Password for Win7: A friend would like to have a look at the UHH forum, but right now cannot access anything beyond the opening screen of Win7. Her laptop is password protected...

EstherP

A friend would like to have a look at the UHH forum, but right now cannot access anything beyond the opening screen of Win7. Her laptop is password protected, apparently someone messed with the password, she doesn't know what it is now, and so can't access anything on her computer.
Does anyone here know of a way to change the password back or bypass it altogether.

Oh, there is an option to reset it with a "reset password flash stick or DVD" but she doesn't have that.
Any help anyone can give, she and I would be most grateful for.
EstherP

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/reset-password-windows-7.htm

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

As a rule, most laptops have windows loaded on a partition labeled drive "D". As I use an iMac I am not sure of the procedure, but you should be able to do system update by starting the laptop in safe mode and running system restore from an earlier date when the password was not active.

Terra Australis Loc: Australia

EstherP wrote:

A friend would like to have a look at the UHH foru... (show quote)

Might start here;
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm

Oliver.

rebride

I used Windows Password Reset a couple months ago.
http://www.windowspasswordreset.net/
I bought the $19.95 version. Not sure what the trial version is about.
It worked smooth and easy. I wasn't pulling my hair out.
It loads onto a CD or USB flash drive and you make a new password.
If you do not have success, I should have two more resets left and I could put it on a CD or USB and send it to you. Let me know.

mtclicker Loc: Montana

Jethro779. I like your avatar.

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

mtclicker wrote:

Jethro779. I like your avatar.

Thank you. I have had 3 other Shepherds, and 3 Rottweilers, & a Dobie, 2 Miniature Schnauzers, and 2 pit bulls. Isabelle was the most fun of all of them(the avatar). Oh and I forgot a Beagle as well.

EstherP

jethro779 wrote:

As a rule, most laptops have windows loaded on a partition labeled drive "D". As I use an iMac I am not sure of the procedure, but you should be able to do system update by starting the laptop in safe mode and running system restore from an earlier date when the password was not active.

No, windows runs from Drive C, in fact, there is no Drive D on her laptop. But system restore may be an option, at least I know how to get to safe mode :-)
Esther

EstherP

Wow, this is great. I'm going to Jane's house tomorrow morning, and will start with the website you provided, St3v3M. I know that she has the actual DVD with Win7.
If that doesn't work, I'll have a go with the "freebies" - Terra Australis: I'll do some reading tonight, and see which one I might like best.
Rebride, if I don't succeed at all, I'll have a closer look at Windows Password Reset.
Jane will be so happy if I can fix it for her. I talked to her tonight, and it was her nephew who thinks he knows "everything there is to know about computers and what he doesn't know isn't worth knowing." He's a 15-year old brat, and that's all I'll say about him.
Thank you all so very much! I'll report back tomorrow and let you know how it went!
EstherP

Terra Australis Loc: Australia

EstherP wrote:

Rebride, if I don't succeed at all, I'll have a closer look at Windows Password Reset.

it was her nephew who thinks he knows "everything there is to know about computers and what he doesn't know isn't worth knowing."

I use a version of Windows Password Reset on a USB stick. It works fine however if you have more than one drive it can get you discombobulated. This would not be a problem for the 15 year old as they know everything.

Or he could try Hiren's. He can get that from the usual place.

Oliver.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

EstherP wrote:

A friend would like to have a look at the UHH foru... (show quote)

Hi Esther, not sure if this works with Win7 but we had to get into an old laptop running XP recently.
Start up in Safe Mode and when it asks for the password,
type in the word Administrator, click on Go and wait.
Took a few minutes of our laptop. Do nothing else, just wait.
Once in, go to control panel and delete all passwords.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
PS, hopefully no one has set an Administrator Password. This won't work if they have. Fingers crossed for you.

EstherP

TonyP wrote:

Hi Esther, not sure if this works with Win7 but we had to get into an old laptop running XP recently.
Start up in Safe Mode and when it asks for the password,
type in the word Administrator, click on Go and wait.
Took a few minutes of our laptop. Do nothing else, just wait.
Once in, go to control panel and delete all passwords.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
PS, hopefully no one has set an Administrator Password. This won't work if they have. Fingers crossed for you.

This laptop used to have XP installed, my friend upgraded to Win7 - first mistake I think, 'cause it is slow as molasses in February.
My son also suggested to try Admin or Administrator for the password. I won't be able to try any of it till Sunday afternoon now, between my friend and I we have too many other commitments till then.
Once we got the thing going again, I think I will also instruct her to never use a PW on the Windows OS again.
Thanks, Tony!
EstherP

rebride

EstherP wrote:

This laptop used to have XP installed, my friend upgraded to Win7 - first mistake I think, 'cause it is slow as molasses in February.
My son also suggested to try Admin or Administrator for the password. I won't be able to try any of it till Sunday afternoon now, between my friend and I we have too many other commitments till then.
Once we got the thing going again, I think I will also instruct her to never use a PW on the Windows OS again.
Thanks, Tony!
EstherP

Ah, a XP die hard, aye?
Did your friend do an over-write upgrade or clean install?
How old is that computer. Might have to disable the Aero feature.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

EstherP wrote:

A friend would like to have a look at the UHH foru... (show quote)

If she gains access to it I suggest she password it so that nobody can gain access to it again and mess with the password settings. They are not meant to be easy to fix or thieves would have it easy.

rebride

jeep_daddy wrote:

If she gains access to it I suggest she password it so that nobody can gain access to it again and mess with the password settings. They are not meant to be easy to fix or thieves would have it easy.

A password, even way complicated, will only keep a honest person out.