My brother received an "off-lease" computer as part of his severance package. Unfortunately, he wasn't given the administrator password needed to log onto Windows. IS at his old company won't talk to him. Any ideas on how to retrieve, bypass or reset the admin password?

3 ways 1. Put the hard drive in another machine running W2K and delete the SAM database. 2. If Recovery Console is installed, it may allow you access without the Admin password. Delete the SAM database from there. 3. Download a password cracker (I recommend a Linux Boot Disk from http://www.itb.ac.id/manual/crack/NT-password-reset/) I've been a brief, so let me know if you need any more info.

Reformat, and reinstall the OS.

Buy a copy of win2k and format and re-install. You will need the CD for other tasks down the road. Lots of changes in the system, hardware, software, etc. will need the org. win2k cd to make it work right. Using cracks can corupt the system and make it totaly unusable. Very few have the skills and knowledge to be a sucessfull hacker. Your better off not going down that path, stay legal and just buy a copy.

Rick & Jennifer: to reinstall the OS is the last option to consider!. As you may see, Dan knows several better options than yours. Rick: the crack that Dan suggests is to retrieve a password, not to modify any part of the system. And... a hacker IS NOT a cracker. Read this: http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html Andrés

Gee....i just stole this PC from work where they laid me off...can anyone give me ideas on how to break in? Use your brains people!

Be a little more generous Bob - a friend of mine is in just this position. She was told the PC had W2000 installed but NOT a logon ID and password. I suspect the support dept. at daveross's brother's old firm is so highly security concious they use the same admin. password on all their PC's.............