Do you ask for password or silently reset it?

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mdopro1

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This is pertaining to Windows operating system. I heard a long time ago some repair shop emptied someone's account because his windows password was same as his online banking password and bank card number was saved with cookie - the dude got caught, of course, but that makes me think.

Should I ask for password or just disable it? Silently working on a user's profile can have chance of "i never gave you my psw, why/how did you enter my computer"

Wonder what other people do?
 
If I cannot get in touch with them then I silently reset it and then notify them of it when they pick it up or call back. I've never had any problems with it and this has been throughout 12 years now.
 
PCRT has a field to fill in when checking in a computer/customer. It is at that point that I ask "Do you have a password to log into Windows?"... also, if you verify that each computer boots when your checking it in.. you will see then that a password needs to be recorded.

I have had customers that did not want to divulge their password.. in which case I either have them log into the system and we then remove the password.. or I offer to *blank* it out for them.

Because all of this password stuff is taken care of when the computer is received, there is no calling, or waiting for a call back... or question of how the customer will feel if I do or do not remove the password..
 
BECAUSE so many people use the same passwords when they shouldn't, I typically bypass without resetting whenever possible, or just clear.

If they volunteer it, I'll take it, or if it's a friend. I don't ask though, because I don't want to know.
 
phaZed said:
PCRT has a field to fill in when checking in a computer/customer. It is at that point that I ask "Do you have a password to log into Windows?"... also, if you verify that each computer boots when your checking it in.. you will see then that a password needs to be recorded.
Click to expand...

Essentially, I do the same...except without PCRT. I still use two part forms, and I have the customer write down their password when they fill out the customer info part of the check-in form. It's amazing (and hilarious) sometimes what people will use for passwords :eek:.
 
SilverLeaf said:
It's amazing (and hilarious) sometimes what people will use for passwords :eek:.
Click to expand...

LOL, that's a topic worthy of a new post right there. Speaking of which, had a guy come in about 10 months ago with his wife. The guy had his own business, and his own business laptop. The couple sit down and we get to the password.

His body language gets real nervous (I gave him the option to blank it) but he goes ahead with the password , spelling it out: I-H-A-T-E-M-Y-W-I-F-E -- I can see the wife's gears turning as she puts the letters together, and then it hits her "I hate my wife"! Then she slaps him flat out HARD in the face and walks out screaming about how much of a worthless !@$^ he is and this and that. Awkward!
 
Recently had 'vagina' and 'fcukoffbloodykids'

Mostly pet names, grand kids names, football teams or holiday destinations seem to be the passwords of choice round here.

We ask up front and put them in PCRT too. We have on occasion used Konboot to bypass the Password.
 
Hmmm...this has me thinking now.

I always ask for a password and they give it to me without a second thought. But the fact that you mentioned this - I may rethink my procedure, or at least suggest to the client that they change their passwords after I return the PC.

I heard a long time ago some repair shop emptied someone's account because his windows password was same as his online banking password and bank card number was saved with cookie - the dude got caught, of course, but that makes me think.
Click to expand...
 
I ask if i remember sometimes i forget. If i forget it i reset it. Then i let them know when i drop it off. Never been a problem.

This is a great question. This is why TN is great. kudos OP
 
I always ask what the password is from the customer.

I never reset without consulting them first

If I have to use passwordless login, (KonBoot) I always ask permission first to see if its acceptable to the customer to bypass their password.

.
 
I never clear without permission. This is especially important beginning with Vista since M$ added built in encryption with EFS and Bitlocker. If I remember correctly EFS creates a one time hash using the existing password. If you blank the password and they put it back they will not be able to decrypt the files/folders (at least that is the way I understand it).
 
Our forms have a field for Windows password(s)... never had a customer refuse to fill it in. I also don't remove the passwords, although I have had it happen once automatically while using D7 to remove a ZeroAccess virus.
 
it's on my work order

user : ____________
password : _________________

I make sure to have all the info I need, I hate to have a PC on my bench and it's the answering machine of the customer who answer me. More important I make sure to have the cell phone # of the owner of the companies I service, I don't like to deal with secretary or receptionist.
 
Last edited:
katz said:
Hmmm...this has me thinking now.

I always ask for a password and they give it to me without a second thought. But the fact that you mentioned this - I may rethink my procedure, or at least suggest to the client that they change their passwords after I return the PC.
Click to expand...

That's the thing, if anything happens to someone's finances who are they going to think about? The tech that had his/her computer two days ago. Last thing I want it police questioning me. I am a man of integrity and would like to keep my dignity too :)

The reason I posted this thread is because I recently (almost) had a scuffle with a girl who I didn't ask for password but had to remove it to finish testing all components after slapping the laptop back together. It was a same day job too so I didn't bother calling her. Also, my process is to never ask for password and always remove it for reasons I posted in first post.

But this girl was pretty upset that she has confidential information including contact names for students that she teaches at local school. She said she was technically inclined and that made me think "Windows Password" to protect critical information?

I can enable Administrator account and remove password, go in and read everything and then disable Administrator account and she'd never know - but that was a conversation I didn't want to have to begin with.

I gave it a thought and best phrase to cover everything and also give an opportunity for customer to tell me that I'm not allowed in there is "Is there a password?" - If customer says YES, no follow-up questions.
 
We ask for password when customers drops off the computer. We'll never reset since I have has cases where people came back to take their hard drives so we don't see what is inside their computer.

Some assume we don't need to login to troubleshoot and forget to give it upon drop off.

Better safe then sorry
 
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