Thursday, June 9, 2011

Any Ideas On Windows Password Recovery?

People usually set passwords to their important files in order to prevent any accidental or intensional modification by an intruder. Every time we create a new file, we set a different password. But the question is how many passwords can one remember. We tend to forget these passwords and end up losing all the valuable information. Suppose, you gave a login password to your system. A few days later when you tried to start the system, it prompted you for a Windows password and you come to know that you have forgotten the password. This would prevent you from accessing the system.  To get out of this gruesome situation, you need to reset  forgotten Windows password.
Many third party softwares are now available that help you to recover/reset the lost or forgotten administrative and user-login passwords from Windows based systems. They facilitate Windows password recovery by employing a brute-force attack technique to recover lost or forgotten Windows password. They are compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, Server (2000-2008), and 2000.
In the following article, I will present 3 kinds of Windows password recovery tools for you which are considered the best software for Windows password recovery problem.
1. Ophcrack -- One  of the best Freeware for Windows password recovery

Ophcrack is a free open source (GPL licensed) program that cracks Windows passwords by using LM hashes through rainbow tables. The program includes the ability to import the hashes from a variety of formats, including dumping directly from the SAM files of Windows. On most computers, ophcrack can crack most passwords within a few minutes.
2. Use the free Kon-Boot tool to remove Windows passwords
This free password reset tool  is quite famous and its main advantage is that it is very quick. You only have to boot up from the Kon-Boot CD and the tool will do the rest for you. It changes the contents of the Windows kernel on the fly while booting allowing you to log on without password. Thus the tool doesn’t change the SAM database. If you reboot again without using Kon-Boot you need the old passwords. But, it is not highly recommended to users that it easily crashes Windows 7 installation.
3. Windows Password Unlocker - a shareware with efficient and professional Windows password reset perforamance
Windows Password Unlocker is kind of a third party software that it is especially designed to help you to reset and recover lost or forgotten administrator password and other user account password so that you can easily access all your precious data on computer again. It allows you to log in computer easily and safely by burning a blank or bootable CD/DVD/USB flash drive. With this Windows password recovery software, you can easily regain access to computer without reinstalling computer. No longer to worry about losing all your precious data on computer due to computer reinstall when you forgot Windows password.

3 Ways to Enable the Built-in Windows 7 Administrator Account

Like Windows XP, Windows 7 also has an Administrator account in its factory configuration. You can use the administrator account to ensure that only the person logged in as an administrator can make certain changes, including changes that affect other users. But what unlike its Windows XP, Windows 7’s built-in administrator account is disabled as a security measure. And to enjoy the function of this account, you need to enable the administrator account at first. Here shows you 3 ways to turn on Windows 7 default administrator account which will prevent from Windows 7 password recovery trouble.
Option 1: Through Command Prompt.
1.  Type “cmd” in Start menu Search box, then open a command prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking and choosing Run as administrator
2. Now provide following command in command prompt:
net user administrator /active:yes
3. Press Enter. The Administrator account will be enabled. If you want to disable it again, simply replace "yes" with "no" in above command.
Option 2: Through Local Users and Groups.
1. Press Windows +R to pop up the Run command, and then type lusrmgr.msc in it and clicking OK to open "Computer Management" window
2. Expand Users folder in the left pane, and then right-click on "Administrator" account to select Properties in right-side pane. Uncheck the Account is disabled box on the properties window.
Option 3: Local Security Policy
1. Open Local Security Policy windows by typing "secpol.msc" in RUN dialog box or Start menu search box.
2. Expand the Local Policies folder in the left pane, and expand Security Options in the right pane.
3. Double-click on first option "Accounts: Administrator account status" and select "Enabled" and apply it.
Now the Windows 7 administrator account is enabled and don’t forget to add a password to this account. Of course, a Windows 7  password d reset disk should also be created after adding a password. It will be helpful if you forgot Windows 7 administrator password.

Windows Password Unlocker 5.2 Released – Instantly Reset Forgotten Windows Password in Minutes

Password Unlocker Studio announced release of Windows Password Unlocker 5.2 – Upgrade version of the safe and easy Windows password recovery software Windows Password Unlocker 5.1, on its official website: http://www.passwordunlocker.com/ . Coming with fresh new interface, this Windows password recovery tool is more intuitive and user-friendly. What’s more important, Windows Password Unlocker 5.2 is easier, faster and more efficient compared with its previous versions. It allows you to create a bootable password reset CD/DVD or USB flash drive in one-click to bypass lost Windows password on Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008(R2)/2003(R2)/2000.
Key Features:
Windows Password Unlocker 5.2 inherits the easiness and effectiveness of Windows Password Unlocker 5.1, but stands out with many new features and improved functionality.
  • 100% password recovery rate
  • Reset Windows local administrator password to blank
  • Reset other local user password to blank
  • Reset domain administrator password to a new one
  • Support blank CD/DVD and USB flash drive
  • Work for Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008(R2)/2003(R2)/2000
  • Instantly reset Windows password in minutes, regardless of lost password length and complexity.
  • 100% security without any loss or damage to computer data and settings.
  • Support RAID/SCSI/SATA/IDE drives
  • Support FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5 file systems
Pricing and Availability
Like its previous versions, Windows Password Unlocker 5.2 comes with 3 editions: Standard, Professional and Enterprise, which is respectively priced at $19.95, $ 29.95 and $49.95.
  • Windows Password Unlocker Standard is available at $19.95
  • Windows Password Unlocker Professional is priced at $29.95
  • Windows Password Unlocker Enterprise is available at $49.95

About Password Unlocker
Focused on password solutions, Password Unlocker Studio is dedicated to developing professional and practical software like Windows Password Unlocker, Office Password Unlocker and so on. With professional research and development team and testing department, more and more software with high quality and perfect usability will be provided for customers. We believe that Password Unlocker studio will be your best helper and friend in your routine work or life. More information, please visit: www.passwordunlocker.com

How Safe Mode Helps to Reset Windows Password?

There are times we need to start the computer in safe mode to troubleshoot and fix issues with Windows. This is called minimalistic mode, where only basic files, drivers and programs are loaded. Hence with only critical programs are active we can easily identify program causing specific issue.
What is Safe mode?
Safe mode loads Windows with only basic drivers and files. For example, startup programs do not load in safe mode. In safe mode, display is pretty bad as video drivers do not load. Also, there is no internet connection in safe mode.
Steps to start PC in Safe Mode
1. Make sure there is no dics in CD / DVD or floppy drive. Also, no additional external device like USB or pen drive should be connected to computer. Now click on start and reboot / restart the computer.
2. As the computer restarts and you see the manufacturer logo on dark screen (like Dell logo or Acer logo) continuously tap F8 key. This should be done before the Windows start logo. If you see Windows logo, repeat above steps.
3. You may get option to select operating system, make a selection, press Enter. Now you get advanced boot screen with options like Repair your computer, Safe mode, Safe mode with networking, Normal mode and many more.
4. Select Safe mode option and press the enter key. You will get desktop screen with fudged colors (video drivers don’t load in safe) and no internet connection.
To boot out of safe mode, just restart or reboot the computer. This time, do not press any key and let the computer boot to the desktop screen. Alternatively, you can press F8 at startup screen and select normal mode.
As we have now get more info about Safe Mode, then what can it do? It is featured that we can use Safe Mode for our Windows password recovery. If you forgot the login password, you can take it like this to reset Windows password.
How to reset Windows Password from Safe Mode?
1. Restart your computer and press F8 just before the Windows logo shows up.
2. Select "Safe Mode" from the list that shows up and press "Enter" on your keyboard to begin booting in Safe Mode.
3. Choose the extra administrator account that shows up on the screen and wait until the boot process completes.
4. Go to your Start menu and click "Run."
5. Enter "control userpasswords2" and press "Enter" on your keyboard.
6. Click on the account you lost the password for.
7. Click the "Change the Password" link and write another password that you can remember easily. Click the "Change Password" button and restart your computer after you finish.
Now you can easily reset Windows admin password from safe mode. But the premise is that you must have another available administrative right account and password.

Some Unusual Ways for Windows 7 Password Reset

With the ability to apply password, it has become fairly simple for a user to safeguard files and data. It is no longer a threat to save data on the computer, unless the password is either hacked, or given to a non-reliable person. That is why, Windows and other application providers urge the users to change the password on a regular basis. Though this procedure, if followed by people helps them avert non-ethical usage of their system or data, they are susceptible to another problem. They lose or forget their Windows password. Such a situation is, not only unavoidable, but also creates a lot of problem for the actual user. Unless, they have a strategy in place to do Windows 7 password reset. Here, Iwould like to intruduce some kinds of unusual ways to reset the forgotten Windows 7 password as follow:
1. Restore Windows 7 to a previous state
If you configured a new password recently and can still remember the password you used before, then you can restore Windows to a point in time before you changed the password. The Restore function of Windows 7 will make sure that you don’t lose personal data. However, programs that have been installed since the corresponding restore point have to be installed again. All you need for this procedure is a Windows 7  setup DVD.  This approach can also work with Windows Vista but not Windows XP.
2. Use the Sticky Keys trick to reset the Windows 7 password
The Sticky Keys trick to restore a forgotten administrator password is reliable, easy to carry out, and does not require third-party software. All you have to do is boot up from a Windows 7 setup DVD, launch the Windows Recovery Environment (RE), and then replace the sethc.exe file with cmd.exe.
3. Offline enable the built-in administrator account in Windows 7
This method is useful if no other user account on this machine has administrator privileges. You also need a Windows setup DVD . With this DVD you can boot up Windows RE and edit the Registry to offline enable the built-in administrator account. After you enable the built-in Administrator, you can log on with this account without requiring a password and then reset the Windows password of any user account. This method is also used for Windows Vista.
These above 3 methods are not used in common when we need to bypass the password on Windows 7. Of course, if you feel a little complex with them, you can try to download a third party Windows password recovery tool for usage. Windows Password Unlocker is such kind that guarantees to do your 100% recovery rate on Windows 7 password reset.

4 Good Advices on Resetting Windows Password

Forgotten Windows password can be an extremely frustrating problem. Especially if you have important documents on your computer that you need to access as soon as possible. If you forgot the  Windows admin password and have no other account with administrator rights, things can get tricky. The methods and free tools explained here can reset Windows password for all Windows versions—that is, for Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 R2. In this article I only talk about the Windows client editions, but the methods also work for the corresponding server versions.
1. Use your password reset disk to recover the Windows password
Windows XP/Vista and Windows 7 allow you to create a password reset disk, which enables you to reset your password without much hassle. The problem with this option is that you have to create the reset disk before the password is lost. Thus if you don’t have a password reset disk, this option is not for you.
2. Boot up Windows XP in Safe Mode and log on with the built-in administrator account
When you installed Windows XP, you had to set a password for the Administrator account. If you still know this password, you can boot up in Safe Mode (by pressing F8 when your computer starts) and log on with the Administrator account. Note that whenever you reset the password for a user using another account, this user will no longer be able to access files that have been encrypted with EFS (Encrypted File System).  This method doesn’t work in Vista and Windows 7 because the administrator account is disabled by default in Safe Mode with these Windows versions.
3. Use Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset
MSDaRT is a toolset from Microsoft that allows you to repair a Windows installation. This tool is only available for Microsoft volume customers, TechNet Plus subscribers, and MSDN subscribers. You can easily recover an admin password with its Locksmith tool.
4. Take a commercial password reset tool
Many commercial tools are available that allow you to reset the Windows administrator password. Some of them might be easier to use or come with better instructions than the free tools. I would prefer a tool named Windows Password Unocker where the vendor offers support in case you run into problems, which is an efficient and professional Windows password recovery tool in the software market, allowing to reset Windows password with a writable CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Preventing From Your Windows Password Forgotten

Regarding personal computer security, the first point a computer person will probably feel of is usually to create a powerful Windows password to guard unauthorized users. Actually, it is in truth that with the factors we usually do to greatly enhance personal computer security. However, occasionally you will probably only concentrate on ‘strong’, which means you produce a quite complicated Windows password, neglecting that you might be not able to keep the powerful password in mind.In my life, many friends told me they forgot Windows  passwords. We have to admit that we regularly have a tendency to forget our passwords.
Well, as this happen, how to prevent from Windows password lost or forgotten issues? How to keep all your info in the PC security and protected?
Firstly, when you are going to create a Windows password for the laptop, it is important and necessary to make a Windows password reset  disk for your password. As we know, the reset disk can help you reset forogtten or lost Windows password when you meet with windows login password problem. However, we Windows users usually forgot to create a password reset disk  which sometimes can be a disaster when we can not remember the log on password.
Secondly, it is also recommended to make a password hint when you  create a Windows password synchronously. When lost Windows password,  we can take the password hint to find out the Windows login password.
Thirdly, if you are the owner of a computer, it is better to create another administrative level permission account and password. If you forgot Windows password, the available administrative account can be a great helper for you.
However, password lost issue is still arround us with so many passwords we have set. Thus, it is a good advice to take a Windows password recovery tool for resetting, like Ophcrack, Kon-boot, Windwos Password Unlocker and so on.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

How to Create a BIOS Password?

Once refer to a computer password, most users will think of the Windows login password.  But actually, the computer password can also refer to a BIOS password in addition to the Windows login password. It is one of the more secure methods of password protecting a computer as the computer will not be able to be used unless the password is known.
What is a BIOS password?
Before learning what a BIOS password is, you should understand what BIOS is. BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is often used to describe a software that is programmed into a ROM, (read only memory) that runs every time you boot up a computer. Bios is therefore firmware that runs on a CMOS chip and that there can also be a security chip that imprints the motherboard, hard drive, and bios to make sure all three match.  So a BIOS password refers to a password set on the Bios or security chip.
Most laptops come with a very strong BIOS password capability that locks up the hardware and makes the laptop completely unusable. A laptop BIOS password is often said to be more secure than a traditional desktop to help protect the data if it was stolen as it should be entered before the operating system loads, usually on a black screen a few seconds after the laptop is started.
How to create a BIOS password?
1. Start or restart your computer. Watch the screen for a message that will say “"Hit the <DEL> key to enter the BIOS setup program “or something similar. Press this key as soon as you see the message to enter BIOS menu.
Note: “Del “is most common key for entering the BIOS. Some computers used "F12" or "F2." Once the appropriate key is pressed, the BIOS screen will come up.
2. Use the arrow keys to selec "Security" and press "Enter." You’ll find there are two options related to passwords: Supervisor Password and User Password.
3. Use the arrow key to move down and highlight "Set User Password." Press "Enter." An options window will open, and you will be asked to enter a password. Enter the password in the password box and enter the password again in the confirm password box. Press "Enter" to set the password.
4. Use the arrow key to move down and highlight "Set Password Check" and press "Enter." You'll be presented with the options to invoke the password during "Setup" or "Always." Choosing "Setup" requires a password to enter the BIOS. Choosing "Always" requires a password every time you start your computer. Highlight your choice and press "Enter."
5. Press "Esc" one time, use the arrow key to navigate to "Exit" and press "Enter." The option "Save changes and exit" should already be highlighted. If not, use the arrow key to highlight it and press "Enter." Your computer will exit the BIOS screen and reboot.
Now the BIOS password is created. Please keep it in mind, especially if you belong to those who often forget Windows password and always seek for a solution to resetting lost Windows password.

Five Features of a Good Password Manager When You Select One

Password managers, like any type of software, are not all created same. What are the key security features that you should consider when selecting a password manager? In the previous article I have introduced a powerful RoboForm Pro password manager. This article I am going to share with you the five important features for you select a suitable password manager to safe guard your personal computer.
Supplied the number of different teams of sign in credentials we need, specifically online, managing strong password policy for ones whole computing life may go through like an impossible challenge. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the importance of using strong passwords that are unique in each context where a password is needed.  Such as they just create the one same password for every login account. Even if they are aware of these measures to protect their private data and login credentials, many of themjust easily lost or frogot their password accidentally. That is why so many people work with their personal PC everyday, but they are still forgot Windows pasword, lost RAR password and even lost their database doxument password frequently. Yes, these problems happened everyday for every people. More and more people will get this kind of questions repeatedly.
So select a suitable password manager is a very nice idea to secure your compter. Many people do not consciously think through all the implications of the design and feature set of a given password manager when they select it, beyond the basics of ensuring that it encrypts stored passwords.
A number of key characteristics of a password manager are very important for securely managing passwords:
  • Encryption: Stored login credentials should always be stored in an encrypted form, using peer reviewed, heavily tested, strong encryption, so that even if the device used to store the passwords is stolen the thief is unlikely to be able to recover passwords.
  • Secure resource usage: A number of possible vulnerabilities involving unsecured resource usage are possible. For instance, using secure memory that will not be written to a pagefile or swap partition on disk guards against the danger of a decrypted password being dumped onto the disk where it can be recovered later by a malicious security cracker.
  • Self-contained functionality: A lot of software is not written with absolute data security in mind, and it often should not be written that way if the intended functionality of the application presents no need for such security. This does mean, however, that any password management software should not trust the security of outside applications. What good is using secure memory if the decrypted passwords will just be passed directly through another application that stores everything in tempfiles that may never be explicitly deleted?
  • Usability: Quick, simple, and easy use of the day-to-day functionality of the password manager is important for ensuring that the password manager actually gets used regularly. If it is not at least nearly as easy to use for all of a user’s common password needs, it may get neglected in favor of less secure options.
  • Verifiable design: Just as encryption that does not trust the user is not trustworthy, the same is true of software that handles any part of one’s secure data management needs. This is especially true of something like a password manager, which manages the data used to access other applications that also need to manage data securely. To ensure that the software is trustworthy, it should be verifiable — which means that the source code is not only available for scrutiny, but verifiably the same as the source code used to produce the actual executable program itself.
These five criteria tend to be a fairly universal value for a general purpose password manager, and should apt to beregarded as by everyone designing a password manager or selecting one for individual use. More features may also be desirable, many of which entail suitability for a particular user’s workflow, and the specific uses to which a password manager may be put, as contrasted with the specific uses to which another person might put a password manager. For your particular needs, this short list of considerations will surely not be the only things worth considering, but it should offer a good start. Hope you will not to worry about password lost or forgot password problems anymore, especially for Windows password recovery. Good luck.

Stay Away from Lost Windows 7 Password Trouble

Having a password on your PC might be a good way to stop unwanted people from looking at your data & fileS. However, if you forget the password, it’s a different story altogether. If so, how can we to reset the forgotten Windows 7 password turns to be a serious problem as there are so many methods for choosing. Then how to choose  a good way to reset the forgotten or lost Windows 7 password? Now, there are presented 3 kinds of well-recognized methods which can easily do your password reset on Windows 7.
Option 1: Take a System Restore for usage
1. Insert the Windows 7 an installation DVD into the DVD drive and then reboot the computer.
2. Press any key on the keyboard when the "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD" message appears. Select the "Language to install," set the "Time and currency format" and then select the "Keyboard or input method," and then click the "Next" button.
3. Select the "Repair your computer" link, and then select the "Microsoft Windows 7" entry in the "System Recovery Options" window that appears, and click the "Next" button.
4. Select the "System Restore" option in the "System Recovery Options" window that is displayed and the "System Restore" window will appear. Click the "Next" button.
5. Select a "restore point" from the list displayed that has a time and date prior to when the password was changed, and then click the "Next" button.
6.Click the "Finish" button.  After restart has completed, click the "Close" button on the "System Restore" window. The administrator password has now been reset.
Option 2:  Take a password hint or  Windows password reset disk
A Windows password hint or a Windows password reset disk is easier and faster to reset or change Windows 7 password. But as is known, the two methods only make sense  provided that you have created a password hint or password reset disk before you forgot or lost Windows 7 password. Thus, when you firstly set a password for the laptop, make sure to create password hint or reset disk .
Option 3: Reset Windows 7 Password with a Powerdul Software
A  Windows password recovery tool takes an important role for resetting forgotten or lost Windows 7 password. Take Windows Password Unlocker for example, it allows Windows 7 users to reset the password with bootable CD/DVD/USB after downloading, which guarantees 100% recovery rate and make people relaxed with the friendly interface and pratical operation. You can do this password recovery with less than 5 minutes.