Windows Forum
by aaron h.
Robbyr2,
The Offline NT Password Recovery utility listed at the address below is exactly what you need. There are other ways to go about recovering a local machine password but this one is a great tool to have in any admin toolbox. Read the page, build the bootable disk and you should be on your way to a new admin password in no time.
by robbyr2
by joseph moore
Is the machine a Domain member, or is it a stand-alone system, belonging to its own Workgroup?
If it IS a domain member, then this is easy. All you would have to do is log onto the machine with a domain Administrator-level account (like the Administrator account for the domain itself, or your own account if you are a domain administrator or Domain Admin).
Once logged into the machine with the domain administrator account, open User Manager.
User Manager will want to open the NT Domain listby default. Click File -> Choose Domain and type in the name of the computer itself in the Domain box.
That will bring up the local machines user list, including its Local Administrator account.
At that point, double-click on the local admin account and change the password. Click OK and you are set.
Also, if the machine (still a domain member for this example) is connected to your LAN/WAN and you can access it, you can try to use User Manager on your system to do this same thing (putting in the machine name in the browsing Domain box to choose it), but I have found that User Manager doesn't work all that well remotely like this. I use a 3rd party tool called Dameware NT Utilities in this situation. It works great for modifying a remote system's user accounts.
www.dameware.com
Now, if the NT box is NOT a domain member, and it is a stand-alone (in its own WORKGROUP), then this is harder. Is there another local account on the machine that as admin rights? If so, log in with that account, open User Manager and change the local admin password.
If not, then you are gonna have to work to get in. If this is the scenario, I also agree with Answer1 and using the Offline NT boot floppy. I have used it several times, all with success, and with NO problems. Yes, it throws up all kinds of warnings and such, but it works wonderfully! A Linux boot floppy that can unhash the NT SAM file in seconds!
by joseph moore
Now, there are other software password crackers out there; you will get posts on them. I won't go into listing them all.
The other solution that I like that does work is to install a 2nd copy of NT on the same machine, on a separate partition (D: drive for example), then performing the LOGON.SCR-CMD.EXE swap. You do the 2nd install, boot up into it, then open a Explorer window and go to C: drive (the original install). You rename the existing LOGON.SCR file to LOGON.OLD. Next, make a copy of CMD.EXE, and call the copy LOGON.SCR.
Reboot, and choose the original install (the one you are locked out of)
When the 1st install is up, do NOT try and log in. Let the machine sit there for 15 minutes until the default screen saver comes up.
BUT instead of a screen saver, a Command Prompt opens up! The Command Prompt starts up under the Local System account. And, Local System has Local Administrative rights by default! So, anything you do in this Command Prompt works with admin rights!
So, in the Command Prompt, you type in USRMGR.EXE to open User Manager on the local machine. You would see the local machine accounts, including the local Administrator.
Change the password.
That is it! You can then close User Manager, close the Command Prompt, and log in as the local Administrator with the password you just set.
The only cost is some time and the drive space of the 2nd install.
But, if you are gonna walk a user over this on the phone, then this option would be a nightmare!
hope this helps
by robbyr2
by robbyr2
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