If you boot off the Win2k CD, you can blow away the password file.
on a single machine this isn't a big deal, the only time you want to avoid
it is if it's a server with many accounts.
Note, all personal settings will be lost.
But if you're not sure as to what has been done with it, reinstalling the OS
is probably a good idea. That way you can avoid any potential problems that
were left behind.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Barzda, A [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 7:52 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Need help with accessing laptop
>
>
> Hi folks, hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction.
> The wife of one of my co-workers was given a laptop that used
> to belong
> to a fired employee of a now defunct company. Because the guy was
> fired, he refused to give them his password, so now no one can access
> the computer. (Probably why they gave it away.) My
> co-worker asked if
> I could help get into the computer so they can use it. It's running
> Windows 2000. Other than guessing at the administrator or
> guest account
> passwords, any other ideas for getting into the box so it can become a
> useful, productive member of society again? If I plug it
> into my Win2k
> network will that be safe to try? Otherwise, am I correct in assuming
> the next step is reinstalling the OS?
>
> I am not necessarily interested in getting any "secret hacker stuff"
> unless that is the best way to go. I assume my co-worker and his wife
> don't need any data or programs on the hard drive, so wiping
> the disk is
> an option.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ann Barzda
> Interior Environments, Inc.
> 444 North 2nd Street, C-2
> Philadelphia, PA 19123
>
> 215-545-0600 voice
> 215-545-6555 fax
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> email
>
