Partly OT? How to get past lost administrative password

[James crawford]

I had a similar problem a few months back after relocating to AZ. I forgot the Admin users password for an XP box I used http://www.loginrecovery.com/ and waited the 48 hours it needed to get the free password out. There is another link I tried with no luck but YMMV http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ and it looks like it's been updated this year.

James


    Message: 10
    Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 12:22:03 -0600
    From: "Josef Lowder" <joe at actionline.com>
    Subject: Partly OT?  How to get past lost administrative password
    To: plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
    Message-ID: <20070518181431.M3278 at actionline.com>
    Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=iso-8859-1

    .
    My son inherited a Dell desktop computer that is password 
    protected so he cannot log-in to gain access to use the system. 

    What would be the procedure for getting past this administrative 
    password so he can make some use of this computer? 

    Is there a way to turn of passwords in the Dell bios? 
    Or, could he use something like "super-grub" to create 
    a new boot loader? 

    I don't think he is concerned about saving any data on the 
    HD, but he would like to salvage XP and the programs that 
    already exist on this computer. 

    He would like to try a Linux LiveCD and perhaps to install 
    a dual-boot arrangement on the 20-gig HD in this computer 
    to begin to get acquainted with Linux. 

    What would be the best course of action to solve this?