Is asking how to find the password to your own computer allowed? Or does that fall under the "Do not post any questions or answers having to deal with hacking or cracking. " I think it should. Cause people don't always tell the truth. They can say anything...doesn't necessarily mean the computer they're trying to "remember" the password to is their own. EEOC

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I don't see the reason for your question. Why would anyone think it was any different?

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IMO I think it shouldn't be allowed. Read the thread below - this user claimed she forgot not only the password but also the & answer to the secret question. http://www.computing.net/answers/se... i_Xp/VistaUser

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The reason for my question is the number of posts I see asking how to reset a password....and the number of responses telling the OP how to do just that. Those posts aren't deleted. EEOC

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XpUser, Thanks for the info, I have corrected that. As for DerbyDad's question, whenever someone tries to post, the rules are linked right at the top of the confirmation page (in the center under the Terms and Rules link). Justin

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Thanks Justin. I didn't notice the tiny, light grey letters amongst the large blue banners, the animated ads and all the other stuff on the Confirm Post page. Hint Hint ;-)

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Derby, From past experience, I know I could make that thing twice as big and not hardly anyone will read it. Most people don't bother to read rules :) Justin

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I have picked up on a few tricks over the years as I am sure all of you have done, I imagine to a greater extent as you all have much more experience than I do. I have seen many of these posts myself and try to avoid them for a lot of reasons. Legallity only one of them. I have just enough know how to help someone really screw up a good system. I really would feel bad if I knew I did that and it was someone trying to hack into someone elses system. Practice makes perfect but only if you practice perfectly!

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"people don't always tell the truth. They can say anything..." True, but if someone asks a seemingly harmless question like "which key do I press to access the BIOS" or "how do I format my HDD", how do we know that he/she isn't up to no good? He/she could be deliberately mucking up someone's settings or wiping their HDD. Lying doesn't just apply to password recovery.

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Jam is right on target! I agree 100%. You might as well not answer anyone's questions because you never know whether they're up to good or not. I don't think it's fair to label someone as being up to no good without proof that they're not. The phrase "guilty until proven innocent" comes to my mind when it should really be the other way around. WinSimple Software

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I would have answered Rona's question about forgetting the password & the secret answer, had I seen it. If this forum were any more conservative, it would be fascist.

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lol Guapo 'If this forum were any more conservative, it would be fascist. ' too late !, already reserved by the denizens of expertsexchange hyphen :) what site hides the answers from general browsing? how many times have ppl been googled there only to find fuzzy answers and adverts. that site used to be free you know! just like c.net is , then the word corporate appeared. (btw JW im wondering why ive seen on c.net post is there a business tick box) ;) & theres more, when does a 'well documented feature' become a hack? or is it the other way round?

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I agree that one cannot tell when someone is lying or not and/or whether they have bad intentions. I do not agree that telling someone how to access the BIOS is the same as telling someone how to bypass the installed password. One may tell someone how to jimmy a car door when they have locked their keys in side but you wouldn't tell them how to hot wire the ignition if they lost the keys...you would tell them to call a locksmith to make a new set of keys or a mechanic to explain how to change the ignition switch, or the best answer would be to have the dealer that you bought the car from do what is needed to get you moving again. It is no different with a computer....either err on caution or teach someone how to hot wire it so they can steal it. The difference is really quite simple: Are you doing this as a private individual or are you doing it from under the banner of CN . In one choice you have the sole responsibility of your actions...on the other, you leave the blame to CN. Now you may not care as to what people think of you as you can hide behind the user name and your keyboard, but CN is the one who will take the fall for any of our actions... And please don't refer to the we are not responsible clause because it doesn't keep the other from suing to begin with and costing someone lots of money to fight the battle. Nor does it stop the courts from shutting down the site till it is settled or just trying to make a point to others just like Microsoft did to a lot of websites that gave out information on how to by-pass using a Dell installation disc on non Dell computers and in the same aspect of peer to peer sharing of files with them going after the ISP and issuing warnings to individuals. Change Is Good http://www.citizenlink.org/Stopligh...

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1stepbeyond BTW, when you search Google & one of the results is experts exchange, just click on cached & you can view the answers by scrolling to the bottom. What do you think of that? How do you know when a politician is lying? His mouth is moving.

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Uh Hello out there! There is a difference in obtaining a password and changing a password. Obtained.... the owner will not know the system has been compromised. Changed ....the owner (if not a complete idiot) will notice the change. I am glad that any post is left up to Justin's discresion and not volunteer hall monitors.... I for one have at least 3 parents a month come in ...they only have one computer in the house , and sis or bro tried to setup a password on their user account and ended up putting the password on the entire system. A good beating and a life time of restriction just does not make a kids memory work better. Personally I think changeing is OK not aquiring. W.L.

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Who, besides you, mentioned anything about "changing passwords"?

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Is there some reason the difference's shouldn't be mentioned? Sorry if the below offends you. I am glad that any post is left up to Justin's discretion and not volunteer hall monitors....

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Nothing you have said offended me. You don't have that much impact on how I feel. However, you did start your post with "Uh Hello out there!" which I (perhaps mistakenly) read as you saying that we weren't paying attention, as in "Hey, aren't you listening?" or "Don't you understand what we're talking about?" I'm sure you know that the written word can be sometimes misinterpreted. I guess there are other reasons to start a post with "Uh..." but I can't think of any right now. http://dictionary.reference.com/sea...

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Justin has done a great job so far. I don't usually respond to password posts however I have cleared passwords for people in the r/w but that's always face to face. If you run a shop and someone brings in a rig that's different than posting a how to on a c/net post. Not only might you be helping someone for real or helping them screw up somebody elses rig but anyone can view that post. Hmmm. Google "help I lost my password" and see how many c/net posts come up. Na not for me. WinXp Amd 64 3000 Msi Neo2 Platinuim 1 gig ddr 400. When we cast a pebble into a pond we should look past the first ripple.

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As to this site being "to conservative" I've notice that most of us leave our "politics" at the door and try to help others or learn from others yet I notice some people can't seem to do that. Sad. WinXp Amd 64 3000 Msi Neo2 Platinuim 1 gig ddr 400. When we cast a pebble into a pond we should look past the first ripple.

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