Administrator Password in XP Recovery Console

Makaveli

Need a bit of help.

I'm trying to reinstall XP on my mates pc because it's a lost cause. The problem is I'm stuck in the Recovery Console looking for an admin password.

Is there a default admin password? He can't remember if there was one in the first place (pc is about 5 years old).

Alternatively, is there a way I can format the c drive without having to go into the revcovery console at all?

Thanks in advance.

Cal

The default password is blank.

You can format from a boot disk.

Cal.

kaizersoze

You're in the wrong place for a reinstall. Do not select "Repair" on the first screen (that sends you to recovery console), select "install XP. On the next screen you will get the option to install or repair (depending on version the repair option may not be there).
As Cal said you can boot and format from a boot floppy if that doesn't work.

Makaveli

Can you make a boot disk using a cd? There's no floppy drive.

If I go to the install option it tries to install xp over the other install so I need to format c.

Karoma

Odd. A recovery shouldn't require a password... (Perhaps it's been too long since I recovered) I think you've gone the wrong route - AFAIK, there's a guide in a Comp/Tech's sticky.
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ -> Burn the CD image - blank the password. Proceed.

Capt'n Midnight

yeah the recovery console needs the admin passwrod if one is set
recovery of the registry / reinstall from the repair disk don't

if you've copied one or two of the \repair files back from when the password was different then the PW reset disk is very handy.

Makaveli

I went back and followed the repair route because we couldn't get the password. It's still awfully slow though so it really needs the format.

I'm going to make a boot disk at home and stick a floppy drive in it.

Thanks for the help guys.