Computer Help!

[BeatmaniacIIDX]

So, I trusted my roommates to use my laptop, and now it has a user log in screen. I'm using Windows XP Pro on it and I need to find a way around it without formatting. We don't know what happened, the other day it couldn't hook up to the internet but no one else could so we think the routers dead. Now tonight, it has a login screen.

[Arka]

First, it's possible that they just logged out your only account by accident. The easy way to check this is just to enter no password for whatever default username it displays and see if it'll log you in.

If they just randomly made an account, they probably didn't assign a password to your old one. So you should still be able to get into that one if you remember what the name is (or can find it out).

If they password protected your account for some reason and can't or won't give you the password, the best solution is to charge them whatever it costs you to get a spiffy new laptop.

[sam]

try user administrator with no password you probably didn't set one or if you did it's whatever the admin pass is to your xp install

[Green Tea]

to elaborate on sam's statement: to get to administrator, just boot it in safemode (just slam the f8 key until it beeps at you and the keep slamming it like there's no tomorrow). It'll come up with the administrator account. Like sam said, there shouldn't be a password unless you set it on the install.

You can also boot into a ram drive of linux and mess with the SAM file (not sam from the boards, sam the security file) that's where passwords and other important stuffs is contained.

Other methods are able to be used. But those shouldn't be discussed on public forums.

[BeatmaniacIIDX]

Thanks guys. OSX86 is going back on it tomorrow. They've used Windows before, and I don't want them to be able to do anything other than web browse.

[sam]

just a fyi but 10.5 will most probably not be on pentium processors