Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If you
need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
passphrase is.

For example if your pass phrase is "Chargers are #1!" a good reminder
might be "How 'bout them Bolts?!" Nobody who comes across a post-it or
slip of paper that says that is going to easily guess what your pass
phrase is from that, but it should be enough to remind you of what it
is.

Best wishes and aloha,

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q





"Malke" <malke@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uwtS6QU2IHA.3884@xxxxxx:

> David wrote:
>
>

> > I have inadvertantly activated the administrator password, which I do not
> > remember, in Vista home premium and now I can't access my computer at all.
> > I
> > do not have a password reset disk that the PC is asking me for. Is there
> > a
> > way that I can deactivate the passsword funtion?

>
>
> http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
>
> Burn the precompiled CD .iso (as an image, not as data), boot with the media
> you create, change the Administrator's password to a blank. Log into
> Windows and make your desired changes. Write passwords down.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:

> Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
> using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If you
> need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
> passphrase is.

In a corporate environment, I would agree. In a home environment, better to
write down the password and put it in a safe place.

See a very interesting discussion of security in last month's TechNet
magazine. Also Bruce Schneier has some very enlightening ideas about
passwords.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Malke wrote:

> Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:
>

>> Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
>> using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If you
>> need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
>> passphrase is.

>
> In a corporate environment, I would agree. In a home environment, better to
> write down the password and put it in a safe place.
>
> See a very interesting discussion of security in last month's TechNet
> magazine. Also Bruce Schneier has some very enlightening ideas about
> passwords.
>
> Malke

Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
doesn't tell you the password... :-(

--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services

Hank Arnold (MVP) wrote:

>
> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>

Oh yes, I completely agree. I was thinking more about the end users but you
are 100% right. After all, how many times have I gone into a new client's
office just to find out that they've got zero information about how to get
into their server? Answer: many, many times. ;-)

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Malke wrote:

> Hank Arnold (MVP) wrote:

>> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
>> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
>> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
>> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>>

> Oh yes, I completely agree. I was thinking more about the end users but you
> are 100% right. After all, how many times have I gone into a new client's
> office just to find out that they've got zero information about how to get
> into their server? Answer: many, many times. ;-)
>
> Malke

But does it really matter if someone has physical access and that CD?

I'd be o.k. with writing down an administrator password/ID and locking
it in a safe. Not user passwords though.

Of course we run into the same issue with the combination to the safe.
:-)

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q



"Hank Arnold (MVP)" <rasilon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OyLdCKd2IHA.1768@xxxxxx:

> Malke wrote:
>

> > Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:
> >

>

> >> Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
> >> using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If you
> >> need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
> >> passphrase is.

> >

>

> > In a corporate environment, I would agree. In a home environment, better to
> > write down the password and put it in a safe place.
> >
> > See a very interesting discussion of security in last month's TechNet
> > magazine. Also Bruce Schneier has some very enlightening ideas about
> > passwords.
> >
> > Malke

>
>
> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>
> --
>
> Regards,
> Hank Arnold
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Server - Directory Services

Well there is no utility I know of that can simply unlock a safe, or
change the compination without showing signs of tampering, however a
disgruntled employee could change all the passwords on a PC with that
utility and then walk away. Obviously "Someone" needs a copy of that
utility somewhere in the office since no matter how good the safe it is
no use locking away the wrong password.

I don't know if BIOS passwords are better, can they be reset by the
jumper on the board?


Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:

> I'd be o.k. with writing down an administrator password/ID and locking
> it in a safe. Not user passwords though.
>
> Of course we run into the same issue with the combination to the safe. :-)
>
> --
> -Ben-
> Ben M. Schorr, MVP
> Roland Schorr & Tower
> http://www.rolandschorr.com
> http://www.officeforlawyers.com
> Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
> http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q
>
>
>
> "Hank Arnold (MVP)" <rasilon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:OyLdCKd2IHA.1768@xxxxxx:
>

>> Malke wrote:
>>

>> > Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:
>> >

>>

>> >> Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
>> >> using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If

>> you

>> >> need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
>> >> passphrase is.
>> >

>>

>> > In a corporate environment, I would agree. In a home environment,

>> better to

>> > write down the password and put it in a safe place.
>> >
>> > See a very interesting discussion of security in last month's TechNet
>> > magazine. Also Bruce Schneier has some very enlightening ideas about
>> > passwords.
>> >
>> > Malke

>>
>>
>> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
>> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
>> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
>> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>> Hank Arnold
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Server - Directory Services

>

Bruce Chambers wrote:

> Hank Arnold (MVP) wrote:

>>
>>
>> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
>> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
>> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
>> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>>

>
> Happens all the time, but it's not necessarily that big of a deal.
> Any competent replacement administrator, along with most of any
> competent IT staff, will know how to obtain one of the many Linux-based
> password cracking utilities that abound on the Internet.
>
>

I just resurrected 3 older XP machines with no trouble, takes about 10
minutes. They were useless otherwise. The set user was not able to do
what was needed and the Admin had gone away...

Sure. We don't manage users' passwords. If they forget it, we reset it
and they have to choose a new one.

Simple solution. Write the combination to the safe on a piece of paper
and lock it in another safe.... ;-)

--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services

Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:

> I'd be o.k. with writing down an administrator password/ID and locking
> it in a safe. Not user passwords though.
>
> Of course we run into the same issue with the combination to the safe. :-)
>
> --
> -Ben-
> Ben M. Schorr, MVP
> Roland Schorr & Tower
> http://www.rolandschorr.com
> http://www.officeforlawyers.com
> Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
> http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q
>
>
>
> "Hank Arnold (MVP)" <rasilon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:OyLdCKd2IHA.1768@xxxxxx:
>

>> Malke wrote:
>>

>> > Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) wrote:
>> >

>>

>> >> Actually I wouldn't advocate writing the passwords down - I'd advocate
>> >> using passwords (or better, passphrases) that you can remember. If

>> you

>> >> need to write something down write yourself a reminder of what the
>> >> passphrase is.
>> >

>>

>> > In a corporate environment, I would agree. In a home environment,

>> better to

>> > write down the password and put it in a safe place.
>> >
>> > See a very interesting discussion of security in last month's TechNet
>> > magazine. Also Bruce Schneier has some very enlightening ideas about
>> > passwords.
>> >
>> > Malke

>>
>>
>> Actually, in a corporate environment, it's vital to have one
>> administrator userid & password written down and locked up somewhere.
>> Picture this: you forget the admin password or your admin quits and
>> doesn't tell you the password... :-(
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>> Hank Arnold
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Server - Directory Services

>