Skip to main content

Reset Windows password with Linux.

reset_windowsThis post is not about pointing out one OS’s security deficiency over other or trying to make some fan boy points with Linux users.

The simple fact is once you have physical access to a computer all bets are off.

This is true for all OS (to some extend) but some are easier to crack than others. I won’t talk about how to protect yourself from this kind of no-nonsense attack on this post, I will leave for another day but for now lets assume that you have a legitimate reason to reset yours or your friends windows computer.

Prerequisite:
You need a linux live CD, preferably Ubuntu live CD. Doesn’t have to be Ubuntu, it can be a custom linux live distro with the right packages (the ones we need) installed. And you need to have the ability to boot from CD. Which should be pretty straight forward.
reset_windows1

Step 1:
Boot in to your live CD and install chntpw
reset_windows2
Step 2:
Do cat /proc/mounts to get the label of your windows HD. In my case:
Or to put it more simply its: AC264F02264ECD50
www.zanox.com
cd to your media label: cd /media/AC264F02264ECD50
Now cd to to your system folder (windows 7): cd Windows/System32/config/
reset_windows3

Step 3:
Change or reset windows admin password by running chntpw: sudo chntpw SAM
You will get a prompt and the options are self explanatory. For instance to reset password enter “1” and then “y” to confirm. To change password enter “2”, then your password, and “y” to confirm.
Done in 5 minutes (or so). This should work on all versions of windows since Windows2000.
Those of you who download the Windows 8 Release Preview will find Office 2010 in the Windows Store by searching for Microsoft Office or clicking on the link for the Productivity category.


If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:
windows_xp

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to change the size of the touch and on-screen keyboard in Windows 10

Windows 10 PCs come with two keyboard apps, one is the OnScreen Keyboard , and the other is the Touch Keyboard . Basically, you don't need a touch screen to use the on-screen keyboard. It displays a virtual keyboard on the screen and you can use the mouse to select and press the keys. Although the on-screen keyboard app is very useful when we don't have a physical keyboard, its size is always a problem for users. You can move or enlarge the virtual keyboard from the icons in the upper right corner. If you want, you can also easily resize it. Changing the size of the on-screen keyboard is very easy. Type On-Screen Keyboard in your Windows search and run the desktop app, or you can also go via Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard> Turn on the On-screen keyboard.   To change the size of the on-screen keyboard, move the cursor to the corner and drag it to the desired size. Resizing the touch keyboard is as simple as doing it! Just drag it and resize it us...

Designing the Windows 8 touch keyboard.

When we began planning how touch and new types of PCs might work on Windows 8, we recognized the need to provide an effective method for text entry on tablets and other touch screen PCs. Since Windows XP SP1, which had Tablet PC features built in, Windows has included a touchable on-screen keyboard. But those features were designed as extensions to the desktop experience.  For Windows 8, we set out to improve on that model and introduce text input support that meets people’s needs, matches our design principles, and works well with the form factors we see today and expect to see in the future. I’m writing this blog post on our Windows 8 touch keyboard using the standard QWERTY layout in English. As I look at it, the keyboard seems very simple and sort of obvious. This comes partly from having worked on it for a while, but also because keyboards are familiar to us. But there is more here than meets the eye (or, fingertips). We started planning this feature area with no preco...

Windows 10 compatibility reaches most of the hardware currently in use.

Windows 10 will be compatible with most existing PC hardware; most devices running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 will meet the requirements for Windows 10. For full system requirements, see Windows 10 specifications. Some driver updates may be required for Windows 10. Existing desktop (Win32) application compatibility is also expected to be strong, with most existing applications working without any changes. Some applications that interface with Windows at a low level, those that use undocumented APIs, or those that do not follow recommended coding practices could experience issues. Windows 10 compatibility reaches most of the hardware currently in use. - The World of Windows. Contents: [ hide ] Windows 10 compatibility reaches most of the hardware currently in use. Existing Windows Store (WinRT) apps created for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 should also continue to work, because compatibility can be validated against all the apps that have been submitted to the Windows ...