HELP!!! Can't Remember My Password!

[luvsJack]

I am trying to put anti-virus software on our laptops. My account is the administrative account on dd's laptop. I cannot remember the password. It has a hint and I am pretty sure what I intended to put as the password but I must of misspelled it or something. NOTHING that I normally use for a password is working.

Her account won't work for this as its not an administrator.

It has a place to click "reset password", but it says I was supposed to made a reset password disk. I have never heard of such a thing!!!

So now what can I do??

 

[Imzadi]

Reboot into Safe Mode. It will usually default to the Administrator account. As you boot up, keep pressing F8, until you get the screen that lets you choose Safe Mode.

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

I had to take my computer to a computer expert to take it off. I used every password I used in my entire life and none of them worked. So I had him get in to it and take the password option off.

 

[luvsJack]

I had to take my computer to a computer expert to take it off. I used every password I used in my entire life and none of them worked. So I had him get in to it and take the password option off.

OK, so they can do it. Good. I wish our computer servicing guy was working this summer but his class doesn't start until August and I don't really want to leave her computer with out the software that long. Guess I will take it by BestBuy today.

 

[MsPeggySue911]

You don't have to take it to Best Buy. Just do like the PP said. Reboot the computer and when it is booting back up just keep pressing F8 until you can go into it in safe mode. That will allow you to go to the administrative account and you can go remove the password and reboot again.

 

[FireDancer]

If you have your computer set to require a password for the administrator account you will still need it in safe mode. If instead you have a user that was promoted to administrator and you can't remember their password the safe mode trick works because the administrator account doesn't have a password by default.

Now, you really should set a password for the administrator account but hopefully for you (or your daughter) she didn't.

There are ways to reset it using some cracking tools (at least up until Windows XP I haven't tried Vista or 7) or using some bootable Linux discs but you have to know what you are doing or find a really good tutorial online.

Lastly, I do hope you are putting one of the free anti-virus products on the laptop. Outside of an enterprise you really don't need to pay for AV.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

FD is correct - if the Admin account has a password, you need to use a tool (safe mode won't help). Here is a video that can walk you through it if you have XP:

YouTube