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Enable and reset administrator account and password

Hi everyone,

I want to enable and reset the password of a standalone PC (not in a domain) that has lost the admin rights of all enabled accounts.

In more detail my situation is this:

I have 2 local, standard accounts and one disabled administrator built-in account. The PC is not in a domain so i can't use the domain admin password.

I have two questions regarding this:

1. Can I either elevate the rights of one of the standard accounts to administrator using a tool?

2. If the above isn't possible, can i enable the build in administrator account and then reset/set the password.

Thanks!

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slemmesmi

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Tolomir

this is how to eable the administrator account:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

net user administrator /active:yes

But you have to run this command with administrator permissions (obviously)
The hidden administrator account comes without a password, so it's wise to set such after enabling that account.

What confuses me a bit is that you must have at least one active (maybe locked down by uac) account with administrator permissions. You cannot delete your own account and you cannot delete another account without administrator permissions.

So how did it happen, that you now got just 2 standard accounts?

Tolomir

yasserd

Q2 has been answered by Soren.

1. Only if your systems has specific vulnerabilities. If it's updated the possibility is almost zero.

Tolomir

This is the "microsoft way"

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7security/thread/62a99dcc-b976-4ad1-9ac5-e7bf803eab83

Method 1 - If you have a Windows 7 installation DVD (not a recovery DVD) you can boot the system with it. Select the default language, then choose "Repair your computer". Then select "Command Prompt". At the command prompt type:

net user administrator /active:yes [enter]

awawada

Tools:

- Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
- Cain & Abel
- LCP
- John The Ripper
- PCLoginNow - http://www.pcloginnow.com/
- ultimatebootcd

Top 5 Tools:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm

guidx

ASKER

This worked perfectly. Elevating the rights of a standard account to an administrator account also worked fine.