password recovery?

Question

when i turn on m y computer i need to type a password to start up my computer but unfortunatly i don't remember the password since i didn't use this computer some 2 years ago! what should i do to recover this password wihtout deleting all the information

Answer 1

If it is Windows 95, 98, ME just press cancel.
Windows 2000 or XP you will need a password recovery tool

Look at the link below - Ophcrack

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm

Answer 2

The site below should help you out here:

How can I gain access to a Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 computer if I forgot the administrator's password and how can I reset the administrator's password if I forgot it?

www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

Inportant Note: You might want to copy that site or print it out and look over the directions a bit before you attempt the steps.

Answer 3

You can download a tool used for cracking passwords...

some free solutions:
Ophcrack has a live cd
Cain and Abel from www.oxid.it will dump and crack your passwords

both will dump the SAM file that contains your password in its hash form and will attempt to brute force the password so that you can see what it is.
If you used a weak password ... for instance, just letters and numbers and no special characters.. this will be revealed to you in a matter or minutes (if not less).

The average windows password that contains 1 uppercase and some lowercase and numbers can be cracked in 3.2 seconds.

Good luck.

Answer 4

If it's the windows logon, you can download free software to reset the password. If it's a hardware password (you're being asked right away, even before windows loads) then you reset that by physically removing the CMOS battery for a few seconds, then putting it back in.

It's the flat silver battery that looks like a coin.

Answer 5

You can try hitting F8 to go into safe mode and reset the password there, assuming your admin account isn't pass protected either.

Answer 6

Check out these useful links:-
For Administrator passwords:
http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm
http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/01/forgot-your-windows-password-no.html
http://www.lostpassword.com/windows.htm

For BIOS passwords:
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml
http://pwcrack.com/bios.shtml
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/CmosPwd

Hope these help & good luck,