Stolen laptop not password protected. Returned with password

Thanks! If I do a factory reset, will I lose any documents and/or photos that might still be on the computer?

That's why we backup. You didn't reveal much about the version of Windows and even if it was Windows 10, the reset and save files can fail so we always rely on backups.

If you need to save your files first, reset that password (links given above) to get in and save your files.

Thanks again. It's Windows 10. The thief only had it for a couple of days. Most of my stuff is saved on a portable hard drive. There is some stuff that I had not yet saved. I really appreciate you help!

Try the reset and save your files. Be sure to scan for malware and more with Grif's help at http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/how-to-remove-pup-option-603542/#post-f742c795-5881-433b-a29b-6d758efe5cd3

Here's the article about resetting 10 and saving files.
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/reset-your-windows-10-system-with-the-keep-my-files-option/

Thank you for all the information. It will take me a while to read and digest. Will come back if I have further questions.

Who knows what is on the computer now. Malware, keyloggers, etc. and many of these items can steal your information. Wiping the drive and restoring back using the factory recovery partition or recovery disc will take it back to like it was new.

Hope this helps.

Grif

How did it get stolen and how was it returned?
Dafydd.

Our house was burglarised a couple of months ago, as was another house on our street. The burglars were caught a couple of days later when they were having a domestic dispute and the police were called. The police said they had to hold onto my stolen items to use as evidence in court. After 2 months and they finally agreed to photograph my possessions and return them to me.

The burglars were granted bail against the advice of the police and did not show up on the day of their hearing. They already have a criminal record and there is now an international arrest warrant out for them.

You must live in San Francisco. They are always turning the desperate and dastardly loose on the streets especially if they are illegal.

you can boot to a linux live cd/dvd/usb and recover your files before doing a factory install.

http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm