Help needed lost XP Home password

[wannabgeek]

Hi i am not sured how this has happened but i had just clean installed all my system/progs/drivers/settings etc (took 2 days) On my last login i put in my password in a admin accnt and i did not log off i just carried on and then changed my internet options/security settings to a safer level (no actve x scripts etc) and then got rid of a few 'services' as a guide instructed via 'cybercops'! Now as i used the old password i always use and the fact that i had to put it in twice when setting it up via 'user accnts' i dont hink i made an error ......So was it the fact i changed the XP settings and did not reboot on initially setting password! I dont mind losing my Docs as i have them backedup. I just do not wanna go through the whole process of reinstalling! Hope you may be able to help me! CHEERS!

Ps On friends PC ATM

[nichomach]

Caps lock key on when initially setting password? If so, fixed - seriously, happens all the time on my network and XP (like all the NT derivatives) is case sensitive when it comes to passwords.

If not, try:

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

[Jonny]

Do you not have any working user accounts at all? If you do, you can use computer management to reset passwords. It means you lose everything for that user, but hey.
C:/Windows/System32/compmgmt IIRC.
Select the user, right click, change password.

[killie99]

super piece of software - I've never failed to be able to break into a system with a lost password (or unknown password!) using this. (the link in nichomach's post)

[arthurleung]

I suppose Home always create a user with your name? And behind the scene there is an Administrator account that you set password during installation (I suppose)
You could use your named account to change the password or turn around and use the Administrator account to change password for your named account.

If that is the case, boot in safe mode and login as administrator and change the password?

[dnyberg]

Doesn't XP home always create an administrator account without a password?

How do you login? Do you choose your name by clicking on an icon or do you type it in the box?

If you click you name, press ctrl+alt+del a couple of times to bring up the login box and login as administrator (password should be blank).

I've used this many times to get into friends computers. They always wonder how I managed it .

A major security flaw by some system builders (especially companies like tiny and so on)

[wannabgeek]

Hi Guys Sorted now! I did log in via Admin and changed my Pass But for the life of me i dont know how it happened. I tried all combinations so it was not the Caps! Anyway what settings have i actually lost? As everything seems in place, inc all the sys/prog/internet settings?
Cheers

[-Sp-]

resetting your password only causes problems if you have encrpted stuff using microsofts EFS (Encrypted file system) so you shouldn't have lost anything

[wannabgeek]

Cheers SP!