Password Forgotten

[mxer394]

Okay. Here's the deal. My sister, being the eternal idiot she is, changed her password and then immediately and efficiently forgot it. She can't get into her computer, so she has to use mine (which is actually my spare, seeing as the other one... got off track, sorry). It gets annoying having your sister in your room at 10 at night looking at her Myspace.

I need to get into my sister's computer, and find some way to get her to change that password. I'm not asking for you to help me hack her computer, I just need to find a way to get on so she won't be bugging me to use the computer every ten seconds.

It's Windows XP. It was purchased around 3 years ago.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

[mxer394]

Didn't notice the sticky. Sorry guys.

Go ahead and delete the thread please.

Thanks.

[Ajmukon]

if she is so forgetful.. why did she change the password?

just go through a list of things she would commonly use

[Budfred]

Or, since she can't use it anyway, wipe the computer and reinstall WinXP... Teach her how to make a strong, but easily memorable password...

[mjc]

Before you go through the reinstall...did you follow the link to the official MS info?

Even with that, I'd reinstall it all...but then again my sisters always say I'm mean...:D

[awaj]

If I were you, I'd create an administrative account with myself having the pasword. then she would never be locked out, you could just reset the pasword.

[Paul Komski]

Have you tried logging-on (specifically as the named Administrator account) in Safe Mode? If successful you have full control.

[mxer394]

We don't have the WinXP install disc, and she never made a recovery disc.

She changed the password because she is a moron.

How do you log on in Safe Mode?

Thanks guys.

[Budfred]

Tap F8 just before Windows starts to load and select the Safe Mode option from the list... It should ask which account you want to get into, so select the Admin... Unless someone changed it, there is probably no password, so just click Okay to proceed...

She can probably either obtain Restore disks from the computer vendor or there will be a way to make them from the install that is there...