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What is Win2000 password file extension?

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by michelinda 2 views

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We have a server that has recently been set up in our plant. The problem is, the guys that set it up password protected it. The password they gave us, does not work. A man from the company that installed it has come down and cannot get into the computer. I know that in Win 95 and 98 the password files end in .pwl. But I don't know what they might end in for Win 2000. Does anyone know what file extension Win2000 uses or any other way to delete the passwords and redo it? I don't know ANYTHING about Win2000 and we are really stuck.

Thanks in advance.

3 replies

by billc124

You are kind of stuck here. There is no file that contains the passwords in Windows 2000. Here is what Microsoft says about passwords in Windows 2000. You may end up reinstalling the OS on this PC or worse, reformatting and starting over. Anyway, this info from Microsoft will shed some light on this for you.

If a user password is lost, forgotten, or unknown, the only method to reset the
password is for the administrator (or a user with administrative access) to log
on and reset the password in Computer Management. There is no method in the
Windows 2000 security model to bypass, disable, or reset the password.

If the administrator password is lost, forgotten, or unknown, access to the
computer may not be obtainable and the operating system may need to be
reinstalled.

The Windows 2000 security framework is designed to fulfill the most stringent
security requirements.

The Windows 2000 Setup program creates a user account called Administrator on
your computer that has administrative privileges for managing the overall
configuration of your computer. The Administrator account is intended for the
person who manages this computer. For security reasons, specify a password for
the Administrator account. Leaving the Administrator password blank indicates no
password for the account.

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