Recovering Win2K Administrator Password?

Windows 2000 passwords are not stored in .PWL files natively, they are stored in the SAM database

For a FREE solution, go to

http://www.pc-pipeline.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownloaddetails&lid=6

This is a bootable CD image (you'll need to burn it to a CD) which will let you boot the machine (from the CD) and change the Administrator password.

Hope this helps,

Walkabout

First of all do you have a recovery disk?
also if there is only 1 user in the system how did you logon before and forgot the password?

I hope you are asking this for good purpose :-)

kghoshal,
what is the solution then you've accepted the comment?

Winternals Locksmith if you have the money to buy, very simple and quick.  Otherwise, if you have time, and since you state you don't have another admin user, install another instance of Win2k on the server(like into a dir C:\WINRECOV), then get the SAM file from C:\WINNT\System32\config assuming you did a default install) and download L0ftcrack(www.@stake.com); download a trial of LC4.  It may take some time if your password was more than 8 characters or had special characters for the administrator password, but I've found that it works pretty well.  You cannot get the SAM file without installing another instance because it's locked by the loaded instance of Win2k.

Hope this helps.

tushar ,
     i think your solution seems plausible but how can you have 2 instances of win2k on the same box?
kg

If I boot the Win2k box in the DOS prompt and overwrite the SAM file with another one(that has been created from  another box with a  known password),will it work?

If I boot the Win2k box in the DOS prompt and overwrite the SAM file with another one(that has been created from  another box with a  known password),will it work?
kg

pateltushar,
It seems like you are relatively new to experts-exchange as an another expert I would like to welcome you. First of all in my opinion some part of your comment is strongly against the Experts Exchange site. Please take your time to read
http://www.cityofangels.com/Experts/Mistakes.htm#3

------------------
Hacks, cracks and keys
We would like to think that everyone is using software that is legal, that they aren't the people who try to defeat the security of networks, and that they trust their spouses. We also know better. There are two misdeeds that occur when hacks, cracks and keys are involved.
 
The Asker is like a person who offers a bribe -- he wants something for nothing (or at least, for very little). The Answerer is like the person who receives the bribe -- he makes something available a) to which the recipient is not entitled, and b) which he has no legal right to make available. Most cracks involve violating the copyright of the company which produces a piece of software; that's illegal, and will not be tolerated. We can't say that Experts Exchange would go so far as to report every instance to The Software Police, but we won't complain if they catch you.

---------------

An admin or mod will be checking this question and consider all the posts in here

I am relatively new here and I apologize if the use of L0ptcrack is not considered good form, but it's hardly an illegal tool.  I consider it a useful award winning tool just as Winternals has very useful award winning tools to help.  I'll refrain from mentioning it again however.  I'd like to get a moderators opinion on this though.

And to answer the question about multiple instances, just stick your Win2K CD in the server and boot it like you would do a normal fresh install.  When it tells you that it's detected another version, continue and install to a secondary directory...like C:\WINRECOV.  READ SCREENS CAREFULLY and DO NOT FORMAT anything for the new install, also name the server something different and let it get a dhcp address or give it a static that you know is different from the original and not in use.  This should just be a "vanilla" install in case you have problems booting to the original installation.  I do this on critical servers in case a patch goes bad or I need to replace a corrupted file in the original install directories.  Next time you boot up, you'll have 2 choices at boot up(it will look similar to the old Win NT 4 profile chooser on boot), the original and the new one, you may want to edit the name of the one that points to the new install within the boot.ini to make sure you can clearly see which you are booting to, be careful editing this file and make sure you have a backup before doing so.  You'll have to uncheck read only to make the edit, then make it read only when you are done.  Also, you will probably want to change the "default operating system" from the system properties(under Advanced\Startup and Recovery) so it will automatically boot to the original whenever rebooted and not the "recovery" install.

I am not sure replacing the SAM from another working server will work, I have a feeling it will not, but I have not done\read anything that will prove one way or another.  I'd think this would be a bad idea if you have any local accounts on the server as well, since you'd loose them and any rights you've assigned them.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

used it a couple times this week. It worked for me on windows 2000 server and proffesional as well as XP

Ok all, how do we close this.  One link we need to close

Computer101
E-E Admin