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Computer help

Latimer
Latimer Posts: 942
edited December 2008 in Not Sports Related
I have windows vista. I have managed to 'lose/mess up/overide' the very simple pass word I had to my account for which I am the administrator for this home pc. When I try to reset/change password it asks for a reset disc?? Any way bottom line is I cannot get into my account the other accounts for my wife and daughter do not have passwords and are accessible. Any thoughts on how to remedy appreciated eg do I do restore from a previous date and what woul be the consequences etc.
Tvm for any help in advance
Lats

Comments

  • F-Blocker
    F-Blocker Posts: 3,409
    Sorry - that one's beyond me.
    Leroy's probably your man for this - though you could try searching the help forums too...
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,436
    Latimer

    What you need is a Linux distribution aimed specifically at (ahem) 'recovering' (ahem) 'lost' passwords. If you download ophcrack from here, burn it as an .iso image using something like this then place it in the optical drive, reboot the computer and let it boot up using that CD you will be able to recover the passwords following the directions here. If your PC 'ignores' the Ophcrack CD and boots straight into Windows you will need to set the boot order so that your optical drive has a higher priority than your hard disk. Good luck!
  • Miserableoldgit
    Miserableoldgit Posts: 21,458
    Me again:

    For no apparent reason a "Norton Security Scan" logo has appeared on the bottom right of my laptop.
    Is it OK to run it or just try and delete ?
    Thanks.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,222
    Since we're on the topic.

    Old CPU. Safe to just take to dump or do I need to wipe it some how so people can't hack passwords/CL clique posts etc?

    And if wipe how is it done?
  • Absurdistan
    Absurdistan Posts: 8,024
    Henry Irving said:

    Since we're on the topic.

    Old CPU. Safe to just take to dump or do I need to wipe it some how so people can't hack passwords/CL clique posts etc?

    And if wipe how is it done?

    Just take out the old hard drive, hit it a few times with a hammer and then discard with rest of the PC. ;-)

  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,436
    Absurdistan said:

    Henry Irving said:

    Since we're on the topic.

    Old CPU. Safe to just take to dump or do I need to wipe it some how so people can't hack passwords/CL clique posts etc?

    And if wipe how is it done?

    Just take out the old hard drive, hit it a few times with a hammer and then discard with rest of the PC. ;-)

    Almost. You could use killdisk or something similar to zero the disk out, but physical destruction is better. However, hitting the actual drive with a hammer won't cut the mustard - you need to unscrew the drive housing and remove the platters inside (they look like mini CDs). Battering those with a hammer will smash them into thousands of pieces.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,222
    Cheers leroy
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,334
    Henry Irving said:

    Cheers leroy

    I put old computers/drives in a bucket of water. I made this suggestion to someone in a pub once. Their reply was "What if you can't get the whole computer in the bucket?".

  • NathanPrior
    NathanPrior Posts: 3,577
    Use a magnet to wipe it
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,198
    thai malaysia addick said:

    Henry Irving said:

    Cheers leroy

    I put old computers/drives in a bucket of water. I made this suggestion to someone in a pub once. Their reply was "What if you can't get the whole computer in the bucket?".

    With a little detergent?
    Followed by a quick wipe with a tea towel, that should ensure they are clean!
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  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,362
    NathanPrior said:

    Use a magnet to wipe it

    Better off hitting it with a large magnet or just use the hammer method
  • swords_alive
    swords_alive Posts: 4,261
    Miserableoldgit said:

    Me again:

    For no apparent reason a "Norton Security Scan" logo has appeared on the bottom right of my laptop.
    Is it OK to run it or just try and delete ?
    Thanks.

    I would not run it if i hadn't seen it before or felt uneasy about it. Too many viruses and other nasties mascarading as legitmate virus checkers. Some like McAfee now even seem have adopted stealth tactics as sales techniques, which spoils their reputation still further in my opinion. Not sure if Norton are up to that too. Eitherway they have made an awful lot of money out of fear and generally contributing to users' anxiety levels for years now. I stick with Avast myself, free and easy.
  • Miserableoldgit
    Miserableoldgit Posts: 21,458
    Thanks swords: was told similar on the phone earlier.
    Have deleted it without opening.
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 26,290
    NathanPrior said:

    Use a magnet to wipe it

    Magnet won't work unless you actually run it over the disk platters, and if you've taken it apart that much, you may as well just physically smash them up anyway.

    Henry, if there's nothing particularly wrong with the hard drive, you could just take it out of the case and buy an external hard drive caddy to put it in. That way you can transfer old files off it at your leisure, and use the rest of the space for backups or storing files you don't use very often (photos, video, whatever)
  • Fanny Fanackapan
    Fanny Fanackapan Posts: 18,738
    Why are the only words I understand in this thread "hammer" and "magnet" ??????
  • Miserableoldgit
    Miserableoldgit Posts: 21,458
    Fanny Fanackapan said:

    Why are the only words I understand in this thread "hammer" and "magnet" ??????

    "Ooooh you are awful..........but I like you" !

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