XP Admin Password ( + Packard Bell Complaint)

O.K Guys.

I have a problem here.

I bought a P.C from packard bell (Knackard Hell more like.)

Running Windows XP Home

It has a problem with the NTFS but when I tried to boot into recovery mode it asks me for the administrator password.

After some 30 minutes on the phone to packard bell support team (flow chart readers) then speaking to the guys there who actually install the software (pretty clever) then the engineering manager I still haven't been able to get the administrator password.

Its not that they are unwilling to supply it they just don't know it.

(they supplied me with a list of about 50 other passwords for there machines if anyone else is having any other PB issues.)

Is there any way in which short of re-installing I can boot the machine into recovery mode or any way of removing the administrator password from the machine.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Mark,

I can't believe the Packard Bell support team, the guy who installed the sofware, the engineering manager, etc., after selling you a close to U$S 1.000 dollars computer (i suppose), can't solve this problem. It's mandatory for them to "fix" this. You should "bother" them :D until they give you a solution.

You don't want to start messing with your new computer, changing the registry or whatever you must do to find or erase the password right?

Good luck,

DKRR

Darkraider,

I laughed at there solution to my problem which was to use there emergency boot disk.

It formats the hard disk and re-installs the software from a hidden hdd partition.

Not much use when I have 65+gigs of unbacked up data on my p.c which I don't want to lose.

I've seen a similar issue with recovery cd's. When trying to boot up and use the recovery console it tries to use the Admin password on the installed OS. If the partition is corrupted, no password you try will work.

If the system will boot up you may be able to run a Linux based password changer on the system. There is one called NT Tools that works on XP. I don't have the link handy, but you would have to download and burn an iso to use it (won't fit on a floppy).

You may try proceeding a little further into the XP Setup to the point where it shows the partitions on the hdd. It should say NTFS. If it says UNKNOWN the partition is hosed. There is an NTFS bug in pre-SP1 of WinXP. The article number is Q315403. They released a patch to fix NTFS.sys running on ide hdds. The bug can cause it to intermittently crash the OS and display Unmountable Boot Volume on a bsod.

Regards

You can boot using a Windows 2000 installation CD and go into recovery mode. Here is the pertinent info from an article I wrote:

Quote:

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The flaw works by booting a Windows XP system using a Windows 2000 CD and going into the Windows 2000 Recovery Console mode. When done on a Windows 2000 system, a password is required to access the hard drive and manipulate the files. In this mode copying files to removable media is restricted as well.

Under Windows XP, this technique grants the user unrestricted access to the computer. The user can access any of the files and folders on the local system and copy them to the floppy drive or other removable media. It does not matter what user account “owns” the files and folders or if they are password protected.

Full Article

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Going into the system this way may let you modify or fix whatever you need to fix to make it functional again. I do agree though that you shouldn't HAVE to jump thorugh hoops or hack your own system if you just bought it. The vendor has a responsibility to give you an operational device for your money.

This probably isn't the answer, but might be. . .first time I had to use the recovery console for XP home I got the same thing, asking for admin password. . .I figured it would have been the account I set up to be Admin, but it turns out, it was nothing. . .I just had to hit enter and BAM, I was in.

Mark... bludgeon does have a point here... XP has a 'hidden' admin account (can only be access either in safe mode or from recovery console) that has a blank password by default. Have you tried just pressing enter?? I don't know if HP (or even yourself) might have changed the password but if you haven't already tried it it's worth a go.

Otherwise I'd go with Tonybradleys suggestion

Z

Bludgeon and Zonewalker have an excellent suggestion. Having just bought a new system with XPHome, I ran into the same 'hidden admin account', and by accidentn found out that a simple 'enter' on a blank password field worked wonders.

Take a look here and see if this might help.

You might want to take a cruise through the Micrsoft KB also.....

I'm astonished by the response you received from packard bell.

WinXP home does not (and afaik can not) use a password when booting the recovery console, so as has been suggested, hitting enter will do the trick.

In contrast, WinXP pro does require a password, which would have been specified when WinXP was initially installed, or altered at a later date by a user with admin privileges.

XP has no default admin password. If you want to delete all passwords start in safe mode and use the "hidden" admin that is built in with no password but full privledges. then go into control panells->users->and delete all password. Widows security sucks. if you set a password and forgot it, get a 2000 cd and start in safemode for that still no password required. LOL windows sucks.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by XTC46
XP has no default admin password. If you want to delete all passwords start in safe mode and use the "hidden" admin that is built in with no password but full privledges. then go into control panells->users->and delete all password. Widows security sucks. if you set a password and forgot it, get a 2000 cd and start in safemode for that still no password required. LOL windows sucks.

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All very true. However in my experience there is a subtle difference between WinXP home & WinXP pro in this case.
I presume this is a feature, rather than a bug in WinXP home :rolleyes:
You can set an admin password for WinXP home (either when you install it, or afterwards).
But, this password is not used by the recovery console in WinXP home - so even if you have set one, don't type it in! A null entry works instead ....

I think better you refers to FAQ at HP website or at somewhere else, or why not you just send it back the computer shop where you bought your pc and let them fix for you because I think your PC still under warranty.

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O.K Guys.

I managed to get the job done by using the Tbradley method.

I am still vexed by all that has happened re: HP

I am also some what annoyed that the only way to recover the OEM operating system was a painfull 3 hour re-install process which auto formats the hard disk and has no user configurable OS options until the OS install completes.

I also had to return the machine to its factory installed condition hardware wise as they have little or no support for re tatooing the installation to suit extras such as dvd-rw and my stepper card.

As another NEG to HP I don't know if this is legal but the XP it installs does not have to be activated. I am sure that I tried this with an old machine I had and that the only way round this was to crack it with some crappy piece of software.

As my final comment in this forum.

"If you have any knowledge of computers or are going to use any software or hardware which doesn't come with the machine don't buy packard bell"

darkes just a pointer for you... you can set the 'hidden' admin account on XP home to have a password, you can also change the login from 'Administrator' if you like ... type in 'control userpasswords2' at the run command... you'll get a nice GUI pop up which allows you to perform this task - if you haven't reset your 'hidden' admin password I would. You do then have to enter the password if you're using the recovery console but it's a little bit useless since you can get around this as Mark has discovered... but it's just another step for causing hassle to someone trying to get into your box.

Mark - glad to hear you managed to get in again - the reason your seeing this is because HP usually use a ghost partition of the system in a clean state... hence if the HD goes you are going to have to purchase a copy of XP on CD. It is a common practice in the UK (and not one I agree with) but it is legal... basically HP would have purchased a OEM license from MS installed it on your PC and set up a ghost partition for recovery (I think Time do a similar thing but with a 'recovery CD' rather than a seperate parition - could be wrong though) which also means that your copy of XP doesn't have to be activated because it has been activated already by HP.

As regards buying PC's - personally I always get them built for me from an independant supplier...


Z

Hm, If you need to access the admin account in XP and you don't have a pass... I guess your pretty much screwed.
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
Check out that site. It has a linux boot disk with some nifty stuff on it, pop it in, restart and it should disable SYSKEY and reset your admin password to anything you want.

Wow mark i figured a guy like you would be smarter than to buy a packard hell. Okay thats enough good natured ribbing. as to the xp reinstall/activation. I know some of the newer hps are coming with onboard recovery. You can use it 3 times then you have to buy the xp disc.....sounds screwy to me. But then again i know shops that sell pc's with os installed and NO disc or anything goes with them. Thats why i like to build my own. That way i know exactly what im dealing with .

I agree with Zombie, screw buying computers just build your own. I built mine and have never had a problem with it. Besides when you build your computer you know every aspect of it, it can come out cheaper, and it gives you a better understanding of the computer itself. So Just build your own. Plus you can set it up for optimum performance.

I myself have lost a admin password in xp home, xp pro and 2k, I used a peice of software called passware, wich you can find at http://www.lostpassword.com. It involves you gong through the install procedure but when you get to the hit F6 key to add extra drivers for scsi, then you put the floppy you make in the drive and point the windows install to the floppy and follow the instructions....

Hope that helps!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Compaq and a lot of other systems now do not
supply the restore Disks.... Real Cute....

I personally grab all the Drivers off the
Hard Drive before registering online...
Usually I stick it on a CD

Then I f-disk and remove all the partitions
then re-install Windows XP of a CD I have
then do the online register of the OS...
Saves me lots of problems in the long run....

Sometimes I have to fight with MS on getting it
to registered...but there usually pretty good.

Warning.... You better be a good tech before doing this.

As a note: You can always pull the drive and stick it
in another computer as a slave to pull your data and
drivers.

DUH why the hell didnt i think of that. Ive done it b4. Jeez i must be getting old. I did that fort a company i worked for (trucking company that had me maintain their network for them when i wasnt driving). one of the main systems got screwed up somehow i dont remeber how. Thats exactly what i did. I pulled out the hdd and slaved it into another system