I saw a post by a member asking about how best to protect a windows box from being used or tampered with while the owner was away. I red the post and thought the question shouldn't be how to protect but instead how to break into. In creating this topic i think it would enlighten everyone to the various ways in which a pc could broken into and way to prevent it.

to start this off, and not look like im pumping people for information for diabolical purposes i found a way to get around xp passwords about a year ago. Just restart the machine and press F8 when the diagnostic options are presented go into safe mode. if the installer of the os was lazy (like most) and didn't put a admin password enter the admin account and setup your own user accout. In safe mode you can access any and all of the other accounts making your attempt successful.

I haven't found a way to lock a windows machine from someone slaving it. But i have run into software that works with the bios. If the drive is put into another machine or it is made as a slave on its default box it has to have a password to access. It was a churches machine and the drive was going bad. i ghosted it and stuck the new drive in place. It did interest me though.

Just a word of caution as this thread progresses - please bear in mind we cannot discuss hacking on this forum.  

Thanks folks!  

I'm sure that everyone realises that we have to err on the side of caution and that very mention of the word "hack" gives our hosts palpitations.  The members of the forum fully appreciate where you are coming from Bob and greatly appreciate your input.   Just be careful with the "H" word so that we can all sleep soundly in our beds at night.  

I'm with you Bob on this one [just to put the cat amongst the pigeons]  

Education is better than falling victim due to lack of it. For instance, it would be like rollocking those who expose ways of circumnavigating so called airport security, which would enable weapons/potential weapons to be smuggled aboard aircraft.

It is only the public boycotting products due to their exposed security flaws that pressures providers of such products to up their game.

i agree there should be no talk of hacking on this thread to protect the safty of PC Pals Forum. I guess we got this off on the wrong foot. Anyone know anyother cracks for windows that we should be aware of.

I have a special piece of software (Linux based) that boots from CD. It checks NT based security, and will check the SAM for passwords etc. The software will then let you clear individual passwords, or ever create a different password.

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

alright everyone, don't bust a nut all over your monitors. I wasn't being rollicked, so don't worry. It was a simple misunderstanding thats been cleared up.  

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.

Not with W2K Pro you carn't  

Funny that Simon,

I've never been infected with a virus, when I have installed new or reformated and installed many many times with W2K Pro.

I always do install, then put all the security progs on first, Zone Alarm being the first.  Then I go nowhere but MS update. First thing I then do is SP4, then all other patches. Then Norton updates, and only then do I, go else where on the Web, or set up email accounts, or install any programs.

You must be working in an unsterile enviroment.