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I purchased an old and extremely cheap Gateway laptop from a pawnshop while traveling with the intention of setting it up for my son. Once I got home the prior owner has a password protected sign on (Windows 7). Is there a way to just do a factory reset on the whole OS without said password?
I did a google search and none of the F keys have done what was shown in the videos.
Thanks
Discussion is locked
May help.
Dafydd.
PS. A link to the site.https://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
Post was last edited on July 8, 2018 1:45 PM PDT
I used the UTILMAN.EXE TRICK to boot up a Windows DVD to create a new admin account. (google that!)
As to factory reset, I don't see make and model but many used recovery DVDs. Which most don't have. Not all Gateways used an onboard or disk to disk recovery system.
Because most PCs I see have UEFI BIOS and a lot of W10 machines I needed a new and better way.
The only time it fails is when the HDD has full encryption so we have to wipe the disk or install a new drive (really rankles the owner when they learn about that!)
Is that when this happens you need another PC to go get the tools, make USB or DVDs etc.
After you recover remember the advice about always having a spare admin account. Many have written this here so I'll pause.
If you haven'y already done anything, get your hands on disk checker like GParted. The whole prior to any format or intializing, that you check the status of HD. If a factory recovery partition is present you can access it via the proper key sequence to re-install the OS the laptop was sold with. This way you need no password required, it bypasses all that and starts fresh anew.
https://www.lifewire.com/free-disk-partition-software-tools-2624950
Follow instructions just to see if recovery partition is present. The factory re-install feature is usually provided by the manufacture. This will bypass the windows logon password. If there is any other password requirement, then again you need to check the info from vendor/manufactuer. This password of an security feature is entirely more difficult and needs authorzied factory setup to clear.The cost itself maybe another factor as well. Other than the partition s/w is freeware.
tada -----Lord Willy 
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