From what I can understand, the Administrator account did not have the password set in the first place. Otherwise it would be trivial for anyone to break into a machine and I don’t think even Microsoft would allow that. I myself have never heard of hitting F11 and I have been doing this for quite some time. There are other ways of at least resetting the Administrator password if you have physical access to the machine.

Great Idea! Anyway my windows denfder works fine and gets updated intime and automatically! anyway I think that windows isnt that bad, with a loose administration in Linux world, I dont think that there would have been any standards in the industry without Microsoft! And let the Linux get as popular as MS and you will come to know how much holes are there in Linux...most of them come through the X-Window systems like KDE and ICE-WM

If the account was truly password protected it shouldn't have allowed you access into Windows that easily without third party programs as mentioned earlier. Most of these programs will remove the password for you, giving you access to assign it a new password. Keep in mind that if you do this, any of your encrypted files/folders will still require the old/previous password in order to decrypt them. Otherwise, they will be encrypted...

You can start your computer in safe mode by pressing F11 before the windows logo shows up and starts loading . When you start your computer in safe mode it has an admin account that anyone can use. I don't know if you can change your password without knowing your old one but you can create a new admin account and delete the old one while saving the files.

by Vic Ferri

Can't Log On to Windows XP?

If that’s your only problem, then you probably have nothing to worry about. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by a little known access hole in Windows XP.

This method is easy enough for newbies to follow – it doesn’t require using the Recovery Console or any complicated commands. And it’s free - I mention that because you can pay two hundred dollars for an emergency download of Winternals ERD with Locksmith which is a utility for unlocking lost Windows passwords. See here http://www.winternals.com/products/repaira...y/locksmith.asp

ERD is an excellent multi purpose product, but you should know it is not a necessary one if you have a healthy system and your sole problem is the inability to logon to Windows due to a forgotten password. Not necessary because you can easily change or wipe out your Administrator password for free during a Windows XP Repair. Here’s how with a step-by-step description of the initial Repair process included for newbie’s.

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now

5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”

Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.