I have an NT machine that has not been used in months. I have forgotten the password to the account that I logon with. Is it re-build time or is there anyway I can break in in oder to use usrmgr to reset the password? Thanks in advance.

http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/0locksmith.asp

Locksmith and similar utils cost $$$'s/£££'s and there is a workaround that will allow you access. Install a second (NT) version to/as: C:\temp\winnt2 Include service pack 4 or later. Once this second (temp) version is in it will be the default OS to boot (last W2K/NT/XP to go becomes the default OS to boot). Boot to this version and you can log-in afresh at Admin level. (You can leave password blank if you wish - not need to actually provide one.) Then reset the default OS to boot to original version (winnt). Now locate the SAM file (data-base) in the original NT version (it's system32/config/SAM - if I remember corectly). If you delete this SAM file then, having reset OS to boot to original version, when you reboot (you will again get a fresh Admin level log-in) you can start restoring/resetting user accounts ('new' accounts. You 'will' have to recreate the user accounts afresh - they (the original user files) will have 'gone' when you deleted the SAM file. You can also access the data you need from the Admin level as well - Admin has full access. Once you delete a/the SAM file the next log-in defaults to a/the 'fresh' Admin level log-in and you 'can' start afresh (all things being equal). Useful (if it's your own home system?) to note/record (hard-copy) the assorted passwords etc. somewhere safe; also perhaps note the Admin password too? You can either delete the second temp\winnt2 version if you wish; or keep it (perhaps with a blank-password..) in case of similar need in the future? Keeping it with a blank-password is of course a 'security issue...'

What if you are locked out of an NT Workstation that was previously connected to a domain, but has been reconfigured to connect to a workgroup? The original domain password does not work and the guest account has been disabled???

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