Forums | MacLife

paxswill · 2003-01-16 5:57 pm

I have a friend who just gort a new Gateway laptop, a Solo or something like that. It used to be used at Micro$oft. It has NT on it, but it requires a password and a Micro$oft Network, so he can only use DOS. It only has a floppy, but he can hook up a CD if needed. He would like to bypass the password somehow. I have no experience with Windowze boxes, so any help is appreciated. Thanks

Ribtorus · 2003-01-16 8:11 pm

Do you mean he can't log on to the machine without the password?

I don't know how to get at the registry from DOS to disable the logon password. DOS won't access the NTFS file system of NT4, but you may find a shareware app that will run under DOS that allows NTFS access.

If there are valuble files on the machine, then you could attempt to install WindowsXP on it. If you perform an 'update' install, then you won't lose any files or apps that were previously installed. I don't know if XP would prompt for the original password though, so that may not even work.

It looks like the best bet is just to wipe the machine and re-install an OS.

HackerJax · 2003-01-16 9:02 pm

I have a friend who just gort a new Gateway laptop, a Solo or something like that. It used to be used at Micro$oft. It has NT on it, but it requires a password and a Micro$oft Network, so he can only use DOS. It only has a floppy, but he can hook up a CD if needed. He would like to bypass the password somehow. I have no experience with Windowze boxes, so any help is appreciated. Thanks

Its probably setup to access a domain. You can't really bypass the password. Thats the idea - to keep people out.

Best advice is to get another copy of NT4 from somewhere and nuke the HD. Start over. Or wipe the drive and install Win98 or 2000. Depending on the specs of the machine of course.

-=Jax=-

paxswill · 2003-01-16 10:51 pm

Thanks for the replies. I guess he will have to scrounge up Win98 or something. Thank you very much for your help.

hillbilly · 2003-01-17 6:48 pm

If you use Win98, you will not be able to access the files currently on the HD.......EVER. Win98, unlike NT is DOS-based, and can't access NTFS partitions......and of course that's assuming the HD isn't FAT, which could be the case. If you boot to a command prompt and you can access the HD just fine, it's FAT, which Win98 can use.

Ribtorus · 2003-01-17 8:04 pm

There is a shareware app called ntfsDOS that will permit access of ntfs partitions through DOS, if you really needed to get at some of the files on the machine. I've used it to recover files from a clients broken machine.

Marathionman · 2003-01-17 10:04 pm

Well it is not the best thing you can do (it takes to much room. But you can do a parallel insulation. What you do is get an NT disk and just reinstall the OS. Setting the password to what ever you want. Then just boot in to that instillation of NT.

Also did you try entering the User name Administrator and the password as Password?

paxswill · 2003-01-17 10:13 pm

No, I haven't. Thank you so much again.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2003-01-16 5:57 pm

Bypassing NT password

#2 2003-01-16 8:11 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#3 2003-01-16 9:02 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#4 2003-01-16 10:51 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#5 2003-01-17 6:48 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#6 2003-01-17 8:04 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#7 2003-01-17 10:04 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

#8 2003-01-17 10:13 pm

Re: Bypassing NT password

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