getting into admin on a system

foxybrowne

Anyone know how to log-in as an adminstrator on Windows 2000 without having username or p/w i.e. bypassing the log-in.
I wasn't left the details and am in work supposed to be filing. all the manages have the phones swithced off, the feckers.

de8o

The only Windows password I've ever needed.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

Some people don't realise that once you have physical access to a box, getting admin access is quite easy,

this goes for M$, Cisco, Linux, Aix etc, etc......

Most vendors release info on how to get admin access when you have physical access. M$ on the other hand try to ignore the fact.

This shouldn't be seen as hacking/cracking. Physical security should be your primary concern for any box.

foxybrowne

Fair play, I'll have a read through it and see if I can sort it out.

Capt'n Midnight

Be careful in case any services/update/backup software needs the admin password to run. [edit]this applies to Encrypted FS !!!! see below

Check other users in case they have AccountManager or Admin permissions - they could create a new temporary Admin until you get the original password.

Note:
I've no problem with utils that change the Admin password, because you need physical access and can't do it secretly because you have to restart the machine and the Old Admin password won't work. Also since unencrypted NTFS can be read by a dos program NTFSdos no knowing the admin password doesn't really hide anything.

I don't want to see any links to Admin Password Crackers.

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
If used on users that have EFS encrypted files, and the system is XP, all encrypted files for that user will be UNREADABLE! and cannot be recovered unless you remember the old password again

so don't change the admin password unless you are sure

7aken

long term, if think you might come up against this kind of thing again, you may consider buying erd commander. expensive but what a utility. most of it is actually licensed from microsoft so you know its reliable :rolleyes: has a program which will let you change any password including administrator's so you can have total access

Capt'n Midnight

7aken wrote:

long term, if think you might come up against this kind of thing again,

Simply create a ghost account with admin rights and no expiry on the password so you can get in again.