Need Help!!

[catz154]

I dont know if i am posting this in the right forum, but....

okay so the deal is..

i have an XP laptop that was giving to me, and the only account is a limited account. I looked through the system files and there is an administrator file, but when I go to users there it shows just one user. How can I change the account to admin ? I desperately need to install flash player!!!

[gomarc]

This is not a very elegant solution, but it works.

As soon as you startup the computer and you see the Windows XP screen with the progress bar, hold down the power button for about 4 seconds to force the computer to shut down.

Reboot. You will be able to start in safe mode and use the Administrator username.

Hope it’s not password protected!

[Smith6612]

If you tap F8 right after the POST screen you should be able to boot into Safe Mode and gain access to that Administrator account, given it's not passworded. If it is passworded, I'm not sure if Microsoft patched this or not but you can boot into a Windows 2000 disk's recovery console which will boot Windows XP normally, and give you admin access. Of course, if you know how to edit files in Linux and what to change, just as long as you have physical access to the machine there's no stopping you from getting admin.

What I said above in my last sentence is also the reason why so many Sysadmins in public places have issues with people messing with their machines. Physical access to a PC is the same thing as giving away your root password! This is also why in Internet Cafes the PC "tower" should be stored away from the keyboard, mouse and monitor out of reach of the user (probably sitting in a back of the building closet that is locked and can only be reached by employees). This physical access issue is also one of the reasons why data centers are the toughest places to get into unless you own your own server there (as in co-locating it) and need to either reboot it or make hardware changes to it.

[Sharky]

That'd be why you can password protect the BIOS, password protect the Admin account, and set the HDD to be the primary boot device ;)

gomarc: don't need to abort the Windows startup process, just press F8 repeatedly as soon as the BIOS screen goes.

catz154: find the Windows CD key, and reinstall Windows using that license key.

[tridge]

That'd be why you can password protect the BIOS, password protect the Admin account, and set the HDD to be the primary boot device ;)

gomarc: don't need to abort the Windows startup process, just press F8 repeatedly as soon as the BIOS screen goes.

catz154: find the Windows CD key, and reinstall Windows using that license key.

I don't follow what your trying to say?

I think he's simply asking how to use a "windows user" account as a "non-limited" account...

The reply about going into safe mode and accessing the "administrator" account, then going to "control Panel" > "users" then creating a "administrator" account there will be what he is looking for.

I don't think he's having any issues with a boot device or needing to reinstall his licence key...

[Smith6612]

That'd be why you can password protect the BIOS, password protect the Admin account, and set the HDD to be the primary boot device ;)

gomarc: don't need to abort the Windows startup process, just press F8 repeatedly as soon as the BIOS screen goes.

catz154: find the Windows CD key, and reinstall Windows using that license key.

Removing the CMOS battery + holding power button for 20 seconds = system owned. Linux can also override folder permissions within seconds using the right terminal command should a folder not be readable and some distros don't even bother to read the permissions and just opens/edits the files. If a person has physical access to a PC and it is kept unwatched (which does seem to happen a lot), passwording things will not help at all. The only way I can think of keeping Linux out of the Windows drive would be to encrypt it, but then it's a simple matter of DBAN'ing the drive or some brute forcing with a CUDA capable video card.

Honestly. Give someone physical access to a PC and don't keep an eye on them from time to time or have any way of keeping physical access restricted, if they are knowledgeable enough they will get what they want. Sure, in computer cafes you can't go around opening up PCs because someone will surely notice, but in other cases it only takes a few minutes.

[catz154]

Thanks all for your suggestions,

I have tried the safe mode, already didnt work.

the thing is my cousin got it from someone else. so who knows what the admin account was.

and I dont have a windows XP re installation disc, but I think I could borrow one. maybe.....

thanks all for helping me out, I think I am going to try sae mode again....

could I install flash in safe mode, with out even having to change this account to admin?

[adamparkzer]

Thanks all for your suggestions,

I have tried the safe mode, already didnt work.

the thing is my cousin got it from someone else. so who knows what the admin account was.

and I dont have a windows XP re installation disc, but I think I could borrow one. maybe.....

thanks all for helping me out, I think I am going to try sae mode again....

could I install flash in safe mode, with out even having to change this account to admin?

When you first turn on your computer, there should be a welcome screen to let you log in to Windows XP. Depending on how your operating system is set up, there could be a hidden Administrator account that isn't password protected.

In the welcome screen, where you normally click on the image and name of the user and type in the password, press Ctrl+Alt+Del twice. The classic log-in screen with the username and password field should pop up. Try typing in Administrator in the username field and leave the password blank, then press enter.

If it lets you in, you got pretty lucky. If it doesn't, then I'm not quite sure what you can do.

[ah-blabla]

There are several Window$ password cracking programs available which let you retrieve / set a password from a bootable disk. E.g. http://www.openwall.com/john/

Edit: The easiest option is probably http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/

[leafypiggy]

cmon. y'all have never played "get root at school"?

Epic fail.

http://www.hellboundhackers.org/arti...nder-five.html