XP Password removal

wipe and load...otherwise...

TR members do not assist in password recovery or removal. Do not respond to this thread.

We, the members of TechRepublic - A Resource for IT Professionals, will not assist anyone in the recovery/removal of lost passwords. You may have a legitimate reason to recover/remove a password. However, we cannot verify your motives and will therefore not assist anyone in what may be an attempt at gaining unauthorized access to a computer system. Due to the open nature of this forum, any assistance given to help circumvent security measures, even for legitimate purposes, would be available for unscrupulous individuals to use for illegitimate purposes. This is a risk that we, the members of TechRepublic, will not take. Please do not ask questions of this nature on TechRepublic.

If you have a legitimate need to circumvent a password scheme, please contact your local computer repair store or the vendor for the software/hardware and request their assistance. E.g. Windows XP password recovery/removal issues should be taken up with Microsoft's technical support, Phoenix BIOS password recovery/removal issues should be taken up with Phoenix Technologies, hard drive password recovery/removal should be taken up with the manufacturer of the hard drive, etc...

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The MS EULA does not allow the transfer of OEM-licenced operating systems. Even if you could get assistance gaining access, you would not be using those systems legally.

You will need to either purchase new Windows licenses for those laptops or consider an open source operating system such as one of the Linux or BSD distrubutions.

The first was made by the company who liquidated the systems. The hard drives should have been wiped.

The second was yours, for buying used equipment without knowing all the possible disadvantages. Even if you could boot and log on to these systems, you don't know if there's malware on them. If there's kiddie porn, you could be susceptible to legal charges.

Boot from a Windows CD or a DOS floppy, erase the hard drives, and re-installing Windows.