win 98 and their .pwl file

[drew_1791]

i have noticed recently with my interest in .pwl files that every win 98 coputer has a .pwl file called ADMINIST.pwl...now, does this file have a preset password? or does the system administrator set it when he is setting up his computers? and here is an equally important question. lets say someone stole that file, and decrypted it..if they were to log onto the system after that, would they gain administrator priviledges? how could someone prevent that from happening?

[xmaddness]

Windows 98 doesn't have any type of admin login. The security is just not there. I've never noticed that file. I'll have a look into it later tonight.
x

[Syini666]

well to prevent someone from stealing and cracking their pwl, they could just use some insane 12+ char alpahnumeric pw, or for the truely insane, 12 chars alpahnumeric with a special characters thrown in like []}{';:"/?<>.

[Maverick811]

Originally posted here by drew_1791
i have noticed recently with my interest in .pwl files that every win 98 coputer has a .pwl file called ADMINIST.pwl...now, does this file have a preset password? or does the system administrator set it when he is setting up his computers? and here is an equally important question. lets say someone stole that file, and decrypted it..if they were to log onto the system after that, would they gain administrator priviledges? how could someone prevent that from happening?

You couldn't really gain administrative priviledges on a Windows 98 box because there really isn't such a thing. If you're in Windows, you have 'admin' rights. Security on a 98 box, at least security provided by the OS, is something that just doesn't exist.

I'll take a look for that file too, though...

[Syini666]

xmad > yeah, win98 is pretty security weak, it stores passwds in the .PWL files, thats how i found out the Netware passwords to my highschool. Lame, yes, but it was a learning experience.

[Proud]

Erm, my 98SE doesn't have that and there's no Admin account/all users are. Do you have multiple users able to log in to that one pc? It might exist then.

It sounds like your tying to get into the admin account of a school system or something like that. Check you don't have a different explorer program used instead. Our school's annyoying as it has 98SE installed, but you're only ment to use Windows CSE Explorer (a 95 hack? )

[jethro]

I had a Windows 98box and I never saw that file. I have seen *every* file...

[nebulus200]

If memory serves, win95/98 will create a PWL file for every user. You may get the lame logon window when you fire up windows95/98 but you can put whatever you want as the username in. Everytime you do it, it will create a new user...

Someone probably typed that username in and it therefore created that file...gotta love winderz

Neb

[Dr Toker]

I am not going to negate the fact that you found ADMINISTR.pwl on "your" PC. That is neihter here nor there. But here is a run down on the PWL.

A pwl file is an encrypted password file. There is a service that runs on most, if not all win9x boxes called "Client for Microsoft Networks", this is the service that basically saves the password and username. It also does all the stupid windows logon crap. Saves profiles ect ect... You will notice, that if you remove Client for MSN you can no longer save passwords. And you will get prompted upon restart for a new windows logon. Thats because your network's Primary Network Logon defaults to Windows Logon. Now, you asked how can you make sure it doesnt happen again? Dont let Windows Save any passwords. That easy.

[JCHostingAdmin]

Like nebulus said, someone probably typed in Admin or whatever and it came up as a user. Unless someone created an account with the name "Admin" and it is just a regular user but name is Admin.