How can I access a used computer I bought if I don’t know the passwords for the users?
by She52 on June 2, 2011Q: can someone please help me before i tear all my hair out ! I bought a used computer & i cant get access to it because it has an admin & 3 other users on it. The logon is blocked & no matter what i try it keeps telling me ” access denied “. I tried to contact the person i bought it from but i havent heard anything, i have tried the control panel too but it wont let me do anything. Its windows xp. Hope you can help.
Tags: user management, Windows XP
The easiest way would be to download a copy of the password reset disc and follow the steps and then you will have reset the password and can log in.
The link to the download is here:
http://www.pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
If you do not have access to another computer to burn this disc I might suggest trying to log into your computer in safe mode and see if the administrator password was set on the device.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm
jselden73 (Uber Geek) says: on June 2, 2011 at 8:31 am
Your first step when buying a used computer should always be to wipe the harddrive and reinstall Windows or do a factory restore if the computer is from a major manufacturer (Dell, HP, Gateway, etc).
This takes care of any password issues as well as gets rid of any viruses/spyware/junk software on the computer from the prior owner.
If the computer didn’t come with any disks and is from a major manufacturer, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the manual for the computer. Many PCs from major manufacturers are able to do a factory restore without separate install disks. The manual for the PC will tell you if this is possible and how to do it.
If it is a computer that requires install disks, contact the manufacturer and you should be able to purchase some for a small fee.
Mark (Uber Geek) says: on June 2, 2011 at 8:34 am