[OT] XP Password?

[eyal8r]

Hey guys-
I'm sorry this is totally off topic, but, I thought you guys could possibly help me find a solution...

I am installing XP on a new drive- it completes the entire installation, and reboots to start up. It gets to the login screen, and the name I deisgnated as a user is there- but it's asking for a password and I NEVER SETUP A PASSWORD!!! I setup the username, but never input a password- in fact, during the install, it never asks for one.  So then I booted to safe mode- get to the login screen, same thing. Except now it has an Administrator account (which I never setup either), and it asks for a password on that as well. I have no way of getting into XP and past this login screen. Any ideas?

This is a brand new copy of an XP cd. Thanks in advance...
D

[crashwg]

Have you tried just logging on without the password?

[eyal8r]

yeah, it comes back with an error saying incorrect password, etc. Then takes me back to type it in again.  I just dont get how it created passwords on its own. I've installed XP many times and never had this happen.  Weird....
D

[Dave_K.]

I used this utility recently to successfully reset the administrator password on a XP box (since the recovery console password apears to be different than the real administrator password).  This nifty little utility actually boots a small linux kernel, and uses the beta NTFS drivers with write capability to write changes back to the registry. .  Read the instructions and be careful as you can destroy your registry.  Use the reset password to blank option as thats the safest.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

More ultilities located here:

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

[eyal8r]

nevermind- I got it now. Formatted the drive and reinstalled. Weird...
Thanks anyways!
D

[Silver]

I had something similar a couple of times....

1 time the XP installation drive (it was off a network) had been set up as an automated install, and someone had stuck in a default password

2nd time I accidentally hit 'space' in the password box on installation

[Snakebyte]

In case this happens to anyone in the future.  If you didn't set up an administrator password when you installed XP, you can boot the computer up in safe mode (F8) and log into the administrator account.  From there you can remove the password from any of the accounts that you've created.

[shawshank]

I had very same problem. What you are looking for is called 'Auto Login'. There is a very simple solution:

1. Go to Start Menu, Run
2. type the following - 'control userpasswords2'.
3. From Users Tab, Uncheck "Users must enter ...."
4. A dialog will allow setting a user and password to be used automatically.

After you reboot, thus systen will automatically log you in!

Cheers!

Shawshank

[DYNAGOD]

why have any passwords on a windows system? its pointless..
unless you can phyically lock up your box, there is no security..

[crashwg]

why have any passwords on a windows system? its pointless..
unless you can phyically lock up your box, there is no security..

To restrict the casual user from accessing your data of course...

[Mario]

Well, while we're on the topic of bypassing passwords, does anyone know how to bypass Empower on a Mac powerbook 540C? I have no interest in seeing what's on the drive; in fact, I want it wiped clean. But I can't even boot to a floppy to format the drive. I'm always prompted for a password. I've done Internet searches, but no luck. Help!!

Thanks.

Mario