Prevent a forgotten password in Windows XP

Prevent a forgotten password in Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP Home and Professional includes an option that enables users to create a floppy diskette that enables them to access the computer in the event of a forgotten password. Below are the steps required to create this diskette.

Tip: If you do not know the password and have not created this diskette follow the steps for a forgotten password.

Creating the forgotten password diskette

• Open Control Panel.
• In Control Panel open the User Accounts window by double-clicking the User Accounts icon.
• In the User Accounts window in the top left Related Tasks section click Prevent a forgotten password.
• Insert a blank floppy diskette into the computer and click Next.
• Type the password for the user you are creating the diskette for and click Next.
• Wait until the diskette has completed the process of being created and then store the diskette in a place you will remember.

Using the forgotten password diskette

• If you have forgotten your Windows XP password, however have created a forgotten password diskette earlier to use the diskette follow the steps below.
• At the Windows XP login prompt when the password is entered incorrectly click the reset button in the login failed window.
• Insert the password reset diskette into the computer and click Next.
• If the correct diskette is being used Windows XP shows a window prompting for the new password.

Additional information
See our password definition for further information and related links on this term.

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How to recover missing, lost, or deleted files

How to recover missing, lost, or deleted files

Before reviewing the below recommendations and suggestions, verify that the files have been deleted. In some cases, the files may have been moved. You can search the hard drive for the files you believe to be missing by running find or search on the computer.

Restore from Recycling Bin or Trash

If you are running Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows and the file has been recently deleted, it may still be in the Trash or Recycle Bin.

If present within this area, it can be recovered by right-clicking on the file and selecting Restore in the menu.

Recovering a deleted file from the Windows Recycle Bin.

Recover file from backup

If the file has been backed up to floppy disk, CD, USB flash drive, or cloud storage it is recommended that the file be restored from that backup if the file cannot be found.

Download freeware program or purchase a program

When a file is deleted (even when removed from the Recycle Bin), the files are marked as deleted, however they are not immediately removed from the hard drive. Assuming no other file has overwritten the deleted file on the hard drive, a recovery program can be used to recover deleted files. Below is a list of freeware file recovery programs that can be used to recover lost data.

• Recuva
• Restoration
• Disk Drill - for Mac and Windows
• Undelete Plus
• FreeUndelete
• Photorec
• PC Inspector File Recover *Not compatible with Vista/7

Tip: In Windows, if you are prompted to run a program as an administrator, such as Restoration, right-click on the executable file and choose the option to Run as administrator.

Note: If other programs have been installed or data has been moved on the hard drive since a file has been deleted it cannot be recovered using these programs.

There are also several companies who have created programs designed to recover your lost data. For example, PowerQuest makes the utility Drive Image that in some cases can be used to recover data from a hard drive.

Utilize a service from a company that specializes in recovering lost data

Utilize the service of a local data recovery company or an out-of-state data recovery company. One word of caution is that these services can sometimes be very expensive. It is only recommended they be used if the data is extremely important or data cannot be read from hard drive. Below is a listing for a few of the major data recovery companies.

• Action Front Data Recovery
• CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc.
• Doctor Byte
• DriveSavers Data Recovery
• Kroll Ontrack
• Lazarus Data Recovery
• Secure Data Recovery Services
• Stellar Data Recovery
• DataCent Professional Data Recovery
• Virtual Data Recovery
• Wondershare Data Recovery

There are also several companies that specialize in the service of recovering files or documents that are password protected. Below is a listing of some of the companies that provide this service.

1. Passwordcrackers
2. Password Recovery software

Additional information
When I delete a file on my computer, where does it go?
Hard drive help and support.
See our data recovery definition for additional information on this term and related links.

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How to erase my hard drive and start over

How to erase my hard drive and start over

Most computers either provide CD or DVD discs, or have a built-in restore process on the hard drive, to reset the computer back to the original software it came with when purchased. Resetting, or restoring, a computer can help eliminate issues with computer software, including corrupt program files and virus infections. Instructions on how to restore your computer back to the original software are provided below.

Warning: Restoring your computer will erase all of the information on the hard drive and make it like new. Once the steps below have been completed, you will not be able to reverse the steps if you want to recover possible lost data. You should back up any personal files you do not want to lose before proceeding with the restore process.

Tip: If you only want to erase the hard drive on your computer and not restore the original software, see our page on how to format a hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive.

Making sure all private information is erased.

Unable to restore computer using restore disc.

Erasing the hard drive and reinstalling Windows

Click on a link below for instructions on how to erase the hard drive and reinstall Windows.

• Windows 10
  
• Windows 8
  
• Windows 7 and Vista
  
• Windows XP and 2000
  
• MS-DOS 5.0+, Windows 3.x, 9x/ME, and NT 4.0

Tip: If you have an OEM computer (Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, etc.), it's likely that you have a hidden system recovery partition and don't need to use any CD or DVD to restore your computer.

Windows 10

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Select the Settings option (looks like a gear).
3. In the Settings window, select the Update & security option.
4. Select the Recovery option in the left navigation pane.
5. Click the Get Started button in the "Reset this PC" section.
6. Choose either the Keep my files or Remove everything option, depending if you want to preserve your personal files or delete everything and start over.
7. Follow the prompts to begin the recovery process.

Windows will be reset, either keeping your personal files intact or erasing everything, depending on the option you selected.

Windows 8

1. Press the Windows key plus the "C" key to open the Charms menu.
2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (do not press Enter).
3. Select the Settings option.
4. On the left side of the screen, select Remove everything and reinstall Windows.
5. On the "Reset your PC" screen, click Next.
6. On the "Do you want to fully clean your drive" screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully clean the drive to have all files erased.
7. On the "Ready to reset your PC" screen, click Reset.
8. The hard drive will be erased and Windows 8 will be reinstalled.

Windows 7 and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista computer, you must have a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows 7 or Vista installation disc. If you do not have a set of restore discs, you will need to contact the computer manufacturer to order a new set or restore discs.

Note: Before following the steps below, make sure the computer is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

1. Insert the Windows 7/Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
2. When you see the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
3. Press the Enter key at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
4. When prompted, press any key on your keyboard.On the "Install Windows" page, select your preferred language and other preferences, then click Next.
5. On the License Agreement page, accept the terms and agreements and click Next.
6. On the Installation Type screen, choose the Custom option.
7. Select the Drive Options (advanced) option.
8. For Disk 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions have been deleted, you should see a single entry named "Unallocated space."
9. Click on Disk 0 and select Next.

The Windows installation process will start by creating a new partition, formatting the partition, and installing Windows on the hard drive. The formatting process will erase the hard drive before installing Windows.

Windows XP and 2000

To restore a Windows XP or 2000 computer, you must have a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows XP or 2000 installation disc. If you do not have a set of restore discs, you will need to contact the computer manufacturer to order a new set or restore discs.

Note: Before following the steps below, make sure the computer is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
2. When you see the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
3. Press the Enter key at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, then press F8 to accept the Terms and Agreements.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to select a hard drive partition to format and install Windows XP on.
5. After formatting the hard drive, which will erase all data, click on one of the links below for steps on how to install Windows XP or Windows 2000.

How to install Microsoft Windows XP
How to install Microsoft Windows 2000.

MS-DOS 5.0+, Windows 3.x, 95, 98, ME, and NT 4.0

1. Place the bootable diskette or disc inside the computer and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases, you may need to boot the computer with CD-ROM support or press a key to boot from the disk.
2. At the MS-DOS prompt type, format c: /s
   Note: If the "format c: /s" command does not work, you may need to download the format.com file to your boot disk.
3. The computer will ask you "Are you sure you want to erase everything on drive c:"
4. If you are ok with doing this, press "Y" for yes and press Enter.
5. After doing this, the computer will begin the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, make sure no errors are encountered.
6. Once the format process is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, type fdisk /mbr and press Enter. This should return you back to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This step is not required but recommended.
7. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the computer with the boot disk still inserted and follow the steps below if you want to re-install Windows on the hard drive.

Installing earlier versions of Windows and DOS after formatting drive

1. Windows NT 4.0
2. Windows 98
3. Windows 95 CD
4. Windows 95 floppy diskette
5. Windows 3.x
6. MS-DOS

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT can be installed different ways. We recommend that Windows NT be installed using the steps below as we feel that these steps by far are the easiest way to install Windows NT 4.0.

First, we recommend that all users wanting to install Windows NT use the /b switch, which allows the users to not need to create the diskettes. We do, however, recommend that the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they have not already been created after the installation of Windows NT.

Finally, before the installation of Windows NT, it is recommended that you run SMARTDRV, which helps the installation of Windows NT run a lot faster.

• Place the CD into the computer.
• Type X: (where x is the CD-ROM drive, often this is D:).
• Once at the appropriate drive, type CD WINNT and press enter to get into the Windows 95 directory.
• Once at X:\WINNT> Type winnt /b.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows 98

How to install Microsoft Windows 98.

1. Windows 95 with CD
2. Place the CD into the computer.
3. Type X: (where x is the CD-ROM drive, often this is D:).
4. Once at the appropriate drive, type CD WIN95 and press enter to get into the Windows 95 directory.
5. Once at X:\WIN95> Type setup to begin the installation
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If you are encountering issues during the setup process, you can add additional switches to the setup command line. These switches can be found on our Windows 95 setup switches page.

Windows 95 with floppy diskettes

1. Place the first diskette of Windows 95 into the computer.
2. At the A:\> Type setup and press enter to begin the installation.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows 3.x

1. Place the first diskette of Windows 3.x into the computer.
2. At the A:\> Type setup and press enter to begin the installation.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

MS-DOS

1. Place the first MS-DOS diskette into the computer.
2. At the A:\> Type setup and press enter to being the installation.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Additional information

Can formatting a hard drive several times cause problems?
How do you create a recovery disk in Windows?
How to install the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Hard drive help and support.
See our format and system recovery definitions for further information and related links on these terms.

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Lost or forgotten Windows password

Lost or forgotten Windows password

Disclaimer: Gaining access to an account or computer that is not yours without permission by using any of the steps below is against the law.
There are various options and utilities that can make it possible to gain access to a computer with a lost password. Below is a listing of the most popular options and utilities available to try.

Log into an alternate account

Often many users will leave the administrator account alone or have other accounts with administrator rights. If you are not logging into the computer using the administrator account or have other accounts that you can utilize, follow the steps below to reset your other account's password.

Reboot the computer into Safe Mode.

When logging into Safe Mode, you should be prompted with an option of which account you want to use. Select the Administrator account. If prompted for a password, try pressing Enter on the keyboard for no password. If this does not work, try other passwords you may have used. If you are unable to log into the Administrator account, skip to the next suggestion.

Once you have logged into the Administrator account, open the Control Panel and User Accounts.

In User Accounts, select the account you want to change, click Change Password, and then enter the new password or click remove the password to remove the password from the account.

Windows users and Creating a password reset disk

Note: Utilizing this option requires you to complete part of the process before having forgotten your password.

If you have Windows XP, use the "Prevent a forgotten password" option to create a password reset diskette. Use the diskette created to recover the forgotten password.

If you have Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8, in the User Accounts utility (accessible in the Control Panel), select the Create a password reset disk option to create a password reset disk. You can then use the disk created to recover the forgotten password.

If you have Windows 10, type Password Reset in the search box, then select the Create a password reset disk option in the search results. Follow the on-screen steps to create the password reset disk.

Tip: You need to connect a USB flash drive to your computer before accessing the "Create a password reset disk" utility in Windows Vista and later versions, or you may get an error stating the utility could not find a USB drive attached.

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

The Offline NT password & Registry Editor is a great utility that enables users to overwrite their Windows SAM file, the file containing their passwords, with a new password. Unfortunately, you cannot see the previous password, but you can gain access to unencrypted files again.

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

Emergency Boot CD

The EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) has many useful features. One of the most important is the ability to change the password of any user without needing to know the previous password including the administrator password.

http://www.prime-expert.com/embootkit/

Other utilities

There are numerous other free and commercial utilities available for bypassing or changing an unknown password in Microsoft Windows. The above two utilities are the more popular solutions and are highly recommended. If these utilities do not suit your needs, you may also want to perform a quick search on your favorite search engine.

Data recovery

If you have tried the above suggestions and are unable to gain access to the files you need to access, some data recovery companies may be able to access your data.

Format and reinstall Windows on the computer

Finally, if after trying all of the above steps you are still unable to access your computer, the only alternative solution is to erase everything on the computer and reinstall Windows.

How to erase my hard drive and start over.

Additional information
How do I change my username or password?
How to disable the Windows password prompt.
Complete information and links to information about computer passwords.

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Do Apple Macs get viruses?

Do Apple Macs get viruses?

An Apple Macintosh computer can get a virus, so the short answer to the question is Yes. However, it is less likely for an Apple Macintosh computer to be infected by a virus when compared to a Microsoft Windows computer. However, as Apple Macintosh computers gain market share and are used by more people, virus infections are becoming more common than they used to be.

Below are some of the reasons why Apple Macintosh computers do not have as many viruses as Microsoft Windows computers previously and still are less likely to be infected by a virus today:

Newer Macintosh operating systems, such as the macOS X, is built on the Unix kernel, which is one of the oldest and most secure operating systems available.
Microsoft Windows is used by a lot more people than the Apple macOS. Because more people use Microsoft Windows, it is a much better target and makes it easier for viruses to spread.

Most of the computer virus writers are more familiar with the IBM platform and Microsoft Windows, which means it's easier for them create a virus for that platform.

Many of the tools, scripts, and code used to create viruses or other malware are designed for Microsoft Windows.

What are some examples of current antivirus programs?

Note: If you are running a virtual PC on your Apple Macintosh or Windows in Bootcamp, because it is emulating Microsoft Windows, it can become infected with Windows viruses.

Software and plug-in threats

Although the Apple OS is more secure than many versions of Windows, additional software, plug-ins, and add-ons that connect to the Internet can introduce their own security vulnerabilities. The most common ways to attack a Mac computer is through a third-party browser and browser plugins like Adobe Reader, Flash, and Java. Today, most Mac users have these plugins installed and enabled on the computer, and, in doing so, compromise the overall security of the system.

Additional security threats

Although a Mac is less susceptible to viruses, Mac users can still be the victims of trojan horses, phishing scams, and other online fraud. If you are an Apple computer user, we still recommend keeping informed about how to keep safe while online. There is no such thing as a 100% safe computer, a Mac, Windows, and even Linux are all capable of being infected with a virus or other malware.

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Does Windows come with a virus protection program?

Does Windows come with a virus protection program?

Almost all versions of Microsoft Windows do not come pre-installed with an antivirus protection program. This includes: Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, and Windows Vista.

Windows 7 and 8 virus protection

Microsoft Windows 8 includes a version of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) that offers ant-virus and malware protection to Windows 8 users. Windows 7 users may download it for free from Microsoft's website.

Windows 3.11 virus protection

Windows 3.11 did include a very basic virus protection program (msav). However, this program is no longer updated and is considered out-of-date and should not be used to protect your computer against viruses.

Bundled virus protection

Some computer manufacturers (OEMs) include bundled software with their computers often include an anti-virus protection program (e.g. McAfee and Norton). Although these programs can be a good solutions with keeping your computer protected against viruses make sure it is not a trial program. Many manufactures only include a trial of the virus scanner, which means the program stops working after 30 days.

Once the trial has expired you can purchase a new license or uninstall the antivirus program and install an alternative antivirus program such as MSE or an alternative free antivirus program.

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Antivirus program

Alternatively referred to as an antivirus software, AVS, antivir, or just AV. An antivirus program is a software utility designed to protect your computer or network against computer viruses. If and when a virus is detected, the computer displays a warning asking what action should be done, often giving the options to remove, ignore, or move the file to the vault.

• Do I need an antivirus program?
• What happens if a virus infects a computer without an antivirus?
• What are some examples of antivirus programs?
• After installing an antivirus what should I do?
• How do I open my antivirus program?
• When was the first antivirus program written?
• How to update antivirus definitions or keep the antivirus updated
• What happens if we do not update an antivirus?
• Related antivirus pages
• Computer virus help and support.

Do I need an antivirus program?

As mentioned above, if your computer is infected with a virus without an antivirus any number of malicious actions could occur. If you are running Microsoft Windows, we recommend having an antivirus program installed on the computer. If you have the latest version of Windows making sure at the very least that Windows Defender is running.

Does Windows come with a virus protection program?
Do Apple Macs get viruses?

What happens if a virus infects a computer without an antivirus?

If a virus infects a computer without an antivirus program, it may delete files, prevent access to files, send spam, spy on you, or perform other malicious actions. In some situations, a computer may not meet the requirements of a virus and the computer is only used to help spread the virus to other computers that may meet the requirements.

What are some examples of antivirus programs?

Today, there are dozens of different companies and antivirus products available for computers, servers, and even phones. New versions of Microsoft Windows even include Windows Defender, which with the latest versions of Windows can defend against computer viruses. Other well-known antivirus programs include Norton antivirus and McAfee, and popular free antivirus programs include Avast and AVG. See the link below for a full list of links and comparisons.

What are the currently available antivirus programs?
Where can I find free online virus scanners?

After installing an antivirus what should I do?

Once an antivirus has been installed and is running the program protects your computer from any new viruses or malware installing on your computer. All new antivirus programs also schedule times to scan all of the files on your computer for past infections or can be manually run to check for viruses.

How does an antivirus work?

How do I open my antivirus program?

After installing an antivirus program on your computer, it should automatically start each time you boot your computer. If the antivirus program is not running in memory (in the background) your computer is not entirely protected. When running the program should show in the Windows Notification Area. In the picture to the right, AVG is the center icon in the Windows Notification Area. Right-clicking or double-clicking the antivirus icon opens the program and allows you to manually start a scan or view other available options.

How do I disable my antivirus program in Windows?

When was the first antivirus program written?

The first antivirus programs began appearing in 1987 with the introduction of an antivirus program from G Data Software for the Atari ST. Later in the same year, VirusScan was introduced by John McAfee, which later became the McAfee antivirus program.

How to update antivirus definitions or keep the antivirus updated

Every antivirus program also has definitions that tell the antivirus program how to detect and clean any new viruses that may have been released. Thankfully today most antivirus programs automatically connect to the Internet and download the latest definitions or warn you if it is not up-to-date.

How do I update my antivirus program?

Note: If you do not update your antivirus it will not be able to detect any new virus.

What happens if we do not update an antivirus?

As mentioned above an antivirus update keeps your antivirus software up-to-date with all of the latest virus definitions. If a new virus is released and you have not updated your antivirus, it will not be able to detect the virus and infect your computer.

Related antivirus pages
Do antivirus companies create computer viruses?
All computer antivirus and viruses questions and answers.
Anti-spyware, Fake antivirus, Security terms, Software, Software terms, Virus

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Microsoft Windows status bar continues to be disabled

Microsoft Windows status bar continues to be disabled

Following the steps below should resolve issues relating to the status bar becoming disabled in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Windows Explorer.

Close all Windows Explorer windows and but one Internet Explorer window.

In Internet Explorer, click the View menu and make sure that the status bar is selected.

Click View, Toolbars, and select Lock the Toolbars.

Hold down the Ctrl key and close out of the Internet Explorer window while holding the key down.

Open the Windows Explorer window.

In Windows Explorer, click the View menu and make sure that the status bar is selected.

Click View, Toolbars, and select Lock the Toolbars.

Click Tools ,Folder Options, click the View Tab, and click the Apply to All Folders button.

Hold down the Ctrl key and close out of the Windows Explorer window while holding the key down.

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Status bar

Status bar

A status bar is the bottom partition of Internet browsers and program windows that display the current state of the web page or window being displayed. For example, in Internet Explorer, it shows whether or not the page is secure, its certificate, what is currently being loaded on the page, and the web address. Below is an example of how the Microsoft Internet Explorer status bar may look.

How can I view or hide the status bar?

Windows Explorer
Open Windows Explorer.
Click View.
Click Status Bar.

Internet Explorer Browser
Open Internet Explorer.
Click View at the top. If you don't see the "File Edit View" options, press the Alt key.

Check or Uncheck the Status bar to view or hide the status bar. If you do not see Status Bar, look under Toolbars.

Netscape Browser
Open Netscape.
Click View.
Click Show/Hide.
Check or Uncheck the Status bar to view or hide the status bar.

Opera Browser
Open Opera.
Click View.
Check or Uncheck the Status bar to view or hide the status bar.

Related pages
Microsoft Windows status bar continues to be disabled.
Address bar, Software terms, Status line, Taskbar

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Quickly open recent files in Microsoft Word and Excel

Quickly open recent files in Microsoft Word and Excel


Quickly open the recent files by first pressing "Alt+F" to open the File menu and press 1, 2, 3, or 4 or the number that corresponds in front of the recent document you want to open.

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VAC / Punkbuster / Gaming Terms / Account / Cheating / Valve

VAC

VAC, which stands for Valve Anti-Cheat, is a component of Valve's Steam computer gaming platform that attempts to prevent users from cheating while playing a game. It was first released in 2002 with the game Counter-Strike. By July 2014, it had banned over 2 million Steam accounts for attempting to cheat.

VAC scans the user's hardware and memory, and if it detects any errors that might give the player an advantage, it bans the user at a later date. It does not provide them with the time or date of the recorded infraction. The player is then prohibited from connecting to any VAC-protected servers for the game, and additional restrictions are placed on the user's Steam account.

Related Pages :)  Account, Cheating, Gaming terms, PunkBuster, Valve

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Spawn camping / Camper / Exploit / Game terms / Spawn

Spawn camping

Spawn camping is a technique used in gaming where a player or team positions themselves next to where players will respawn after dying and then kill them immediately after they spawn. This technique of killing players in games is obviously looked down upon since it gives the opposing players little or no chance to fight back.








Related Pages:)

Camper, Exploit, Game terms, Spawn

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