How to Recover a Forgotten Windows Password

Jared Moya — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:07:57 +0000

Guide to regaining access to a PC running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 in a just a few easy steps.

Remembering passwords can be a chore these days, especially as the number proliferates thanks to the wide variety of sites and terminals we use on a regular basis. Some have computer login passwords at work and then computer login passwords at home to keep track of, and it's not always an easy task. Combined with all the usernames and passwords we have to remember online and it's no wonder we forget them from time to time. The most troubling password of them all to forget is the password for your home PC. For most there's no home IT dept to call on, and nobody wants to have to reinstall Windows to regain access. That's why with this guide you'll be able to recover a forgotten Windows password and reclaim your PC with all of your important data without having to resort to such drastic action. There are a number of different programs you can use, but we'll be using the freeware program PC Login Now since it's among the easiest to install and use. PC Login doesn't actually recover your forgotten password, however it simply resets it so that it's if there was never one at all.

1. Download PC Login Now

With this step you'll obviously need to have access to the PC of a family or friend with an Internet connection.

2. Burn PC Login Now to a disc.

PC Login Now is in the form of an .ISO file (disc image) that you'll need to burn to a disc. I recommend using DVD Decrypter if only because it too is free, and also because I have written a handy guide to lead you through the process.

3. Change BIOS to Boot from CD/DVD-Rom

This is probably the trickiest part, if only because there's no universally defined method for accessing a computer's BIOS (built-in firmware that controls a computer's startup and hardware operations). When you boot up your PC a a message will flash briefly acros the screen telling you what to do to access it. Here are a few examples:

Press [key] to access system configuration
Enter BIOS by pressing [key]
Press [key] to enter setup
Press [key] to access BIOS
Press [key] to enter BIOS setup

Once you're in navigate to"Boot Order" and change it so that your PC will boot from the CD/DVD-Rom drive. Save your changes and exit.

4. Insert PC Login Now CD

5. Select Operating System

6. Select a User for Password Reset

7. Select "Password is Empty"

8. Click "Next"

9. Click "Ok" and Computer Will Reboot

After it reboots it'll start up and allow you to login without a password for the user account you selected. It's that easy. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jarednoya

DVD Decrypter – How to burn BIN, CUE, or ISO files

Jared Moya — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 20:20:55 +0000

Now DVD Decrypter does many things, but all I’m going to discuss here is how to burn a BIN, CUE, or ISO files with this program.

The .BIN / .CUE CD image format was made popular by the CDRWin software. Afterwards many programs have started supporting or partially supporting it, including: Nero, Blindwrite, CloneCD, FireBurner. The .CUE file contains the track layout information, while the .BIN file holds the actual data.

.ISO is also a CD image format, but is sometimes used for ‘ISO9660 format’ (standard, recognized by all applications) and sometimes for unique Easy CD ISO format.

When you talk about images you must think in terms of SECTORS not DATA SIZE.

The rules are:

1)A standard 74 min CD is made by 333,000 sectors.
2) Each sector is 2352 bytes big, and contains 2048 bytes of PC (MODE1)Data, 2336 bytes of PSX/VCD (MODE2) Data or 2352 bytes of AUDIO.
3) The difference between secor size and data content are the Headers info and the Error Correction Codes, that are big for Data (high precision required), small for VCD (standard for video) and none for audio.
4)If you extract data in RAW format (standard for creating images) you always extract 2352 bytes per sector, not 2048/2336/2352 bytes depending on data type (basically, you extract the whole sector).

This fact has two main consequences:

a) You can record data at very high speed (40x) without losing information, but if you try to do the same with PSX or Audio you get unredable CD (for PSX) od audio CD with lots of clicks because there are not error correction codes (and error are more likely to occur if you record at high speed.
b) On a 74 min CD you can fit very large RAW images,up to 333,000 x 2352 = 783,216,000 bytes (747 Mb). This should be the upper limit for a RAW image created from a 74 min CD. Remember that if you store standard data (backup files), you can burn only 333,000 x 2048 = 681,984,000 bytes (the well known 650 MB limit).

Please note that an image size is ALWAYS a multple of 2352 bytes (you extract SECTORS), if extracted in RAW mode.

How to Use DVD Decrypter

First of all be sure to select “ISO -write mode” from the “MODE” menu at the top of the program window before you proceed..

Then, load the BIN, or ISO file in the “source” location. For DVD Decrypter you don’t have to worry about the CUE, file, all you need is the data itself.

Now for the nitty gritty. For video related data, CD-R’s seem to come out best when using no more than a 16x burning speed, as in my opinion it seems to make for a better quality product.

Some may disagree, but on many occasion I’ve exeperienced what I call “screen flutter,” in that the video image breaks apart periodically into its basic color cells and thus ruining your viewing experience. So don’t be caught off gaurd, protect yourself and your eyesight, use 16x. So, after you’ve dragged and dropped the file you want to burn, and selcted the desired speed as shown below, burn, baby burn

For DVD-R’s it never seems to matter, so depending on the disc capacity speed, any rate comes out just fine. When it comes to burning backup discs for
your XBOX or PS2, burning speed is critical! I repeat critical!

Early on I wasted many a blank DVD-R because I was not fortunate enough to have such words of wisdom from places like here at ZEROPAID.They demand speeds of no more than 4x, in fact, the slower the better. An easy trick for the less than tech-savvy is to simply buy DVD-R discs of 4x or 2x speed, so you can cut out all margin of error. In any event, first drag and drop the game backup file,

Next, select the speed as shown below, then, of course, burn, baby burn.

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