, u should still see a local admin acdount on safe mode, well im pretty sure.

[semaja2.net]

well if worst comes to worst just backup using a flasdrive/floppy and knoppix then reformat

[Ideas Man]

If you reinstall, shouldn't it reset most of that so you can still access it?

[Intelligen]

you may be able to try a repair on the os, maybe it will set it back, but i doubt it. Its a registry GP they have. (well GP are just registry changes anyhow)

Your better off just hookin it up to a spare system with a ide to laptop cable. They are dirt cheap.

[Liquid]

logon on, in safe mode and do that, u should still see a local admin acdount on safe mode, well im pretty sure.

I love how people are reading that post.

HE CAN'T LOGON. AT ALL.

[s0nic69]

I love how people are reading that post.

HE CAN'T LOGON. AT ALL.

he didnt say that ohe could not log on in safe mode as admin in the original post, and i missed that he could not log on as admin on a fallow up post, stop making such a big deal over missing a fallow up post, why dont u try helping instead? might help him out instead of pointing out my mistake. :sleep2:

[Marshalus Veteran]

If it has a CDROM you can boot from, throw in a Linux live CD as others have suggested. As long as you can read NTFS hard drives just copy them and wipe the sucker clean.

[p858snake]

take to the it deparment from the company he brought it from??

[bobbba]

First, if he is not presented with a list of "logon to" items even if the "option" button is selected at the ctrl-alt-del, it probably is not in the domain anymore. Even if it is, you can logon locally by selecting the local pc from the drop down list.

If you can't logon locally, this can be fixed by booting from a product like ERD commander to reset the local admin password. It can then be removed from the domain.

[crazihouse]

Hi! Sorry for the massive delay, I just forgot bout the topic.

What I did was use semaja2's advice and downloaded Knoppix.

From there, I connected to another computer on the network and simply transfered the files that needed to be backed up.

After that, I reformatted and transfered back. Now I know the *real* use of Knoppix :)

Thanks a bunch!

[jafoman]

I guess this is why the company did what it did... It's their laptop, and anything you put on the laptop is technically theirs. Don't put private files on a work laptop that aren't already copies of files you already have somewhere else. Why on earth does this guy still have the laptop?

[JiveMasterT]

isn't there an option to log in remotely? like how did the log in before when he took the laptop places? i guess it doesn't matter since it's formatted away though.

[crazihouse]

Why he still has the laptop?

I don't know for a fact, but because he left after many years working there, they gave it to him or something. Or maybe he wasn't necessarily on good terms with them after his departure. In all cases, I'm not defending the company for disabling logging on without domain, but just needed a way to contour it, and you all helped me. Thanks! :)