Help! I've been locked out!

[10DowningSt]

If this has been covered before, apologies. I've tried a search.

In our small office we have an HP Pavilion Slimline acting as the main computer, with Vista.

4 accounts are set up; Master Administrator, mine, office assistant and guest.

The Master Administrator is used for adding deleting software etc, to prevent anything being added via and email or website from one one the user accounts.

There was no password set; when a password was needed, we simply clicked through. (I know, silly, but that's how it was.)

It seems that one of a succession of temps has added a password to access the Master Administrator account.

Short of backing everything up and starting again, is there any way out of this little problem?

All advice gratefully received.

[Mr Optimistic]

You'll be in for a right telling off here I bet

something like this perhaps ?
Forgot the Administrator's Password? - Windows Password Recovery - Windows Password Reset

Otherwise there are various tricks involving a live Linux cd, no doubt others will advise. Wonder what else said temp did ?

[Saab Dastard]

Petter Nordahl-Hagen's Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 offline password editor:

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

SD

[BOAC]

There was no password set; when a password was needed, we simply clicked through. (I know, silly, but that's how it was.)

- chances of a new (or even 'an') IT policy do you think?

As SD says - it works. So neat. Download and burn the ISO. DO printout the walk-through notes before you try it, though!

[390cruise]

Easy way........

10Downingstreet

I had a similar problem....ish

Nosey visitor expected so quick addition of password......then forgot it !!!

Read many ways to sort problem,chose easy one.

1)During start up press F8 to put machine into 'safe mode'

2)Wait until it is up and running

3)Go to user accounts, select admin account delete password, job done.

390
Rather a lazy chap

[BOAC]

Ingenious, but how do you run Windows from the welcome/login page without any passwords on p/w protected accounts?

Interested to hear how you get to 'user accounts' without a password - it's "2)Wait until it is up and running" I'm querying.

[10DowningSt]

Very many thanks to all who offered suggestions.

I'll try them in ascending order of difficulty, and let you know how I get on.

PS. On a JB thread, consisting entirely of lies, Avitor said

Your 'lost password' scam belongs in here

Now, that is a lie, but was it intended as such? We'll never know. But please be assured that my password problem is genuine, and not a "scam"!