Windows 2000 help needed

[sillygirl1]

I've been given an old laptop (Compaq Armada) running Windows 2000 but I can't get past the Windows Password screen.

 

The previous owner hasn't used the laptop in ages and doesn't know what password it has....

 

If anyone can help I would apppreciate it.

 

Laptop is rather heavy but in excellent nic - and comes complete with Bubblejet printer! Don't think I will be using that although it would be interesting to see if it still works.

 

I didn't have the original power supplies for the printer or laptop but have found them in amongst my collection.

[san_d]

There are many ways to get around this, but this is not a technical forum I'm not sure if it is appropriate to explain this here. It could be interpreted as hacking. Anyway it's a piece of cake I've done it many times.

[BazzaS]

Google is your friend.

 

Have you tried googling "windows password recovery tools" ?

[sillygirl1]

San_d, can you please PM me the instructions, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

I dropped my Samsung and broke the screen and keyboard so this is a stopgap until my brother gets back from his holiday and can fix the Samsung.

 

I have googled it but it is not my friend in this case as it keeps sending me to sites to buy software, which I can't afford and would only use the once, or it sends me to sites where the links are broken....

[griffzilla]

Did you get the windows disks with the laptop? (or existing windows software disks with your current broken laptop?)

[sillygirl1]

Nope, if I had done I could have fixed it easily!

 

This is about a third hand laptop....

[sillygirl1]

I can not afford that option, I am sorting it out next weekend when a brother comes back from holiday.

[sequenci]

Drop DX a line, he's your man for this sort of thing I'm sure

[labrat]

isnt windows 2000 the one where hitting cancel bypasses the password or was that xp

 

if not get hirens boot cd and use active password changer

[andydd]

As mentioned there are various tools that can get you past the login screen.

 

Windows 2000 is a bit of a horrible beast and it would certainly be advisable to track down a copy of XP and install that.

 

Andy

[renegadeimp]

Theres a few little tricks that worked on 95 that also worked on 2000. Now, if you had the latest service packs for 2000, then its a whole other ballgame.

 

After the service packs and updates are supplied, it is generally considered to be one of the most robust and secure OS's that MS ever made. However, hardly anything will run on it.

[dx100uk]

just use the hirens boot cd

 

as you've inherited all rights to the software

you are entitled to do it

without any legal issues.

 

its not hacking, in the strict sense

 

dx

[adridude]

I double dx;s answer. Hirens bootCD is freely availble for personal use.

 

Its a CD with aload of tools on it to remove passwords n stuff like that.

 

I cant link it, as I'm not sute what the legalities are as there are 210983012938 licences due to the 210983012938 tools on it, but it's clearly marked for PERSONAL use.

 

If you google 'download hirens bootcd' you can find it it's an ISO image you fry onto a CD, shove in another laptop and presto, fixed!

 

Well not quite that easy. It's called something like the NT password manager or NT password something when you boot into it (NOT IN WINDPOWS MODE), just as standard hires

[sillygirl1]

Thanks, I will use Hirens at the weekend and let people know what happens.

 

Got into a Windows 7 laptop earlier this week which had been locked by the Cambridge Police Porn virus, luckily I can still get into my Windows 7 laptop (found the lead to plug it into the tv - so now I have a 42 inch screen!) and made a boot disc. Got into the stuck laptop bios and changed to boot from floppy and bingo.... five minutes later up and running. I also ran Malwarebytes and Norton on it (for some reason Norton won't uninstall to upgrade - any ideas on that one). I did put on AVG in the boot sector to stop the pesky thing getting on.

 

Somebody else in the pub needs help with a Windows 2000 laptop so once I get into mine then I can get into theirs - going rate locally for Windows 2000 problems is £80+ and another offer on top to upgrade motherboard - most people I know seem to only use the laptop for emails and the odd bit of word processing so upgrading doesn't seem to be a good deal.

 

I am considering getting a tablet now I am back working for a while - Kindle Fire is one of the options (especially the HD version when Amazon have a Black Friday deal!). Any suggestions or if anyone does have a laptop going spare I would be interested.

 

This is done on the Windows 7 one plugged into the tv with the remote keyboard and mouse, really love the full size keyboard!

 

Just off to work now - and guess what - company has a free staff bus which goes from the local station to the grounds and stops about 500 yards from my office - takes about 8 minutes where the bus takes 20....and doesn't stop as near! I can leave work at 5pm and be indoors at 5.20pm!

[adridude]

I personally would go for an Apple for several reasons (other than being an Apple user, fanatic and Director of an Apple Authorised Dealer).

 

1) Apple devices are 99.9% immune to viruses, the 0.01% was patched by apple just after a virus was found (no antivirus needed)

2) Despite being expensive, you get what you pay for, the quality at the manufacturing level is impeccable

3) nThey are aimed at both idiots and seasoned IT people, so they cater in terms of use for all kinds of tech experience

4) an apple a day?

[renegadeimp]

1 and 2 are jokes right?

[andydd]

1 and 2 are jokes right?

 

Ha..Thats what I thought.

 

iOS is not immune to viruses at all, its just that most viruses have been written to infect Windows, however these days with a reasonable anti-virus it isnt a huge issue for Windows.

 

They are way overpriced and whilst build quality is ok they cant really be compared to a Windows PC that can be built/bought far cheaper, customised and parts are easily/cheapily repairable, replacing/repairing anything in a Mac is a nightmare.

 

How can something be aimed at both of the ends at the same time, I'd say (as an IT Engineer) it is not aimed at me at all, you should see the faces here when a Mac call comes in !

 

Andy

[tiafilson]

I would just re install windows or get an updated version like xp, although buying it can be pricey. GOOGLE knows eveything theres probably better tech websites out there to help you.

[Ford]

Ha..Thats what I thought.

 

iOS is not immune to viruses at all, its just that most viruses have been written to infect Windows,

Andy

 

spot on. same with third party software and browsers. if in doubt just have a look at the hackers conference where they hack into firefox (supposedly more 'secure' than IE) just as easily as IE. as well as unix/linux etc.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Ford

[adridude]

IE is the least secure of all! If you tske into consideration off of it's scriptability etc... it's a cesspit!

[Ford]

IE is the least secure of all! If you tske into consideration off of it's scriptability etc... it's a cesspit!

 

its not the 'least secure'. they are all as easily hacked. as andyd says, depends on the intention of the hacker. and don't forget that just as fox can be customised to exclude scripting either inbuilt or via 'noscript' for eg', IE also has inbuilt options to restrict scripting and activex. in either case, the average user would not be customizing.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Ford

[dx100uk]

if 90% of user stopped browsing the internet with IE using a windows log-in that has administration rights

it would not ever happen.

 

dx

[Ford]

doesn't latest/recent IE's now not open with admin rights, even if user is default 'admin'?

Edited April 14, 2013 by Ford

[adridude]

IOS is immune to viruses if people don't jailbreak the device If you read up writeups about jailbreaking and what security features are disabled when JB's kicks in....

 

In regards to Apple devices, the reason as I (as an IT engineer) like my apples (NOW) never, did before, is that I spend no time under the hood! I was getting kind of bored having the computer open every two minutes trying to sort something out or whatever. Now I just take it to an apple genius bar, pay a bit of cash and presto it's done for me

 

In regards to it being 'virus immune', I guess through weird bodge jobs like cron jobs etc... you could slap something together. Nothing as horrid as what you can get on Windows. Furthermore, what are you doing download non sandboxed and non-signed apps anyway? *cough* I believe that the sandboxing of the new Apple OS's plays a big role in them being MORE secure

 

On that note, I got my oldest mac 2 or 3 years ago, and it came with OSX snow leopard on it, upgraded to lion and then to ML. Never have I had to reinstall any of them ;-) I found that this became a 6 month habit on windows machines :-/

 

It's not often that you see a MCSA bleet about windows, but I've totally dropped windows Well only keep it on bootcamp to do my accounts now, and thats about it. Stress free life began when I made the move.

 

In regards to mac's being more expensive. Yes and no. if you look at the licensing of software and the pricing, it's relative.

 

Win 7 Ultimate -> £155

OSX ML -> £14.00

 

MS Office Pro Plus -> £159.00

iWorks -> £40 or you can split up to ONLY the packages you need for £13.99 each

 

iAntivirus Symantec -> Free for as many users/machines as you want

Symantec 2010 -> £19.99 per machine

 

Apple native Development Tools: Free

Visual Studio Professional: £299 for commercial use

 

Thats £600 odd different between PC professional software and Mac Professional Software.

 

If you add up the difference, both Mac and PC hardware total up to about the same price. In regards to configurability, you can get a Mac Pro How sexyness and a hassle free life get an iMac or a MacBook pro which already comes overpowered as they are :-/

[adridude]

doesn't latest/recent IE's now not open with admin rights, even if user is default 'admin'?

 

No the UAC pops up on windows asking you first if you want to run something as admin. Thats that annoying 'beep' that sounds like you're pressing a button on an airline to call a hostess LOL (UAC = User Access Control)