Topic: Windows OS Breaking Point

[Simon]

That exactly what I did do, Tony.  Getting the updates first, I mean.  I think it may have been because I was trying to install Norton 2003.  Maybe if I had put an earlier version on at first, then updated it later, it would have been OK.  Literally, I must have only been online a few minutes, before the Welchia thing struck.  Maybe having a static IP doesn't help in these situations?  Anyway, the problem is now solved, as I have the Blaster / Welchia patch on a Floppy Disc, so with this latest build, I installed it before going online, and everything was OK.  It does show, however, how quickly this thing can infect a PC.  I wonder how many people have it without even realising?

[ketamininja]

Not with W2K Pro you carn't  

Um, W2K has the login box anyway, just type in your user/pass.
On XP you have the little pictures, with your usernames, so the only way to type in Administrator is through the login box.

Or have I missed something from your post?

[ketamininja]

I knew linux had bootable software for diagnostic purposes but i didn't know it had security checker for NTFS.  

Yes, very handy tool. I cannot remember where I downloaded it from originally (it is freeware I think, search google for LINUX boot disk SAM password or something).

[Adept]

I've used that one myself K, on PCs that people have forgotten the Admin password for.

It seems to work well. The latest version works with NT, Win2K and XP (as long as it's on an NTFS partition).

To allay your fears about hacking tools Simon. This one is not much use for hacking as you have to have physical access to the PC to make it work. It is however a very useful tool for PC Technicians

[Tony]

Not with W2K Pro you carn't  

Um, W2K has the login box anyway, just type in your user/pass.
On XP you have the little pictures, with your usernames, so the only way to type in Administrator is through the login box.

Or have I missed something from your post?

K, I must have miss read this remark from you.

>In windows xp, you can load up in NORMAL mode, press CTRL-ALT-DEL twice at the logon screen, and that will allow you to type in the "Administrator" name, with no password to access normally.<

you obviously don?t mean what I read it to mean.

[Tony]

That exactly what I did do, Tony.  Getting the updates first, I mean.  I think it may have been because I was trying to install Norton 2003.  Maybe if I had put an earlier version on at first, then updated it later, it would have been OK.  Literally, I must have only been online a few minutes, before the Welchia thing struck.  Maybe having a static IP doesn't help in these situations?  Anyway, the problem is now solved, as I have the Blaster / Welchia patch on a Floppy Disc, so with this latest build, I installed it before going online, and everything was OK.  It does show, however, how quickly this thing can infect a PC.  I wonder how many people have it without even realising?

Yes I think you have to download at least W2K SP2 or later before you can install Norton 2003

[ketamininja]

>In windows xp, you can load up in NORMAL mode, press CTRL-ALT-DEL twice at the logon screen, and that will allow you to type in the "Administrator" name, with no password to access normally.<

sorry, I'll clarify - hope this clears up my original post:

In windows xp, you can load up in NORMAL mode (as opposed to SAFE mode), which will display your log in pictures* press CTRL-ALT-DEL twice at this logon screen, which will display the normal logon box, and that will allow you to type in the "Administrator" name, with no password to access normally (if the admin account has no pass).

*if you have only one account with no pass, it will automatically log in to windows. Simply log off first I think then follow procedure from the *

[Tony]

Ah yes that does clear it up >(if the admin account has no pass)<
 

[Adept]

That is a genuinely useful bit of of advice K -

I often need to log in as administrator on some badly configured ( ) PCs at work and usually have to resort to Safe Mode to get at the Administrator account.

Giving the two-fingered salute twice is a damn sight easier to use 8)

[Reno]

I have a friend that used the accout option in win98 and he is firm on the fact that its more secure than xp's. I never found a way of getting into his machine so i think he might have had a point.

[Dack]

Apart from clicking cancel on the login screen? Booting from a floppy disc (and deleting the password files)? Going into safe mode? etc.

[Adept]

Sorry Bobscrachy XP beats 98 hands down on security.

As Dack says, it is easy peazy to get into a 98 machine without the password. The only thing that makes it slightly more difficult is if it authenticates on a network. Even then, it is possible to reveal the password by decoding the .pwl file.

XP has security built-in not tagged on as an after thought.

[Reno]

This is for Windows NT in the case you need full admin access to a pc youve been locked out of.

If you can log in as an account , drop to DOS start -> run -> cmd, at the C: prompt type the following (assuming default install
locations)

C:\> cd \winnt\system32
C:\winnt\system32> copy logon.scr logon.scr.old
C:\winnt\system32> del logon.scr
C:\winnt\system32> copy cmd.exe logon.scr

Now log off the machine, logon.scr is the screen saver that will kick in after 15 minutes of not touching the keyboard/mouse at the
logon screen. Wait 15-20 minutes and a DOS prompt with FULL SYSTEM rights will pop up, then just to
C:\> net user administrator <newpassword>
and then log in with the new account.

Try this, might work, as long as he didn't change default permissions on C:\winnt and C:\winnt\system32 you should be golden.

[Reno]

another xp security hole   sorry adept xp isn't as secure as some think, there are ways of bypassing win9x logins.

Watch out for people putting cds into your machine on bootup, its never a good thing.

Now, you can log-on winxp, without even having any account, any passwords  . Read carefully:

Its very easy to bypass the windows XP Admin logon window. When u started your computer , u got a message something like that:

Admin or (whatever u make a account!!!)
Password: ..... blah blah

some people think that its impossible to break through this, but through my
article u can make it easy to break this cripy .

In order to break the Windows XP admin logon , you simply boot yr computer through Windows XP CD and boot up a windows XP box and start windows XP recovery Console, its a troubleshooting program.

BINGO!

Windows XP then allows us to operate victim's computer as an Administrator without a admin password, even if the Administrator account has a strong password.

You can also operate other user accounts that may be present on, even if those accounts have passwords.

Finally u can do anything u want on the victim's computer, copy/delete the files whatever u want .