Forgot administrator password on windows 7. How do I bypass without losing encrypted files?

[MVH$]

I have heard that using the sticky keys method would cause one to lose access to any encrypted files on the account.
So I am wondering if other types of methods or boot disk tools would allow me to reset the password without losing the encrypted files.

 

[ir_cow]

Linux boot cd/USB can reset the windows password all the way up to Win 10 with a single command line. Win7 isn't very secure.

Unless your talking about bitlocker. That is something entirely different from the windows login password.

 

[MVH$]

Linux boot cd/USB can reset the windows password all the way up to Win 10 with a single command line. Win7 isn't very secure.

Unless your talking about bitlocker. That is something entirely different from the windows login password.

Would resetting the password with that method also prevent me from accessing the encrypted files?

I am referring to standard windows account file encryption.

 

[R-T-B]

Would resetting the password with that method also prevent me from accessing the encrypted files?

I am referring to standard windows account file encryption.

If it's NTFS encryption then yes.

 

[ir_cow]

@R-T-B granted I don't know much about windows file encryption, but isn't is just NTLM hash? Id imagine cracking the hash to get the password back would be only a matter of minutes.

What I'm saying is instead of resetting the password, just recover it though hash cracking.

Also I think discussing password cracking isn't allowed on the forums. My bad! Nothing you can't Google in 2 seconds though.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

@R-T-B granted I don't know much about windows file encryption, but isn't is just NTLM hash? Id imagine cracking the hash to get the password back would be only a matter of minutes.

What I'm saying is instead of resetting the password, just recover it though hash cracking.

Also I think discussing password cracking isn't allowed on the forums. My bad! Nothing you can't Google in 2 seconds though.

Especially when OP is a new member as of today. Might not be anything nefarious, but we don’t exactly have a lot of context here.

 

[freeagent]

Whenever I see stuff like this my first thought is theft, but that is the cynic in me.

 

[R-T-B]

@R-T-B granted I don't know much about windows file encryption, but isn't is just NTLM hash? Id imagine cracking the hash to get the password back would be only a matter of minutes.

What I'm saying is instead of resetting the password, just recover it though hash cracking.

Also I think discussing password cracking isn't allowed on the forums. My bad! Nothing you can't Google in 2 seconds though.

I think it once was, might or might not be stronger now. Anyways yes you can probably recover them but that's not something we can talk about. All I can tell you is that without the password normal access means are lost.

Whenever I see stuff like this my firs thought is theft, but that is the cynic in me.

Which is why we don't discuss cracking these things, yeah.

 

[ir_cow]

I probably should have just said there is a number of free Linux recovery tools for such events. Just can't go into detail which ones or how to use them

 

[MVH$]

I probably should have just said there is a number of free Linux recovery tools for such events. Just can't go into detail which ones or how to use them

I found two other methods that should be able to work. But if they don't I will look into that, thanks.

Whenever I see stuff like this my first thought is theft, but that is the cynic in me.

Especially when OP is a new member as of today. Might not be anything nefarious, but we don’t exactly have a lot of context here.

The paranoia over discussing these things on these kinds of forums is misguided and counter productive.
Anyone intent on harm is going to find out one way or another. All you are doing is impairing honest seekers with more limited tech knowledge from fixing their stuff.

If you aren't happy with the vulnerabilities of the windows platform then you'd be better off letting those become well known so that microsoft is forced to up their game.

I am shocked to realize how unsecure a password encrypted windows platform actually is. Most people have no idea.

But those intent on harm probably know, because they are motivated enough to find out.

So trying to keep this information hidden from the masses is ultimately not making them more secure, but less secure, by leaving them ignorant of the true vulnerabilities of their systems.

But I am also thankful my data isn't hopelessly lost. Next time I'll back up my stuff.

 

[Solaris17]

The paranoia over discussing these things on these kinds of forums is misguided and counter productive.

To you but not allowing it to pollute the forums is one less problem we have to battle. This info is readily available via a google search. If you cannot find the info you seek specifically regarding something like this then there is a plethora of security centric forums you can visit.

It looks like you may have misinterpreted "these kinds of forums" but this is a case of knowing your audience, we never have been, and dont have plans to be, the type that fields these questions.

If the drive is encrypted with bitlocker you might be SOL as its not public info if the password is used to salt the bitlocker key. However given how old windows 7 is bitlocker does not encrypt the hives IIRC so password reset (regardless of if it destroys your data) should be possible.

Goodluck!