(SOLVED) Adminstrative help...

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Still waiting for the passwords....

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

The built-in administrator account name is administrator. Any other admin account can be and probably is restricted by policy. Although the name of the built-in administrator account can be changed it can only be changed with a registry hack.

Hi...

Ok, we're in business....sort of.

I was able to use Ophcrack and retrieve two user passwords (two different user accounts.) The administrator password was listed as "empty." However when I typed in "control userpasswords2" and then "Administrator" with no password, I get this message: "User Options could not be started with the supplied user information. Ensure that the supplied user information identifies an administrator on this computer." Huh? That's what I though I just did.

Unless the tech who set all this up somehow blocked access using this route as well, if that's possible. I tried entering the two username and passwords and received the same message.

How do I proceed from this point? How do I access the main administrator account?

Thanks!

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Hi all...

UPDATE: I discovered the "net user" commands described here and here and here and finally, here but everytime I try to execute the necessary commands to either change a password or create a new account and include it in the administrator's group, I continually receive this error message: "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied."

Any thoughts on this, too? (I have the distinct feeling that resolving this whole issue is going to involve modifying the registry, as was stated earlier in the thread, if there is any possible way to get into it.)

Regards...

[wizard10000]

Re: Adminstrative help...

If the administrator password is blank try logging on as administrator. Hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the login screen and try logging in as administrator with a blank password.

If you can't get in as administrator, blow the machine away and start over

[Telengard]

Re: Adminstrative help...

(I have the distinct feeling that resolving this whole issue is going to involve modifying the registry, as was stated earlier in the thread, if there is any possible way to get into it.

Yes, and it is possible.

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm
http://www.registrytool.com

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the login screen and try logging in as administrator with a blank password.

If you can't get in as administrator, blow the machine away and start over

Hi guys...

There is no login screen, it goes straight into one of the user accounts. Thank you for the links, I will check them out.

Regards...

[wizard10000]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the login screen and try logging in as administrator with a blank password.

If you can't get in as administrator, blow the machine away and start over

Hi guys...

There is no login screen, it goes straight into one of the user accounts. Thank you for the links, I will check them out.

Regards...

We already told you how to fix this. Might be wise to reread the thread

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Create a second user account. *Then* you should get a welcome screen

Hi...

Right and if you remember from a couple posts ago, I cannot create any account, administrator or user.

Regards...

[Telengard]

Re: Adminstrative help...

This may be my last post in this thread.

I think a little perspective might be helpful here. If you don't find it helpful to reflect upon these thoughts, then please feel free to ignore this post.

You are attempting to crack into a live Windows system which was intentionally locked down. It is possible to do this, but doing it requires you to adopt the methods of crackers. You must be willing to learn the tools of that unsavory trade, or else find other methods.

You do have options here, but they are limited.

Fighting against the system while it is running will be difficult. Not impossible by any means, but very difficult. All these dialog boxes are blockades which obscure your view of the system. You'll have to find ways to look around them before you can disable them.

Taking the system offline and booting from an alternate system is the best way to bypass all the locks. If Windows isn't running then it can't stop you from modifying the registry, or replacing system files at will. The links I provided are for tools to do exactly this.

The easy way out is to format the hard disk and install a new system. I know you would prefer not to do this, but you need to keep it in mind.

Good luck

[MoonRise]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Taking the system offline and booting from an alternate system is the best way to bypass all the locks. If Windows isn't running then it can't stop you from modifying the registry, or replacing system files at will. The links I provided are for tools to do exactly this.

That is the only way from my experience and yes the tools to do that are questionable.

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Hi Telengard...

I appreciate your advice and have again spoken to the manager about what options are available that would either be free or low-cost. Hacking into the registry (not knowing what was changed and how to change it back) with third party software was not included in those options.

So she came to a couple decisions and I'm now looking into seeing if one of them is possible. I apologize, especially to you wizard10000, if any offense was taken as none was intended.

Thank you all very much for your help in all of this, I consider this thread "solved."

Regards...

[Telengard]

Re: Adminstrative help...

apologize, especially to you wizard10000, if any offense was taken as none was intended.

I can't speak for wizard10000, but I certainly don't expect any apology. It's just one of those problems without easy solutions. Some problems can never be solved by pointing and clicking, but only by reading and experimenting. It can take some time and attention to get results.

[wizard10000]

Re: (SOLVED) Adminstrative help...

No worries here, ardvark - good luck!

[ardvark71]

Re: Adminstrative help...

Some problems can never be solved by pointing and clicking, but only by reading and experimenting. It can take some time and attention to get results.

Hi Telengard...

Exactly and some time last night was spent doing just that, reading and experimenting using a command line interface. Believe me, I don't expect everything to be point and click solvable.

Regards...

[ardvark71]

Re: (SOLVED) Adminstrative help...

My question is how do I get to some kind of access point with a login window that will allow me to put in the password? I don't even know how or where to look with much of the OS components disabled and/or missing.

Hi...

None of the instructions on this thread worked?

Regards...