WIN 7 administrator password

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I’m back.  About six months ago I asked for help getting rid of the “administrator password.”  My machine is a Toshiba NB505 with WIN 7 Pro-32 bit.  I downloaded and installed the big rollup revision in April 2018.  I have had my machine for years and  never had password requirements.  But, after installing the revision, a password has been required.  Many of you had suggestions.  I tried them all. I also bought software that was supposed to remove the password requirement.  Nothing worked.  I can’t download anything, delete programs or even move programs from desktop to folders in other places.  Anything that is put on the desktop, stays there, and it has become cluttered.  WIN 7 came preloaded when I bought this little computer so I don’t have software to remove/reinstall.  90% of the use of this machine is for playing dozens of PowerPoint programs I use in training programs.  The machine is tiny and was previously very reliable.  Any ideas on how to kill the requirement for a admin password?

William Sharp

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Elly

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I’ve put a link to your previous topic regarding the admin password in order for people to rule out what you have already tried.

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/win-7-administrator-password/#post-206158

Hope this helps..

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Elly, SueW

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@Bill, the first thought that came to mind was if you had uninstalled that “big rollup revision.”  Others may have already suggested that, but if you haven’t, that’s the first thing I would do.  I hope you find a solution . . . good luck!

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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My major challenge is that I can’t install or uninstall anything without the administrator password.  I have tried uninstalling just about everything, but am always stopped at the gate with a request for the password.

 

William Sharp

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It is simple.
Do not use the Administrator and any other user without a password, even a simple one.
There are good reasons why this requirement is enforced in most scenarios.
Same with User Access Control which should always be enabled.
For administration tasks only, but not for regular use, you could use the built-in Administrator if this makes life easier.

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@ch100-

That may have prevented this problem, but @Bill doesn’t know the administrative password and is locked out of doing anything that might fix or revert this problem… and he has tried a lot of different things. His patience and persistence is remarkable.

 

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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Microfix

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Hm. What I didn’t see in the old discussion is anything on whether booting from external devices was already tried and if so, was it successful?

Because, well, enable builtin Administrator account and reset its password with tools from the external boot (USB stick, most of the time) is what I usually do in these cases.

Yes, that means it’ll then boot up in the unsafe state of builtin “Administrator” enabled and passwordless… exactly once which is when I set up the new passwords, and this can be in safe mode without networking.

As to the external boot media… well, for myself I usually use a Xubuntu live/installer with Casper persistent filesystem for these, with the tools that aren’t normally included in the live/installer just installed in the persistence part, but that may be a bit more advanced than would be necessary here.

For external boot media compatibility … I believe the NB505 has an Intel Atom N455 which is actually a regular 64-bit processor so should be able to boot either 32- or 64-bit media, regardless of what is currently installed on the internal disk. So you should be able to run a 64-bit version of an external password reset tool… unless Toshiba did something weird with the BIOS. But I sort of recall seeing a friend run Linux on his Toshiba NB, so would not expect to find much BIOS weirdness.

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Bill wrote:

I’m back. About six months ago I asked for help getting rid of the “administrator password.” My machine is a Toshiba NB505 with WIN 7 Pro-32 bit. I downloaded and installed the big rollup revision in April 2018. I have had my machine for years and never had password requirements. But, after installing the revision, a password has been required. Many of you had suggestions. I tried them all. I also bought software that was supposed to remove the password requirement. Nothing worked. I can’t download anything, delete programs or even move programs from desktop to folders in other places. Anything that is put on the desktop, stays there, and it has become cluttered. WIN 7 came preloaded when I bought this little computer so I don’t have software to remove/reinstall. 90% of the use of this machine is for playing dozens of PowerPoint programs I use in training programs. The machine is tiny and was previously very reliable. Any ideas on how to kill the requirement for a admin password?

I shall try again.  My last post got forbidden 403.  All I had was a link to all the password resetters I have, I uploaded them to a file sharing site that I pay a premium for.  If you want the link, PM me Bill

have a good 1 🙂 cheers

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JSTechGeek

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There is an old utility that I still use which will reset the administrator account so that the account has no password. You can then create a new password after a reboot. I’m not aware of anything that allows you to change a password, but you can erase it with this.

It still works despite being old.

https://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

Create a boot disk, boot the cd. Watch at the bottom of the screen for the command options. You want to select the proper account, unlock it if it is locked, wipe the password on the account and write the change. Remove cd and reboot. It took me a couple times to get it right due to the interface, but it works.

Red Ruffnsore

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Joulia.S

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@Bill, have you got any closer to resolving this issue?
we are all wondering if you have tried any of the methods here  and what the outcome was..

NOTE: that if you have file encryption active:
https://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
may work but any files encrypted will be unreadable afterwards as you don’t know the original admin password to access them.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Joulia.S

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(Awaiting moderation)

^ the above is mine, or is that below now?  I forgot to login before posting it

“He never PM’ed me about the link to all the password resetters I have, they total over 500MB, maybe he fixed it or he went to another forum for help.  I have ‘kon boot’ in the package, that gets you in, but that was not my favorite  ;)”

have a good 1 🙂 cheers

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The “new” HBCD, PE version, might also offer a few options, like TPWEdit, which he also mentions on the site.

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I haven’t given up…yet.  But, I got sidetracked attending to family members who were having some major surgery.  I’ll be back at this issue later this week.

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Elly

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Okay guys, I’m giving up.  I have tried everything you folks have suggested.  I simply can’t get to whatever password the microsoft update installed on my machine.  I can’t add or remove any software without the password.

I’m ready to try to format the hard drive.  I have already tried using external drives (USB, CD) and can’t make the work without the password.

I have no ability to use command prompt unless I have step-by-step written instruction to follow.  Pretty hopeless 75 year old guy, huh.

I don’t like WIN 10 but will install it if I can clear WIN 7 off my old buddy.

I thank all of you who tried to help me.

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I’m curious, when prompted for the password, did you try leaving the password box blank and hitting enter?

Red Ruffnsore

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b

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I have tried leaving it blank, have tried entering one space, 4 spaces, 0, my Google password, old passwords…just about everything.  Some previous suggestions came from guys who own a Toshiba NB-505 machine like mine.  I’ve had the machine for several years and never had a password.  After I installed the April 2018 update thing appeared.  Back in the days of WIN 95, I got good at formatting the hard drive because the software was so glitchy.  I learned how to go to command prompt and do the formatting.  The current requirement for a password stops me from doing that.

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Have you tried my password resetters?

have a good 1 🙂 cheers

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I have tried reset software that I purchased.  It didn’t work.  One of my responder people got me to lusmgr.msc.  I can this list of users…one of which is administrator.  But, I can’t change any settings without the administrator password.

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I have made it to lusmgr.msc but can’t get any changes I make to stick without the password.  I went to pogostick but couldn’t get files to open without the password.  I have gone into windows and created setpc.  No luck.

Again, I really appreciate you guys trying to help me.

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A bit unclear to me what is actually going on, but, here is something to try, that may work:
1.  Power down and restart; or, if you have access on the desktop display, click restart.
2.  During the restart, continually press F8.  You should end up with the screen black and with white letters showing all the options for a safe boot, etc.
Use your down arrow on the keyboard, if needed, to select something that says, or similar, to Last Known Good Boot.  Press ENTER.

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Sorry this is coming so late. I am sure that you have tried this…but; search for Edit Group Policy. In both USER and ADMIN Templates, one can find “switches” that can be set to make the computer permit certain programs to be executed, etc. I have downloaded updates which set some of these switches to AUTO UPDATE an REQUIRE PASSWORDS and nothing I do on the Windows Update page appears to change this. I usually do not have any problem setting these switches or options while not using an Admin account.

—

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Don’t know if you’ve tried OPHCrack Live CD but I’ve recovered a few machines with it. Here’s a tutorial on how to use it.

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-recover-passwords-using-ophcrack-livecd-2626168

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I’m back for what I hope is the last time.  I have tried everything you great folks have suggested…literally everything.  The demand for an administrator pass word trumps everything.  I can’t download file, delete files, rename user passwords.

I decided to “upgrade” to WIN 10.  I have the upgrade software.  But, I can’t install it because of the administrator password block.

Is the series of steps that would allow me to format my little friend (Toshiba NB-505)?

William Sharp

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Be aware, in order to get a free upgrade to win 10, win 7 will need to still be on the computer or you will need the win 7 product key.  Otherwise you will need to buy a win 10 license.  I would advise imaging the current system before formating.  This would allow you to recover back to your current situation if everything goes south.

 

Mark

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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Does anyone know if there is a way for me to see the administrator password?  I am unable to download anything without the password. I am also unable to execute anything using command prompt. I am not permitted to delete any programs or even move shortcut icons from the desktop to the recycle bin.  I have tried administrator password tricks that (in the past) have allowed me bypass entering a password…they don’t work.  Amazing!

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Does anyone know if there is a way for me to see the administrator password?

This would completely negate the benefit of having a password. I get that you have been patiently trying to crack your own property. I applaud your persistence. You do see that what you ask, in a different setting, would be a criminal activity. Right?

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Microfix

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I admire the persistance of the OP, if he’s tried EVERYTHING from his previous post and this one to no avail, I’d have backed up important files and formatted/ re-installed the OS.
A nice clean fresh OS does no harm at the least once every couple of years if not less.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Elly

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@Bill , the original post, if you are the #post-338989, I wanted to direct you to the headline article by Fred Langa in this week’s newsletter. My reading of your project that has spanned some months suggests this will not help. You have described your trouble resides at some deeper level than Fred’s article discusses. And that the fallback solutions he offers have been declined for one reason or another. When I read the Langalist piece, the tips are familiar in suggestions made to you in the course of these topics.

But sometimes there are misunderstandings, often on my own side of a conversation. And I have found that turning to a new voice might illuminate details that previous voices have failed to describe more clearly. This is why I propose you review Fred’s article to see if it contains something passed over by advice you’ve read until now. Best of luck.

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