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Question

Logon help for Windows XP

Aug 22, 2012 12:54PM PDT

My great granddaughter got on my pc and set up an account (she does not know what) however when you load it you have a choice to login on her account (she has no idea what she used as a password) or as a guest. Under guest you can not do anything, Please help.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Logon help
Aug 22, 2012 2:21PM PDT

Log into the Administrator account then change your granddaughters password or delete the account. Go into the guest account and remove any password.

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(NT) I can not log into administrator.
Aug 22, 2012 11:45PM PDT
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Re: logon as administrator
Aug 22, 2012 11:51PM PDT

In XP, if you boot into Safe mode, you can login into the 'secret' administrator account. By default (that is, unless you changed it), it has no password (just click or press 'enter'). This is kind of a backdoor for this kind of situation.

And you can use NTPASSWD (free download) to reset the password, if necessary.

Kees

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(NT) I tried both of your solutions and neither works. Any other?
Aug 23, 2012 11:07AM PDT
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If you tried both suggestions ...
Aug 23, 2012 3:38PM PDT

can you tell us the results (messages received) from each?

When you booted to Safe Mode and selected the Administrator as the user account to log into what EXACTLY happened?

When you downloaded ntpasswd and created the bootable CD what did you do after booting with the CD?

I ask because if actually tried and ntpasswd didn't work you can pretty much count on having to re-install Windows and all your applications and will loose any files (data, email, pictures, music, etc.) you have not backed up to other media..

This following page has all the information for ntpasswd including download links for the ISO and instructions for making the bootable CD:
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

This following link has a walk through for actual use of the disk and your best bet is to CLEAR the Administrator password:
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/walkthrough.html

The problem you are having does NOT have a "push this button and you are home free" solution. YOU have to do the work.

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Both failed
Aug 23, 2012 11:44PM PDT

When I tried to log on in the safe mode. I found out that she had put something in for a password, It kept asking if I had forgotten my password.
When I used utpasswd, it went through the process and could not find the password.