NYJimbo
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Windows 8 forgotten logon pass help
- Thread starter Compufix
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Xander
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Okay, you got me on that one, Nick. I just assumed it was on par with your other masterpieces. It's still a piece of work but the egg on my face is your canvas 
Still, couldn't hurt to throw that link into there somewhere, right?
Still, couldn't hurt to throw that link into there somewhere, right?
nlinecomputers
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I did it is what spurred my question. Basically if your system can't get on the internet and your password is changed you are screwed.
Which also means if Microsoft gets it's accounts hacked and your password is changed you are just as screwed as there is no way to gain control of your PC until you gain control of your account.
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Okay, you got me on that one, Nick. I just assumed it was on par with your other masterpieces. It's still a piece of work but the egg on my face is your canvas
Still, couldn't hurt to throw that link into there somewhere, right?
LOL no it couldn't hurt. Still I'm ROTF over this. For a while there I thought no one 'got it' LOL.
They are just trying to emulate Google in that respect, with the critical exception that most data with Windows is stored locally on the PC. Notice I said 'most' ... I have several Win8 boxes utilizing the same Live account for the user login and I've noticed that not just the wallpaper (which is annoying because I prefer different wallpaper on different PCs) but a lot of my documents and even my downloads have been sync'd between the two computers. I'm not sure to what extent it backs everything up - haven't logged into Skydrive online to check yet. Probably does all user folders and excludes files over a certain size, if I had to guess. Granted not everyone has two PCs and of those that do it's entirely possible they would both have broken internet. In that case, and I may be wrong on this but I believe this synchronization is done via Skydrive - which is supposed to be integrated with Win8 - and that means the user, once they reset their password, could access their files on Skydrive until you reload for them.
Not ideal, but it isn't a perfect world... On the other hand, I wouldn't always want my data to be sync'd to the cloud - especially without my knowledge - but that's another issue entirely. Contrary to popular belief around here I do have plenty of problems and complaints with Windows 8, though most of them are diffused depending on how you set it up and use it, some are not. Ahem my latest blog post on the Video store, DRM/WMP/WMC/Play To, customer service, and The Walking Dead season 3.
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nlinecomputers
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My main gripe is ability to hijack the account. I use Google services quite a lot but I also have 2 layer authentication turned on. Someone tries to access my account I get a text on phone and they need a number generated by my phone to get there. Not perfect of course as there are ways to man in the middle attack, spoof Google and get the code from me but that isn't very likely.
Microsoft doesn't provide 2 layer authentication as far as I know. But to be honest I hate live.com so much that I've never checked.
Microsoft doesn't provide 2 layer authentication as far as I know. But to be honest I hate live.com so much that I've never checked.
nlinecomputers
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I'll add that if someone does hijack my Google account that in no way effects my PC. I can still log on to the device and use it to try and contact Google and get my account back. If MicroShaft gets pwnd then you have to find a third party PC to try and get your life back.
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Not your PC, but how about your Chromebook? Well you would at the very least need a different Google account or have to create one - (assuming you can reset a password for your Google account while being logged into a different Google account - I would guess no - but I'm not 100% on how ChromeOS keeps you logged in and handles account switching.)
nlinecomputers
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No clue either but I suspect you are correct. But I bet with the chromebook you could create a new account on the fly just as you would when you first turn it on. So you'd create the new account and then use it to contact google and try to get the original account back. You can't log in to a Windows 8 system even as administrator as far as I can tell if you've never created a local account on it. Guess I need to fire up my VM of Win 8 and pound on that issue. It is bound to come up. I've got clients that seem to fubar passwords about every 6 months.
brandonkick
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I don't like a lot of these "features".
Integrating your system user account with your (microsofts) email system is bogus. What if you don't have internet? What if you don't have and really don't want a live account?
I like some of the ideas behind it, but overall I'd scrap the whole thing and take user accounts back to the way windows 7 did it.
If someone wanted to hack your password or remove it, they could do so but it would involve being alone with the machine long enough to boot up a utility, run it and then gain access to the machine and do whatever it is they are trying to do. Hardly worth the effort in most cases.
So if they do have a leg to stand on, it's not because this setup provides "security" measures.
It's a pain to both the customer and the IT professionals.
Integrating your system user account with your (microsofts) email system is bogus. What if you don't have internet? What if you don't have and really don't want a live account?
I like some of the ideas behind it, but overall I'd scrap the whole thing and take user accounts back to the way windows 7 did it.
If someone wanted to hack your password or remove it, they could do so but it would involve being alone with the machine long enough to boot up a utility, run it and then gain access to the machine and do whatever it is they are trying to do. Hardly worth the effort in most cases.
So if they do have a leg to stand on, it's not because this setup provides "security" measures.
It's a pain to both the customer and the IT professionals.
BillMoney
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You recover data and N&P. Simple and effective - more money for you as well because I'm sure you charge more for the service.
Thanks guys! (Just curious, did anyone actually run the tool?)
You got me i downloaded and didn't try it until today, just figuring it was as good as your other apps
nlinecomputers
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Note the Microsoft Account while default isn't the only way to manage users in Windows 8. You can select a local account and it behaves just like a Windows 7 local account does and if you join a domain you are given a domain logon and profile just like a Windows 7 machine. Most dumb end users of course will select the Microsoft Account in ignorance.
(Bolding mine)
Wonder if your doctor, or lawyer, or accountant feels the same way about you?
That aside, I read the beginning of this thread yesterday morning before work. Lo and behold, what comes in but a new laptop for data transfer. BestBuy had set up the machine, and owner had no idea of password. I sat there staring at it for a while, but no luck. I managed to sidestep the issue by having owner get the password from BestBuy.
Anyone know if NT Password changer works with WIN8?
Rick
nlinecomputers
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I know my lawyer does. Has told it to my face. I tried to probate my father's will years ago myself. Somethings should be left to the professionals. Lesson learned. And I don't know about you but most every conversation I have with a new end user begins with them calling themselves stupid about computers.
For all the progress we have made in computer technology computers are still too difficult for most end users to use effectively and prone to exacerbate end user shortsightedness. Most end users do incredibly stupid things out of ignorance, laziness, or denial. So yes most end users are too DUMB to use the computers but I blame the makers of computers more then the end users themselves. Windows 8 being the latest example.
NYJimbo
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You never really think about the denial aspect until you talk to a lot of them and realize how many got themselves into a predicament because of denial in some way.
brandonkick
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Great point about the fact that you can use a local account.
I guess the gripe would be that it's the default option. Most end users take the default options. The local account should be the default option!
I guess the gripe would be that it's the default option. Most end users take the default options. The local account should be the default option!
BillMoney
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I have not tested it but have been told it does not
nlinecomputers
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If the disk is setup in GPT then you can't use it. If setup as MBR then it should work.
AlaDes
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If a user has forgotten their password and it's linked to a live account, could you not boot the system using the built in administrator account and reset the password for the user's account? Maybe even change it to being a local account?
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Nope.. <--------filler>
Rob_NNCC
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I had to build a win8 DaRT disk for a Toshiba that had EUFI and GPT. Nothing else could touch that thing!
As a side note about live accounts, the hijacking can work the other way too! If you get your PC stolen, they can use OPHCrack on the PC to decrypt the Live password. (or at least this worked on the release candidate. I have not tried on the production.) (a trick to OPH is to copy the hash and google it. Google has access to way more rainbow tables than can ever fit on a CD)
As a side note about live accounts, the hijacking can work the other way too! If you get your PC stolen, they can use OPHCrack on the PC to decrypt the Live password. (or at least this worked on the release candidate. I have not tried on the production.) (a trick to OPH is to copy the hash and google it. Google has access to way more rainbow tables than can ever fit on a CD)
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