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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Lost login password...HELP please
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Showing posts 1 - 11 of 11, (reverse)
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 11/22/2007 09:52:16 PM · #1
For some reason my daughter's POS...I mean laptop (Gateway, model unknown) had a windows logon screen. Normally we just hit ok without putting in a password and it would continue logging in. Well today I got tired of it and went in to the control panel to change the user id info and get rid of that. When I went to that section it told me another program (can't find the name now dang it), something like msimpg.dll, was blocking those changes from being made.

I went and did research and on the MS page it told me about it (an older security dll) and how to edit it within the registry. I found the option I THOUGHT I wanted and changed it from a 0 to a 1, that was all. Saved and exit. Reboot and what the??? A logon screen still. But wait, I can't just hit ok and be in. No passwords work, no names like admin, administration or others I could have probably used. Cancel just does nothing

I do some more research on this computer to see about getting around that or editing the registry within DOS. Everything says to reboot in safe mode and get in or even reboot safe mode with command prompt and edit the registry that way. Well I don't know if it is just my version of windows (XP) but even rebooting in safe mode and safe with command prompt still brings me to the same log in screen.

I've looked into programs to crack it or just let me in to change that one stupid setting but they all want a bootable CD, so I created a boot CD on this laptop (HP) but that computer won't recognize it. Asks if I want to boot from CD but then doesn't. I don't have the recovery software but do have a backup that Best Buy did before their last maintanance (refer to me calling it a POS earlier).

I am running XP Media Center Edition, on it but since I can't get in I can't tell you anything else. I have to get it in for other repairs and refuse to pay them $100 to back up one program that I can do if I can get in. Can anyone offer any help, I'm really stuck here and only have this weekend to work on it before I go back to NC.

Thank you in advance.
 11/22/2007 10:25:30 PM · #2
Originally posted by sabphoto:
I went and did research and on the MS page it told me about it (an older security dll) and how to edit it within the registry. I found the option I THOUGHT I wanted and changed it from a 0 to a 1, that was all. Saved and exit. Reboot and what the??? A logon screen still. But wait, I can't just hit ok and be in. No passwords work, no names like admin, administration or others I could have probably used. Cancel just does nothing

Can you cite the support page you worked off of, so we can see what you did?

Originally posted by sabphoto:
Everything says to reboot in safe mode and get in or even reboot safe mode with command prompt and edit the registry that way.

Yeah, that's typically the easy way of getting into a "passworded" account on XP. And you're sure it's XP and not Vista?

So, you boot up in safe mode...and you say you still can't get in? If memory serves me, there either shouldn't be a login screen or you should be able to just click on any user and get in.
 11/22/2007 10:25:45 PM · #3
I have used various tools in the past to unlock PCs with lost passwords.
There are a few free ones but I've never had much luck with them.

I now use Active@ Password Changer from //www.password-changer.com/
its a bit pricey but it works great and is easy to use.

Message edited by author 2007-11-22 22:31:26.
 11/22/2007 10:40:44 PM · #4
is there an account named admin that you can access on the safe mode screen? did you try what the pass word hint is?
 11/23/2007 01:38:30 AM · #5
You can likely use a CD based Linux, such as Knoppix, to get to the registry file to fix it.

If you did a registry backup before the change, this is just a matter of swapping files. If not, you'll need a registry editor.
 11/23/2007 03:07:22 PM · #6
Thanks for everyones input...

geoffb---sorry I've tried to remember the support page and since I can't find the name of that dang .dll file I can't search for it again, and for some reason it isn't showing up in my history file, even though everything else from today and other days is...just not having good luck here. Also, yes, for some reason I still get a "enter login name and password" when rebooting to safe and safe with command prompt modes. All the pages I saw said I should just be at the command prompt, no logging required. It is not vista, system is about 1.5 years old now. Login screen says it is the XP media center system.

Jimbo-I actually looked at that when I first started this whole thing and went in to remove it's password. There was only a main account and a guest (guest said it wasn't logged on). I tried using admin and admistrator as the username but still nothing works.

Brian, thanks, hopefully I don't have to go that route, this computer is really ticking me off and since it is under warrenty I am trying to get best buy to replace it. We've had nothing but trouble with the power supply and they just keep replacing the powercords and saying it isn't a big enough problem to warrent a replacement system...well apparently my daughter has dropped it too so maybe now it can be fixed for good.

Fotomann...I didn't do a registry backup...I know stupid stupid stupid. lol Wonder if I can find a recovery disk that would just allow me to repair the system without losing the ONE thing I need.
11/23/2007 04:22:52 PM · #7
Here is your easy solution. I've used it on several different PCs and laptops. (An easy way to make a couple hundred dollars, fast, and make an absent-minded client very happy!)

//home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Cheers
 11/23/2007 04:26:02 PM · #8
Using Admin Mode

Reboot the computer and start hitting f8 before the windows screen comes up i usual hit it many times just to make sure it gets hit at the right time.

Choose Safe Mode and when it boots up login as administrator. If the files arent protected u can get to it directly. If not you will have to force change of ownership which ull have to figure out how in the file folder permissions.
 11/23/2007 06:03:01 PM · #9
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
Here is your easy solution. I've used it on several different PCs and laptops. (An easy way to make a couple hundred dollars, fast, and make an absent-minded client very happy!)

//home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Cheers


dude you the bomb! I don't care what Leroy says about ya lol just kidding...I have access and can now do what I need.

Thanks again.
 11/23/2007 06:14:14 PM · #10
Hey congrats, I guess ol' Slippy is alright to have around at times.
 11/23/2007 06:55:49 PM · #11
:-) Your bill is in the mail. ;-)
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