I broke my computer password...

[Arcesious]

So I was trying to change my Vista password yesterday. I have Vista Home Premium, 64 bit. I have one account, which is the administrator.

 

I kept entering my correct, current password and typed everything correctly each time, but every time it said my current password was incorrect. So I went to another option and turned off User Account Control, which changed nothing, so I turned it back on again. It asked to restart each time I changed this option and I clicked restart later. Since it wouldn't let me change the password, I decided to leave it alone after nothing worked.

 

My password is pretty long, but I am sure I always type it right. I have no password reset disk, unfortunately. I tried to go into Bios and I set some passwords to try to override the old one, but it didn't work. Then I went into safe mode, but it also required a password. I tried every password I could think of in both safe mode and normal boot-up, and nothing has worked. Obviously, I broke something somewhere along the line, as my computer was fine until I tried to get on it today. I thought I was sufficiently skilled in messing with my computer due to all the times in the past where I've had computers mess up horribly, but I guess I was wrong.

 

Please help. I don't know what to do... I'm fortunate in that most of my important stuff is saved on an external hard drive, but at this rate, I don't know if a reformat is even possible with no computer account access outside of the bios menu, and I don't like that option in the first place.

 

My best guess is that I've really confused the computer about what its password is, as every password I've tried simply doesn't work.

[Q]

You were on the right track. Your computer is an OEM (pre-built) machine, correct? You'll need to find out what the default admin password is for your particular brand. You can usually find out what it is online. You can then boot into safe mode and access the admin account using that password.

 

At least, that's how it usually works.

[Arcesious]

Well, I've found out something very odd. I found a password that works... sort of. But it doesn't get me in. It's the password I tried to change to but the computer said I couldn't change to when I was first trying to change the password.

 

So I load up into safe mode. I type in my new password. The screen says goes to the welcome message and starts to act like its loading for about a whole minute. Then it stops and gives me the password incorrect message. It does the same thing in normal mode.

 

I must have really confused my computer, because the password is 'correct' but at the last second it seems to decide that its incorrect.

 

I'll try your option, however under bios, the administrator and used passwords said they had not been set yet (and I changed them to the very same new password that seems to work but not really work), so there may be no 'root password' as it would be referred to.

[ChAiNz.2da]

Can always try Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

 

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

 

Use at own risk however

[Arcesious]

Yes, I found that among my searches. I'll have to check that out once I confirm that every other option doesn't work. It would probably be best that I have my more computer-savvy uncle run that program himself on my computer instead of me, as I could mess things up worse since I'm no IT professional. The farthest extent of my computer skill is knowing the very basics of the 'BASIC' computer language, as well as the basics of simple internet website languages like html, php, and css.

 

Evil Q, I looked for a default password for my computer model, but I cannot seem to find one. (I'm running off of a my school-issued laptop right now that has searches on strict internet filtering, so perhaps that's why I can't find the exact search result that I need.)

 

My searches seem to indicate though that vista computers tend not to have default passwords, but I wouldn't know for sure myself. When I first got my computer there was no password to login until I set it.

 

My computer is a Gateway LX6810-01, by the way.

[Q]

You could very well be right. I haven't had an OEM computer since the XP days.

 

I'd give that utility that ChAiNz suggested a try. Just be careful.

[ChAiNz.2da]

Yes, I found that among my searches. I'll have to check that out once I confirm that every other option doesn't work.

 

ahhh.. probably for the best. Other searches turned up this:

 

http://www.windowspasswordsrecovery.com/

 

it's not 'free' however there is a free trial (30 day) Might be worth a shot, and seems to be on the up & up.

 

As far as default passwords. Unfortunately, If there wasn't a default admin account (or set password) when you first started, that may not be on option.

[DarthSlinky]

Just restart your computer in safe mode

[Q]

He's already tried that.

[DarthSlinky]

Sorry, speed read, the safe mode trick only works on XP's.

 

Do you have any other accounts, even a guest account?

 

Microsoft recommends:

- Use the Forgotten Password wizard via the User Accounts Control Panel to create a password reset disk for your account. Store this disk or removable USB device in a safe place.

- Create a password hint for your account.

- Write down your username and password and store it in a safe location.

[Arcesious]

This obviously isn't your typical password loss problem. Apparently, my computer will accept random passwords of any kind, after about every half a dozen tries. However, it stays at the welcome screen message for about a minute, acting like its loading up and accepting the password, and then it stops and says password incorrect.

 

I think that whatever program keeps the password is really confused.

 

Fortunately mostly everything important to me is kept safe on an external harddrive, but there are a couple of minor things I'd lose if I reformatted.

 

As for the password retrieval disk idea, that doesn't work because I never made a password reset disk when I first set the password. Such an option doesn't work after the fact. I also have no other accounts on the computer. The main account is Administrator.

 

Currently we're trying out a program called Ophcrack, but we've had no success in getting the computer to boot from the disk (maybe we set it up wrong on the disk?), because the bios boot settings are set up really weird, and I don't know how exactly to change it. The optical disk boot option doesn't really seem to give me any options to boot from the disk. Swapping boot order for different boot sources doesn't work because I can't seem to save changed boot settings in the first place. (F10 is the 'save settings' button, but it doesn't seem to work.)

 

My computer uses something called RAID, which I think is related to the boot settings, whatever that is.

[Q]

RAID stands for "Redundant Array of Independent Disks". Does your computer have more than 1 HDD?

 

EDIT: You're really going to want to give that utility that ChAiNz suggested a try if you want to avoid having to reformat. Good luck.

[DarthSlinky]

This sounds a bit like a virus to me, either that or your Windows is corrupted.

[Arcesious]

It could be a virus that did it, I suppose. (I've been being lazy about renewing my Avast antivirus subscription since those kinds of things cost a good deal of money.) Though I never visit any websites I suspect could have viruses. I only go to the routine sites... I haven't downloaded anything for quite awhile either. But I won't discount the possibility. I haven't scanned for viruses for a long time.

 

I'll try every (erm, free) promising password retrieval program I find if necessary. Thanks for the help - right now I need to figure out how to change boot order if I want any boot disks to work. I think it only has one harddrive in it - which is the 'C' drive.

 

Edit: I reinstalled Vista. Using password recovery disks was too risky.