How to Hide the Logon Script Dialog Box on a Windows Client
For Detailed Information
click here.
Direct Bootup Without Typing
Password
1. At a command prompt, type "control
userpasswords2" and press Enter to open the Windows 2000-style
User Accounts
application.
2. On the Users tab, clear the Users Must Enter A User Name And
Password To Use This Computer check box and then
click OK.
3. In the Automatically Log On dialog box that appears, type the
user name and password for the account you want to be
logged on each time you start your computer.
Remove Login Password
Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Local
Security Settings/Minimum Password Length/Reduce it to 0 (No
password required). Control Panel/User Account/Your
Account/Remove Password.
Cannot Change the Administrator Password in Control Panel
After you log on as an administrator to a
computer that is not a member of a domain, when you double-click
User Accounts in Control Panel to change the password for the
built-in Administrator account, the Administrator account may
not appear in the list of user accounts. Consequently, you
cannot change its password.
This behavior can occur because the Administrator account logon
option appears only in Safe mode if more than one account is
created on the system. The Administrator account is available in
Normal mode only if there are no other accounts on the system.
To work around this behavior:
- If you are running Windows XP Home Edition, restart the
computer and then use a power user account to log on to the
computer in Safe mode.
- If you are running Windows XP Professional, reset the password
in the Local Users and Groups snap-in in Microsoft
Management Console (MMC):
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type "mmc" (without the quotation marks),
and then click OK to start MMC.
3. Start the Local Users and Groups snap-in.
4. Under Console Root, expand "Local Users and Groups", and then
click Users.
5. In the right pane, right-click Administrator, and then click
Set Password.
6. Click Proceed in the message box that appears.
7. Type and confirm the new password in the appropriate boxes,
and then click OK.
How to Change User Password at Command Prompt
How to use the net user command to change the
user password at a Windows command prompt. Only administrators
can change domain passwords at the Windows command prompt. To
change a user's password at the command prompt, log on as an
administrator and type: "net user <user_name> * /domain"
(without the quotation marks)
When you are prompted to type a password for the user, type the
new password, not the existing password. After you type the new
password, the system prompts you to retype the password to
confirm. The password is now changed.
Alternatively, you can type the following command: net user <user_name>
<new_password>. When you do so, the password changes without
prompting you again. This command also enables you to change
passwords in a batch file.
Non-administrators receive a "System error 5 has occurred.
Access is denied" error message when they attempt to change the
password.
How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows
If you set a computer for auto logon, anyone who
can physically obtain access to the computer can gain access to
all of the computer contents, including any network or networks
it is connected to. In addition, if you enable autologon, the
password is stored in the registry in plaintext. The specific
registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the
Authenticated Users group.
As a result, this setting is only appropriate
for cases where the computer is physically secured, and steps
have been taken to ensure that untrusted users cannot remotely
access the registry.
1. Start/Run/Regedit, and then locate the
following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
2. Using your account name and password, double-click the
DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click
OK.
3. Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password,
and then click OK.
NOTE: The DefaultPassword value may not exist. If it does
not:
a. Click Add Value on the Edit menu.
b. In the Value Name box, type DefaultPassword, and then click
REG_SZ for the Data Type
c. Type your password in the String box, and then save your
changes.
Also, if no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows
automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon key
from 1 (true) to 0 (false), thus disabling the AutoAdminLogon
feature.
4. Click Add Value on the Edit menu, enter AutoAdminLogon in the
Value Name box, and then click REG_SZ for the Data
Type.
5. Type "1" (without the quotation marks) in the String box, and
then save your changes.
6. Quit Regedit.
7. Click Start, click Shutdown, and then click OK to turn off
your computer.
8. Restart your computer and Windows. You are now able to log on
automatically.
NOTE: To bypass the AutoAdminLogon process, and to log on
as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off
or after Windows restarts.
Note that this procedure only applies to the first logon. To
enforce this setting for subsequent logoffs, the administrator
must set the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Value: ForceAutoLogon
Type: REG_SZ
Data: 1
Windows XP Inherits Autologon Setting After Upgrade from Win2000
After you upgrade a Microsoft Windows 2000-based
computer, Windows XP Professional may start directly to the
desktop without stopping at the Welcome screen or requiring you
to type a username and password. If you then create a new user
account, you may not receive any option that allows you to log
on by using the new account.
This behavior can occur if Windows 2000 was
configured for automatic logon (Autologon). Windows XP inherits
this configuration setting.
To resolve this behavior, turn off the automatic
logon feature and require a username and password at logon:
1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click
OK.
3. In the dialog box that appears, click to select the "Users
must enter a user name and password to use this computer"
check box, and then click OK.
To work around this behavior, log off from the Autologon
account, and then log on by using the new account.
Not Prompted to Create Password with New XP User Account
When you create a new user on a Microsoft
Windows XP Home Edition-based computer, you are not prompted to
create a password. To create a password for a user account,
click the icon for the account, and then click "Create a
Password".
By default, the Stored User Names and Passwords
feature creates a "key" for any connection that you make in the
graphical user interface (GUI) that requires alternate
credentials. When you make a connection at a command prompt by
using the net use command and by passing alternate credentials,
a key is not created.
For the net use command to save the credentials
in Credential Manager, use the /savecred switch. When you use
the /savecred switch, any credentials that you are prompted for
when you use the net use command are saved as a key.
Therefore, if you are prompted for the user name
and password (or if you are prompted only for the password) when
you use the net use command (but not because you used an
asterisk [*] in the net use command for password prompting) and
the /savecred switch, the credentials are saved.
When you type the net use * \\ computer_name \
share_name /savecred command, the user is prompted for a user
name, and then the user is prompted for a password.
When you type the net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name /u:
domain_name \ user_name /savecred command, the user is prompted
for a password.
However, when you type one of the following commands, a key is
not created:
net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name * /user: domain_name \
user_name /savecred
-or-
net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name * /savecred /user:
domain_name \ user_name
If you type net help use at a command prompt, more information
is displayed about the net use command.
Password Has Expired Message
Start/Programs/Administrative Tools/Local
Security Policy/Account Policies/Password Policy. In the right
pane, right click, properties, modify (use accordingly). And
Start/Programs/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Local
Users and Groups/Right Click "User"(intended)/Properties...Or
with Admin privileges, at a command prompt type: net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited.
To Create a Password Reset
Disk
The Forgotten Password Wizard lets you create a
password reset disk that you can use to recover your user
account and personalized computer settings if you forget your
password. The steps to perform this task differ depending on
whether your computer is a member of a network domain or is part
of a workgroup (or is a stand-alone computer).
My Computer is on a Domain
Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the Windows Security dialog box.
Click Change Password.
Click Backup to open the Forgotten Password Wizard. Click Next
and then follow the instructions as they appear on the screen.
My Computer is not on a Domain
The steps to perform this task differ depending on the type of
user account you have. If you have a computer administrator
account: Open User Accounts in Control Panel. Click your
account name. Under Related Tasks located on the left side of
the window, click Prevent a forgotten password. In the Forgotten
Password Wizard, follow the instructions as they appear on the
screen.
If you Have a Limited Account
Open User Accounts in Control Panel. Under Related Tasks located
on the left side of the window, click Prevent a forgotten
password. In the Forgotten Password Wizard, follow the
instructions as they appear on the screen.
Notes: To open User Accounts, click Start, point to
Settings, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
Certain Programs Do Not Work Correctly
If You Log On Through a Limited User Account.
After you log on to a computer by using a Limited User
Account, you may observe one or more of the following
behaviors when you try to use a program that is not
expressly designed for Windows XP. Information
here.
Password Reset Disk Overview
To protect user accounts in the event that the user forgets the
password, every local user should make a password reset disk and
keep it in a safe place. Then, if the user forgets his or her
password, the password can be reset using the password reset
disk and the user is able to access the local user account
again.
Resetting the Password
After you reset the password of an account on a
Windows XP-based computer that is joined to a workgroup, you may
lose access to the user's: Web page credentials, File share
credentials, EFS-encrypted files, Certificates with private keys
(SIGNED/ENCRYPTed e-mail).
More information in detail here.
I assume no
responsibility for the purpose to which this information is
used. This includes employees attempting to bypass restrictions
put into place by System Administrators on corporate machines.
Delete Admin Password
Boot up with DOS and delete the sam.exe and
sam.log files from Winnt\system32\config in your hard drive. Now
when you boot up in NT the password on your built-in
administrator account will be blank (No password). This solution
works only if your hard drive is FAT. [Editor's note: Use with
caution, there may be other ramifications from performing this
tip.]
Forgot your Admin Password
This is a utility to (re)set the password of any
user that has a valid (local) account on your NT system, by
modifying the crypted password in the registrys SAM file. You
do not need to know the old password to set a new one.
It works offline, that is, you have to shutdown your computer
and boot off a floppydisk. The bootdisk includes stuff to access
NTFS partitions and scripts to glue the whole thing together.
Note: It will now also work with SYSKEY, including the option to
turn it off!
More information here.
Download here.
All Passwords-Master Copy
With Darn! Passwords! Just one password opens
the safe that holds all those other ones for programs and web
sites that require you to log in.
Download Here.
Just pick the password, and drag it and it's log-in (if there is
one) into the program that uses it. No retyping is necessary
(even in programs that do not accept the drag, you can just
paste the password in). Go to the URL of a password protected
site with the click of a button.
Information on System Restore and Password Restoration
Passwords That Are
Restored:
1. Program passwords are restored, such as Hotmail Messenger,
AOL Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and other Web server-based
passwords. This behavior is by design: The programs simply cache
these passwords; the actual passwords are
stored on a Web server. System Restore does not actually change
the password, but it changes the password that is remembered by
the program. You can use the current password for the program to
log on to the server.
2. Domain and Computer passwords are restored. This behavior is
by Design and is a limitation of System Restore. System Restore
only rolls back the local machine state. Part of the information
about joining domains resides in Active Directory, and Active
Directory is not rolled back by System Restore.
Migration Wizard Does Not Migrate Passwords
The Migration Wizard does not migrate passwords.
Passwords for Dial-Up Networking connections, Microsoft Outlook
Express accounts, Microsoft Internet Explorer saved passwords,
mapped drives, and so on will need to be reconfigured once the
migration is complete.
Administrator Account Not Used for Logon
The administrator account and password created
during Setup are used to log on in Safe Mode only. To create a
password for user accounts, double-click Manage Users in Control
Panel.
Therefore, if you are prompted for the user name
and password (or if you are prompted only for the password) when
you use the net use command (but not because you used an
asterisk [*] in the net use command for password prompting) and
the /savecred switch, the credentials are saved.
When you type the net use * \\ computer_name \
share_name /savecred command, the user is prompted for a user
name, and then the user is prompted for a password.
When you type the net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name /u:
domain_name \ user_name /savecred command, the user is prompted
for a password.
However, when you type one of the following commands, a key is
not created:
net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name * /user: domain_name \
user_name /savecred
-or-
net use * \\ computer_name \ share_name * /savecred /user:
domain_name \ user_name
If you type net help use at a command prompt, more information
is displayed about the net use command.
Logon Name Not in Task Manager or Under Documents & Settings
When the Welcome screen is appears, the names
that are displayed do not match any of the names of users'
folders under the Documents and Settings folder or any of the
names on the Users tab in Task Manager.
This behavior may occur if you have changed the name of the
account in the User Accounts tool in Control Panel. By doing so,
the new name appears on the Welcome screen, but the actual
account name remains the same. The folders under the Documents
and Settings folder and the names that are listed in Task
Manager show the actual account name.
To resolve this behavior, if the display name for a user account
has been changed, you can find out which account the new display
name belongs to by logging on as that user, starting Task
Manager, and then clicking the Users tab.
The user account that is marked as active is the one that is
currently logged on. Also, you can find out which of the folders
under Documents and Settings belongs to the currently logged-on
user by right-clicking Start, and then clicking Explore. Windows
Explorer will then start in the Start Menu folder of the
currently logged-on user's folder.
