URGENT! Where does MS hide the passwords?

[Feline]

Am just about to dispose of a laptop running Win 98 which has been told to "remember" a number of passwords, and I would rather like to delete them before passing the machine on ... Just need to know where Microsoft hides 'em (I know that they are encrypted, but that doesn't mean people can't use them!)

The previous owner didn't do this, and I could, with minimum effort, have logged into any of his accounts ...

Can anyone help with a quick answer?

Tks a stack!

[rustle]

If you're referring to passwords stored in relation to websites, then download THIS (http://www.ccleaner.com/ccdownload.asp) and it will allow you to obliterate all those cached logons / passwords for webforms. You need to activate this option by ticking the "tickbox" as it is (sensibly) disabled by default

If you're talking about "network" passwords, they're in a file in the windows subdirectory, extension PWL -- one for every user on that W98 machine. Delete those PWL files and they're (network passwords) gone too :)

[Feline]

Thanks Rustle - that looks to be exactly what I'm looking for (useful site!)

[Coconutty]

You can also clear passwords and forms that have been used for accessing Internet sites from within Internet Explorer :

Open Internet Explorer and click "Tools" / "Internet Options" / "Content" / "Autocomplete" then click the "Clear Passwords" button and also do the "Clear Forms" option.

:ok:

[Memetic]

If you are worried about the passwords did you securely delete all your other files, deleted items, cache etc?

It's trival to recover items that have just been deleted using normal methods.

It is usually good practice to completely wipe a drive with a disk eraser tool as even formatting a drive does not destroy the data.

There are many stories of "interesting" material being recovered from drives bought second hand.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/17/hard_drive_data/

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/04/07/hard_drive_with_police_info_sold_on_ebay/

[rustle]

Coconutty, your solution could work, but nowhere in the original requirements spec was it stated that IE was the browser -- hence the suggestion of a non-browser-specific solution :8

[sky330]

Only way to be really sure, is to format the drive with an 'eraser' program and make a clean re-install...

If I would be the new owner, I would prefer a empty HD, as the first thing I would do is erase the disk anyway!

Would you trust the previous owner installation about virus, trojans and the likes???

[Feline]

It’s not a particularly “sensitive” machine as when traveling I use it with an external USB hard drive that has an image of everything on my Desktop PC on it (saves hassles with synchronizing the two machines). But it does have access to various e-mail accounts, most of which have “remember passwords” enabled – and unless you know where the passwords are stored it’s not too easy to “undo” this feature.

I would just make the observation that scrubbing the disk on a desktop PC and re-installing the OS might be a feasible idea (bit time-consuming), doing the same thing to a laptop is not always a Good Idea because many laptops have software installed that you need for the proper operation of the laptop – and it is not easy to reinstall! (Spoken with benefit of experience!)

Once again – thanks for the prompt and useful suggestions

[Memetic]

doing the same thing to a laptop is not always a Good Idea because many laptops have software installed that you need for the proper operation of the laptop – and it is not easy to reinstall!

Ah, so you are disposing of it to somone you like...or are likly to be asked for tech support by ;-)

[jdoe]

Where can you get a disk eraser tool?