| Subject: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 10:36:40 AM |
| From: "ColTom2" [Email Address Protection] |
Hi: I have a friend who bought a used HP laptop from Best Buy that had been returned and he does not know the User Password to be able to sign in. Previous owner apparently had established one. There must be a simple way to resolve this problem where he can delete the current unknown User Password? Can you boot to Safemode and delete User Password while in Safemode? Any assistance and/or fix will be appreciated. ColTom2 |
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| Subject: Re: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 10:43:15 AM |
| From: Paul Montgomery [Email Address Protection] |
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 13:36:40 -0400, "ColTom2" <noemailaddress@nomail.com> wrote: >Hi: > > I have a friend who bought a used HP laptop from Best Buy that had been >returned and he does not know the User Password to be able to sign in. >Previous owner apparently had established one. Tell the friend to take it back and have the situation corrected. > There must be a simple way to resolve this problem where he can delete the >current unknown User Password? Can you boot to Safemode and delete User >Password while in Safemode? > > Any assistance and/or fix will be appreciated. > >ColTom2 > |
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| Subject: Re: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 11:09:16 AM |
| From: "ColTom2" [Email Address Protection] |
He bought it at a really great discount price. "Paul Montgomery" <i.m.nonnymous@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message news:i8g5c4p7q4bj95s0e3ufkv90cs2aj7h1hk@4ax.com... On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 13:36:40 -0400, "ColTom2" <noemailaddress@nomail.com> wrote: >Hi: > > I have a friend who bought a used HP laptop from Best Buy that had been >returned and he does not know the User Password to be able to sign in. >Previous owner apparently had established one. Tell the friend to take it back and have the situation corrected. > There must be a simple way to resolve this problem where he can delete > the >current unknown User Password? Can you boot to Safemode and delete User >Password while in Safemode? > > Any assistance and/or fix will be appreciated. > >ColTom2 > |
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| Subject: Re: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 11:46:25 AM |
| From: Bruce Chambers [Email Address Protection] |
ColTom2 wrote: > Hi: > > I have a friend who bought a used HP laptop from Best Buy that had been > returned and he does not know the User Password to be able to sign in. > Previous owner apparently had established one. > If the person or business from whom your friend purchased the computer cannot give your friend the password, I would also strongly suggest that your friend check with local law enforcement agencies to ensure the laptop isn't stolen and he hasn't inadvertently purchased stolen property. > There must be a simple way to resolve this problem where he can delete the > current unknown User Password? Can you boot to Safemode and delete User > Password while in Safemode? > > Any assistance and/or fix will be appreciated. > > ColTom2 > > Simply log in using the built-in Administrator account (which cannot be deleted) and modify the desired account(s) and use Start > Run > "control userpasswords2" to modify the desired account(s). Failing that, Linux-based password cracking utilities abound on the Internet, freely available to anyone who can use Google. However, with second-hand computers, especially if acquired from strangers but perhaps even if acquired from a family member, your friend's wisest course of action would probably be to format the hard drives and start fresh. He doesn't want to get in trouble because the original owner may have filled the hard drive with kiddie porn, or have problems because the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware. Because Best Buy didn't reformat the hard drive and return that laptop to its original ex-factory condition before re-selling it, your friend should also seriously wonder what else is wrong with it. Simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.) -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot |
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| Subject: Re: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 12:04:32 PM |
| From: Bruce Chambers [Email Address Protection] |
ColTom2 wrote: > He bought it at a really great discount price. > Then I hope that getting "that really great discount price" was low enough to justify his getting a useless computer. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot |
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| Subject: Re: Login Password |
| Group: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general |
| Date: 9/6/2008 2:31:49 PM |
| From: "ColTom2" [Email Address Protection] |
The laptop was formerly a new laptop that someone had apparently used for a short period and returned to Best Buy. It was a "used" in this sense. I just got an email from him saying that his nephew came by his house and resolved the problem in less than 10 minutes. He did not describe what his nephew did, but apparently it was not as complicated as some have indicated. Thanks, ColTom2 "ColTom2" <noemailaddress@nomail.com> wrote in message news:uV9qfcEEJHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... Hi: I have a friend who bought a used HP laptop from Best Buy that had been returned and he does not know the User Password to be able to sign in. Previous owner apparently had established one. There must be a simple way to resolve this problem where he can delete the current unknown User Password? Can you boot to Safemode and delete User Password while in Safemode? Any assistance and/or fix will be appreciated. ColTom2 |
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