Vista Password Problem

[Graueradler]

My wife has her computer set to require a password change at regular intervals. After the last password change, she used the computer a couple of times but now can't log in. Gets a message saying "wrong password". The password is written down - so not forgotten or remembered wrong. Was written down before the change, entered twice during the change. System is Vista Home Premium. Suggestions??

Downloaded ophcrack and ran it but no joy!

 

[flav8r]

Use Your Windows Vista Password Reset Disk.

Or if there is anyone else on the same computer with Admin access they can change it for you.

Once you get back in get rid of Vista.

Good luck.

 

[Graueradler]

Problem Solved. Found a program that would just erase the password to allow log in without one. Wife created a new password and a reset disk.

 

[flav8r]

Excellent...

 

[RJM62]

Doesn't say a lot about Windows security, however... or maybe it does.

-Rich

 

[Graueradler]

Yes it does say something about Windows security. I'm somewhat computer literate but not very. I was able to get on the internet and find what I needed. Down loaded a program and burned it to a CD so I could boot from it. It allowed me to edit out the password and reset any lockout from too many tries.

 

[ScottM]

Windows security??? I have never seen those two words together before. Usually when a sentence has them they are separated by the word 'lack of'

 

[RJM62]

Yes it does say something about Windows security. I'm somewhat computer literate but not very. I was able to get on the internet and find what I needed. Down loaded a program and burned it to a CD so I could boot from it. It allowed me to edit out the password and reset any lockout from too many tries.

It's pretty standard equipment for computer techs. One of the most common ones is called, appropriately enough, "Locksmith."

-Rich

 

[SkyHog]

Yes it does say something about Windows security. I'm somewhat computer literate but not very. I was able to get on the internet and find what I needed. Down loaded a program and burned it to a CD so I could boot from it. It allowed me to edit out the password and reset any lockout from too many tries.

The concern being that if you could do that, so could someone else. If the password system was truly hosed, you'd have had to find out what the password was set to, or you'd have to start over.

Remember - it was great because it helped you. But what if it was someone else trying to access your machine.

Windows fails the security test in my eyes.

 

[Graueradler]

The concern being that if you could do that, so could someone else. If the password system was truly hosed, you'd have had to find out what the password was set to, or you'd have to start over.

Remember - it was great because it helped you. But what if it was someone else trying to access your machine.

Windows fails the security test in my eyes.

Totally agree!!! But I am glad we didn't have to start from scratch and lose everything on the disk.

 

[JesseD]

Yes it does say something about Windows security. I'm somewhat computer literate but not very. I was able to get on the internet and find what I needed. Down loaded a program and burned it to a CD so I could boot from it. It allowed me to edit out the password and reset any lockout from too many tries.

There is NO consumer OS security if you have physical access to the machine.

My Mac is one that was about a year old when someone recycled it. Worked fine, but they left a password on it. Two boots later, no password and all their data was still there. Windows is no better.

Don't fool yourself into thinking any mass-market option is secure. Well, not with physical access anyway.

 

[SkyHog]

There is NO consumer OS security if you have physical access to the machine.

My Mac is one that was about a year old when someone recycled it. Worked fine, but they left a password on it. Two boots later, no password and all their data was still there. Windows is no better.

Don't fool yourself into thinking any mass-market option is secure. Well, not with physical access anyway.

Linux.

 

[JesseD]

Linux.

I said mass-market.

-edit

OSX macs run what BSD bastardization again? Even *nix boxes aren't safe.

 

[Bob Noel]

There is NO consumer OS security if you have physical access to the machine.

My Mac is one that was about a year old when someone recycled it. Worked fine, but they left a password on it. Two boots later, no password and all their data was still there. Windows is no better.

Don't fool yourself into thinking any mass-market option is secure. Well, not with physical access anyway.

Filevault doesn't help?

I'm just asking, because my work mac has a 3rd party disk encryption on it. And my time machine backups are on an external drive with hardware encryption.

btw - any thoughts on the encryption that will be available with 10.7?