Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Unfortunate News and a Computer Question.

This is topic Unfortunate News and a Computer Question. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Andrew Bangs (Member # 4938) on 02-04-2009, 12:50 AM:

Well I am not sure if this is the right Forum for this but since I have a semi Technical Question to go along with it this is where I am putting it. If it needs to be relocated by all mean please do.

This past weekend our GM Passed away. On a long list of problems this one is by far the worst. Our GM (Marion Owens) was a terrific lady who was the corner stone of our theatre. She was only 59 and had plenty of life left in her (as she was constantly taking on the teens that we hire) which is why it really was a shocking loss as she was fine and healthy one day as she left from work then we found out she passed in her sleep that same night. We are doing our best to continue on and at least scoot by in her shoes. We are finding it is taking the combined efforts, in this our time of Mourning, of The Owner, Myself and my fellow Asst. Manager just to complete some of the more simple tasks at least by her standards.
Kerrville Daily Times

One of the jobs that I am taking on is the Scheduling of our Employees. Unfortunately she kept the schedule and scheduling Program on her work laptop and as luck would have it none of us know the login Password. It is a Windows PC Laptop running one of Windows 98 thru Vista, the brand or type I have no Idea.

The question I am getting to is does anyone know a way to reset or bypass the initial login Password of a windows PC. Without corrupting the data of the computer and still being able to access the available Data. The only solution I can come up with is to try and remove the hard drive and access it via another PC as an external HD. But I am still not sure if that would even work.

In the mean time I am going to try and recreate a Schedule program using Excel. Wish me luck.

P.S.
Thank you for your Help and Support in this our time of need.

[ 02-04-2009, 03:33 AM: Message edited by: Andrew Bangs ]

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 02-04-2009, 01:04 AM:

I am so sorry to hear your unfortunate news. Your GM's passing is right on the heels of another independent cinema owner's and very well loved film collector's untimely passing in a small town near where I live, Andy Huston. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20090113/OBITUARIES/90113010/1023

In terms of your question about resetting a login password on Windows Vista, this can be done fairly easily.

This is the support website for a linux based tool that can boot from a CD image and allow you to access the security file in Windows and reset the password.
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Go download the disc image here: http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/cd080802.zip

Unzip the enclosed ISO file and use a CD burning program to burn the ISO to a blank CD.

Boot the resulting CD on your GM's laptop. The screen will fill with lots of Linux mumbo jumbo. Fortunately for you, most of the default prompts that come up will work just leaving them as is (presssing enter at the prompt selects the default action)

When you get to the list of usernames, The tool works better just blanking the password of the username you need access to. (enter an astrisk rather than a password of your own choosing). Send me a personal message if you get stuck and I can contact you and walk you through it.

Posted by Andrew Bangs (Member # 4938) on 02-04-2009, 03:03 AM:

Thank you to whom ever for the move. I just don't know what I am doing these days.

Thank you Sean for the help. I just have a few questions.
If her OS is not Vista will this still work?
Can I download this and burn it using my Mac or should it be done from another PC?
and Just to confirm this won't corrupt the data on the computer right?
Last how do you boot from a cd using a windows computer. I am a mac guy and for me I just have to hold down C while the computer boots up. Is it the same process for a PC?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-04-2009, 08:45 AM:

Sorry to hear the news Andrew. If that software doesn't work(it should though) for you let me know and I'll O.N. a CD to you that is similar and does work on all Windows OS's.

Mark

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 02-04-2009, 10:46 AM:

quote: Andrew Bangs
If her OS is not Vista will this still work?

The ntpasswd software would work with any NT-based windows OS, meaning it should work with Windows versions NT, 2000, XP, and Vista.

quote: Andrew Bangs
Can I download this and burn it using my Mac or should it be done from another PC?

You can download it on any computer, as long as that computer can both unzip a file and burn a CD from an ISO image.

quote: Andrew Bangs
and Just to confirm this won't corrupt the data on the computer right?

It wouldn't touch your data other than the password file.

quote: Andrew Bangs
Last how do you boot from a cd using a windows computer.

It's a BIOS setting. You tell the BIOS what order of devices you want it to boot from. Though before trying to change the BIOS, just try to boot from the CD (it could already have the right settings). And if it doesn't work, then reboot and look at the screen for which key you need to press to enter BIOS setup, press that key, then change the boot order to have CD be first. Then save changes and reboot with your CD.

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 02-04-2009, 11:29 AM:

What brand laptop is it? Usually during the power on splash screen, you can press a key to allow you to select a boot device, as an example pressing F12 at the Dell logo on a Dell laptop will bring up the boot menu. Pressing the enter key, or blue ThinkVantage key (if it has one) on a Lenovo will bring up the boot options.

If you can find neither, then as Chris indicated, there will invariably be a key to press to get to the system bios. Once you are in the bios, there will likely be a category called Boot options, or Boot, or some variation thereof where you can specify which devices in what order the system looks to boot to first. Set the CD or DVD drive above the hard disk and the system will boot to an optical disc before the hard drive.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 02-04-2009, 01:54 PM:

I'll forgo the computer questions.

In the short term: WWMD? (What would Marion Do?) All will not be happy; all will at least understand why you are doing what you are doing. If they are unhappy, let 'em go if that is what she would do. Louis

Posted by Andrew Bangs (Member # 4938) on 02-06-2009, 12:06 AM:

Thank you all for the support once we have a chance to think straight here I will get back to you.