Lost Admin Password, HELP!

I work in a school setting and we received 65 freedom to learn laptops for
our sixth grade class. This very thing happened to all 65 laptops at
exactally the same time. We lost all of our (original) administrator
accounts. We thought that the password never expires box wasn't checked, but
after getting into some of them, we found that the box was checked. These
machines were never on our network, which we think may have prevented this
problem. We think that the the administrator account locks out if you do not
change the password in a given time. We had to go in with a CD and unlock
the machines.
Julie

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:

First, let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm not talking
about an account you created. There is a default account in both XP Home
and XP Pro, it is named "Administrator" and it is usually hidden, though,
until a user creates a user account, often it will appear on new systems, at
least until the first user account is created. Hence, this would be an
account you didn't create at the end of XP setup, rather its an account
automatically created during setup with the option of also password
protecting it.

You can always tell the difference between this and user created accounts as
it can only be named "Administrator," the name cannot be changed and it is
the only account by that name. NOTE: not the only account admin privileges,
just the only account with that name.

If in fact you are talking about this default account, you might try running
a search on the Internet for an application that helps find lost passwords.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" wrote in message
...
Hey Michael,

An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any
ideas on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.

c.o



"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote in message
...
If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
ctrl-alt-delete
twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password blank
and
press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden account
during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed it
doesn't likely have one either,


This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select
the
specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
password
it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking
"Prevent a
Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro SP2
(local account) is there a way
to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.

com.object

The issue of password expiration does come up on some machines, the
following turns that issue off:

Control Panel - Admin Tools - Local Security policy, and in that under
Account Policies - Password Policy you can set the first four items to
0 (effectively meaning 'no limits') and the last two to Disabled.
Then you are free to use any passwords, and they will last
indefinitely.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"Julie G." Julie wrote in message
...
I work in a school setting and we received 65 freedom to learn laptops for
our sixth grade class. This very thing happened to all 65 laptops at
exactally the same time. We lost all of our (original) administrator
accounts. We thought that the password never expires box wasn't checked,
but
after getting into some of them, we found that the box was checked. These
machines were never on our network, which we think may have prevented this
problem. We think that the the administrator account locks out if you do
not
change the password in a given time. We had to go in with a CD and unlock
the machines.
Julie

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:

First, let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm not
talking
about an account you created. There is a default account in both XP Home
and XP Pro, it is named "Administrator" and it is usually hidden, though,
until a user creates a user account, often it will appear on new systems,
at
least until the first user account is created. Hence, this would be an
account you didn't create at the end of XP setup, rather its an account
automatically created during setup with the option of also password
protecting it.

You can always tell the difference between this and user created accounts
as
it can only be named "Administrator," the name cannot be changed and it
is
the only account by that name. NOTE: not the only account admin
privileges,
just the only account with that name.

If in fact you are talking about this default account, you might try
running
a search on the Internet for an application that helps find lost
passwords.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" wrote in message
...
Hey Michael,

An administrator account was created and a password was also set, any
ideas on recovery, hack, or otherwise? thx.

c.o



"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote in message
...
If you have XP Pro on your computer, at the log in screen type
ctrl-alt-delete
twice. In the user account type administrator, leave the password
blank
and
press enter. You likely didn't create a password for this hidden
account
during setup and if the computer was purchased with XP pre-installed
it
doesn't likely have one either,


This will get you in. Then go to Control Panel, user accounts, select
the
specific user and select change password. Once you've changed the
password
it would be advisable to create a Password Reset Disk by clicking
"Prevent a
Forgotten Password" link in the left pane.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"msnews.microsoft.com" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have lost the admin password to my machine which is Windows XP pro
SP2
(local account) is there a way
to recover it without a recovery floppy or cd? thx.

com.object