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Password!!!

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by anwar®

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I have changed the password of my NT Server Machine. While I try to login to it it is not accepting the password. I have write down the password on a paper to remember it but it is not working. Please help me in recovering the NT 'Administrator' account password.

Thanks

17 replies

by emcs

Check to see if the password works in the 'other case'. (ie upper or lower)
Good luck.

dennie

by lordinfidel

I am going to assume that you have changed the administrator password to the Local Machine.

There may be some solutions..

IF this machine is Joined to a domain, Log into the domain using a Domain Admin account. From there you can reset the Local Machines Admin User Account.

If this is a Stand Alone Server, with NO domain membership, AND NO other admin accounts Set Up on the machine that you can log in with. I hate to say it but it will require a new install. There is no way around it (minus hacking in to your own machine via telnet using a brute force tool, which by that time you can reinstall the OS)

B4 you go to that extreme, unless this was a fresh install and it doesn't matter... Keep trying variations of the password. Check your caps lock.

Also Where did you change the account (on what machine).

Is this server a PDC? BDC? Stand Alone? Member Server?

Was this a fresh Install?

by lordinfidel

Definetly try NT experts reply below.....
Hopefully you made an ERD after your inital install. But be careful.....

I believe though the sam is part of the registry (HKLM\SAM), when you choose, "restore the registry" you might mess up some programs and drivers. So be prepared.

You only have 4 options that you can restore from the erd.
1. Inspect Reg files
2. Inspect Startup enviroment
3. Verify Nt sys files
4. Inspect Boot Sector

I think after selecting which item you want, you are pronpted for the erd and it repairs the selections you made. I don't think you have the option of just restoring the sam. But I can be wrong. If you get that option, obviously thats all you want to do.

by ntexpert1

Dear Friend,
If you had tried each and every PASSWORD you can give even with CAPS LOCK on and OFF positions, You can now go for a restore through Emergency Repair Disk. Start the computer with Windows NT Setup Disk I in the Floppy Drive, When it asks supply Disk II then in the Welcome Message Select "R" to Repair, In the Next Step, Select Using Emergency Repair Disk. Now, when it asks supply Disk III and after that supply "Emergency Repair Disk", when asked. After the Process is completed, restart and your OLD Password will be the Active Password.

by tamj123

long way to recover:

01. Install an alternate copy of Windows NT.

02. Boot the alternate install.

03. Use Control Panel / System / Startup.. to change the default boot instance to your original install.

04. In the original Windows NT folder, navigate to the \System32 sub-folder.

05. Save a copy of logon.scr, the default logon screen saver.

06. Delete logon.scr.

07. Copy CMD.EXE to logon.scr.

08. Shutdown and restart your original install.

09. Wait for the logon screensaver to initiate. It will actually open a CMD prompt, in the context of the local system account.

10. Type MUSRMGR, into the CMD prompt from step 09, to execute User Manager, and reset the Administrator's password.

11. Delete the logon.scr from %SystemRoot%\System32.

12. Rename the saved default screen saver, from step 05, to logon.scr.

13. If you wish to keep the alternate install:

Compress its' folder.

ATTRIB -R -S -H c:\boot.ini

Edit c:\boot.ini and change the text of the alternate installs 2 entries to ALTNT.

14. If you wish to remove the alternate install:

Delete its' folder.

ATTRIB -R -S -H c:\boot.ini

Edit c:\boot.ini and remove the alternate install'stwo (2) entries.

by ewing bettles

I have used the process described by HAHA in answer#4 - it works quite well. There are a few things that probably should be explained about it, though, for you to better understand it.

A screensaver is actually an application, like any other. Normally it is named with a specific extension (.scr), but the O/S will cause it to run as the application it is.

The default Logon Screensaver that NT uses is logon.scr, as described in answer4. It is possible that this has been changed to some other screensaver through editing the .default user hive in the registry. This isn't done very often, but it is possible that a machine isn't using logon.scr for its logon screensaver.

Installing the second copy of NT is actually only required if your system partition is installed as an NTFS partition or as a FAT partition greater than 2Gb. By analysing the process, you see that the changes are all basic file system commands, which can be done through a DOS boot disk if the system partition is a recognizable DOS FAT partition. I haven't tested this yet, but I beleive that it would even be possible to accomplish this by booting with a Windows 2000 cd and choosing the Recovery Console options to repair a damaged install. The Recovery Console would examine your system and not find any Windows 2000 installs to repair, but you would still have the option of loading the RC for its basic file system capabilities - which just happen to include the ability to read/write to NTFS partitions.

Good luck, -Ewing

by cviehweg

I have an utility that you can use to recover passwords (even encrypted). I will send it to your e-mail address. Please let me know when you get it and if it helped.

Cordell

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