Help. I can't log in. I don't have a pw reset disc

[minsbang]

Hi,

System is not recognizing my pw and needs a pw reset disc. I don't have one. What are my options? Thanks in advance.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi minsbang and welcome to Vista Forums

Have you checked that Caps Lock isn't on (use Shift to enter capital letters) and that Num Lock is on if you use the numeric keypad to enter any numbers in your password. Make sure that the keyboard language setting is correct, as some symbols move position accordingly, and if your password has any of these then it could explain your problem - for example, Shift 2 gives " in UK English whereas in US English the same combination yields @. And yes, I have been caught out with this in the past.

 

[minsbang]

Hi minsbang and welcome to Vista Forums

Have you checked that Caps Lock isn't on (use Shift to enter capital letters) and that Num Lock is on if you use the numeric keypad to enter any numbers in your password. Make sure that the keyboard language setting is correct, as some symbols move position accordingly, and if your password has any of these then it could explain your problem - for example, Shift 2 gives " in UK English whereas in US English the same combination yields @. And yes, I have been caught out with this in the past.

Thank you for your reply. I'll try that tonight. My password is all in lowercase and has a few digits. I'll double check with the Caps lock and Num lock buttons. If this does not work, what should be my next step?

 

[Dwarf]

Hi minsbang,

If what I suggested doesn't work, then try this: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/200888-user-account-password-change-win-re.html

 

[minsbang]

Hi minsbang,

If what I suggested doesn't work, then try this: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/200888-user-account-password-change-win-re.html

Win RE? What is that? I have Vista Home Premium 64 bit.... not sure if that helps.

 

[mansrm81]

That will show you how to reset your password.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi minsbang,

See the following link for details: Windows RE Notes

 

[minsbang]

That will show you how to reset your password.

I can't get to the dos prompt. I can get into BIOS, but don't have any disks. I tried different passwords, checking the caps lock and num lock.... but no luck.

i just purchased the desktop last week. i'll give them a call for support.

any other ideas?

 

[Dwarf]

Hi minsbang,

If your PC came with Vista pre-installed (as I suspect it has, seeing as you have no disks), then there is a way to restore the OS on it to its original condition. Unfortunately, this will also erase any documents and other files you have created. To do this, power on your system and press either F11 or F12 (check the manual for the correct key(s) to press) to boot into the recovery environment and follow the given instructions. The first thing to do, before you do anything else at all once Vista has reinstalled, is to create the recovery DVD by refering to the manual and following the instructions. You will need a writeable DVD for this.

Some quick tips on making passwords:
Use a mixture of characters, both upper and lower case and also numeric digits.
Avoid, wherever possible, using characters whose physical place on the keyboard moves depending on the keyboard layout (see my previous post about Shift 2).
Make it sufficiently long and random to be secure, but don't forget that you need to be able to remember it.