Reset Password On Windows XP Domain PC

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konakid

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Hi.
I bought several PC's and they all have windows xp pro. and are passworded. They were part of a network because when I boot them up they say to hit ctrl alt del, and from there it you than get the login to either login to the OS on the PC itself or to the network.

I tried a free password reset disk I downloaded but it is not resetting the correct password.

Is there any hack's or anything I can do to reset the domain password? ...........As all I've been able to find is how to reset the admin user password.
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Solution




No hack required. You can take the systems out of the domain so they can join a normal...




No hack required. You can take the systems out of the domain so they can join a normal Workgroup. Go Start and Run and in the Open box, type cmd /k dcpromo and hit the Enter key. A wizard will start and you follow the steps, agreeing to ditch the Active Directory on the way. When you restart, the domain will be history and you can start from a normal login. Removing the Control/Al/Delete at login is a simple exercise if it survives shaking off the domain and typing Control Userpasswords2 in the Open box will give you a better form of dialogue box than the usual Control Panel>User Accounts route.



 
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konakid

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Ok. thanks for the advice.

Maybe I wasn't clear that I don't know the password to the OS nor the domain. So I am not able to login to a user desktop at all!!

I can only boot up as far as the ctrl alt del login screen and I don't know the password, so I can't get to a any command prompt or run . So I need some sort of hack to reset the domain password or whatever type of password It has so I can at least get into the Desktop.

I have it as a second drive right now, Is there any file I can delete to remove the password or reset the domain password??

I heard if you reinstall and hit F10 on reboot it will let you reset the password but I don't have any XP pro discs so....
 

VanillaGorilla

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You can try to boot into safe mode. If there isn't an Admin password for Safe mode you should be able to go in and remove any existing passwords on any account on the system.

No disks or hacks required for that one.
 

konakid

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It is still fully passworded even when I boot up in Safe Mode... Just like when I boot up normally.

Is there any way I can access a command line without a password. I reset the SAM file but it didn't reset the domain password.

Is there a directory where the domain password is stored so I can decrypt and read it or delete it?
 

VanillaGorilla

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The only other method I know to reset a password is to do a repair of windows install and hit Shift+F10 when the installation says "installing devices". From there type NUSRMGR.CPL in the command prompt that appears.

From there you can select whichever users you want to reset passwords on.

Let me know how this works out for you.
 

gtvr

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If it was that easy, windows PCs wouldn't be very secure, would they?

You bought PCs and don't have info regarding even a local admin password?
 

konakid

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Yes. I don't have a password. I got them at a school sale as they were upgrading to newer systems.I have no clue why they didn't reset the password

....And no the Safe Mode thing only works in situations not like mine.. I've changed them that way in XP Home before but it doesn't work on these PC's.

I'm going to try the F10 thing, and I see how that works...


 




If these were networked machines, it's highly unlikely they'll have XP Home on them.
 

konakid

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While I don't have the original license key. Is there some way I can retrieve the current one? So I don't have to use the same key on all of the PC's.

I did a repair install and on boot up when is was installing windows I hit SHIFT F10 and it gave me a command prompt!!! I than typed NUSRMGR.CPL ...It than came up with a graphical user password box. I reset the password and changed it so I didn't have to hit ctrl alt del.

After finishing up the install I had a user password and could now login perfectly!!

I might do a complete install though because it is running a little slow and really doesn't have any valuable software on it other than Office 2003.

More info at.
 

konakid

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It might work but it says it is only free if you have bought a product from them which I haven't...shoot.

Do you know if it resets the Domain password? Because I tried other password resetting sofware (reset the SAM file) And it didn't work.

I'm not sure but I think the only way is to use the shift+F10 method(for domain computers)...Although I does seem like there would be a file somewhere that you could reset that password....
 

konakid

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Ok. I tried it and it worked!! I just reset the Administrator password and set it to not require a password for login. Much faster than repair installing the whole OS!!

*note-(it didn't work unless I selected to not require a password)

Thanks!!!
 

Jesush1211

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I have the same problem can you help me.
 

konakid

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You should download and follow their instructions.


This worked best for me. I recently had to do it on a Windows 7 machine and it worked perfectly. !!!

I've tried other software but unless you are computer savvy and remember all the command line arguments this one works best as it has a GUI.

 

Suh_say

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HI Konakid,

I am experiencing the same problem..What I did not get is how did you get past the login screen..Kindly help me on this.

Sohail
 
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