Archive for May, 2013

« Older Entries

What is the Security Accounts Manager (SAM)?

May 31st, 2013 by Admin

The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a registry file in Windows NT and later versions until the most recent Windows 8. It stores users’ passwords in a hashed format (in LM hash and NTLM hash). Since a hash function is one-way, this provides some measure of security for the storage of the passwords.

The SAM registry file is located on your system at C:\WINDOWS\system32\config, but it is locked and cannot be moved or copied while Windows is running. The main function of the Security Accounts Manager is holding onto the passwords used to log into Windows accounts. When you try to log in to a user account, Windows will use a series of hash algorithms to calculate a hash for the password you just typed in. If the hash is equal to the password hash inside the SAM registry file, Windows will allow you to log in. Otherwise you’ll get the error message that user name or password is incorrect.

The SAM registry file is not accessible while the operating system is booted up, this is why most of Windows password cracking software comes as an bootable ISO image. You need to boot up with another operating system like DOS, Linux or Ubuntu. When you copied the SAM file to external media, you can crack the passwords stored in the SAM file with a program like LC5 or Ophcrack. But it usually takes a very long time to crack a password, especially if your password is long and complicated.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of recovering the original password, then you can instantly remove / delete your forgotten Windows password using a boot CD like Reset Windows Password utility, which works with pretty much every edition of Windows out there, including XP, Vista, 7, and Windows 8. To use it, boot your PC using the program on a CD or on a USB thumb drive. Just follow the simple instructions on the screen to reset Windows admin/user password, and then reboot and log in.

Comments Off on What is the Security Accounts Manager (SAM)? »

Posted in Others, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags:

A Quick Way to Remove Password from PDF Documents

May 31st, 2013 by Admin

Recently I’ve got a really annoying problem at work. Some of my PDF documents can not be copied, edited or printed. I know that’s because they’re secured but how can I remove the password? Any idea to work out the problem?

Sometimes we have or receive PDF files which are protected by passwords. We can’t print, copy or edit the content of an encrypted PDF document. This could be the case even when you have the legal right to modify the document but you’ve forgotten what your PDF password was. In this tutorial we’ll show you a quick way to remove the password from PDF documents, while still keeping the contents of the document intact.

How to Remove Password from PDF Documents Quickly?

  1. Download the setup package of PDF Password Recovery program. After the download is complete, double-click on the download file to install it on your computer.
  2. Launch PDF Password Recovery application. Click on the “…” button to locate your PDF document which is protected from printing, copying and editing. Next, choose the “Remove Owner Password” option.

  3. Click Next to remove the PDF permissions password. Just after a few seconds, the software will create a new copy of your original PDF file, while removing the password from the PDF document.

  4. Now you can open the new copy of the decrypted PDF document and use it without any copying, printing or editing restrictions.

Comments Off on A Quick Way to Remove Password from PDF Documents »

Posted in Tips & Tricks

Tags:

How to Reset Lost Password to Windows 7 Dell Laptop

May 30th, 2013 by Admin

I have a Dell Inspiron n5010 with a Windows 7 Home Premium os. I have gotten myself locked out of it and the hint I put makes no sense. I have also tried the program Ophcrack but it failed to recover the password. Is there any way out to reset or clear the password on my Windows 7 Dell laptop?

Forgot your password on a Dell laptop with Windows 7? Can’t log into Windows 7 after losing the password for the only administrator account on your Dell computer? It’s a nightmare, but there are several ways to get back in.

We’re going to show you the easiest method to reset lost Windows 7 password on any Dell laptop computers. It’s straightforward and create a password reset Live CD or USB drive, which contains a WinPE operating system and tools you need to unlock your Dell laptop password.

How to Reset Lost Password to Windows 7 Dell Laptop?

Step #1: First, downloaded the Zip archive of Reset Windows Password utility on to an alternative PC with internet access. Right-click on the download file and then choose “Extract All” from the context menu. After extracting, you’ll find the ResetWindowsPwd.iso file. Just burn it to a CD or USB flash drive with ISO2Disc or BurnCDCC program.

Step #2: After the Live CD/USB drive is created, insert it into your locked Dell laptop. Turn on or restart the laptop and press F12 when the Dell logo is on screen to access the Boot Menu. Choose the CD/DVD-ROM drive or Removable Device from the bootable device list and press Enter. If you’re unable to access the Boot Menu, you can also press F2 to get into BIOS and then change the boot order.

Step #3: After booting from the Live CD/USB drive, you’ll see the Reset Windows Password program and it shows you a list of local user accounts for your Windows 7 installation.

Step #4: Choose the user account that you need to reset the password for and then click on “Reset Password” button. It will unlock and reset your lost Windows 7 password in no time. Remove the CD/USB drive and reboot the system. You can then log back into your Windows 7 Dell laptop without a password.

Conclusion

So that is how can you reset lost password of a Windows 7 Dell laptop. It’s just a breeze to unlock Dell administrator password, even if you’re completely locked out of your laptop. If you need to reset forgotten Windows 8 password on Dell computers, please refer to this article: Forgot Admin Password for Your Dell PC with Windows 8 Pre-installed in UEFI Boot Mode.

Comments Off on How to Reset Lost Password to Windows 7 Dell Laptop »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 7

Tags:

How to Recover Outlook 2013 Saved Passwords Easily

May 30th, 2013 by Admin

Forgot your Outlook 2013 password? It has happened to most of us many times. We set up a email account in Outlook 2013 and check the “Remember password” option, so there is no need to type the password every time we check our email using Outlook 2013. This is really convenient but it also gets us to easily forget the password after a long time. What to do if you forgot the Outlook password?

Using Outlook Password Recovery program you can recover Outlook 2013 saved passwords easily! This program extracts and decrypts the saved Microsoft Outlook (versions 97-2013) passwords from the Windows Registry for POP3/IMAP/SMTP/HTTP email accounts. Let’s see how it works.

How to Recover Outlook 2013 Saved Passwords Easily?

  1. Simply download Outlook Password Recovery program and save it on your desktop, then double-click on the setup file to install it.
  2. Start the program. Next click on the “Start Recovery” button from the main interface of Outlook Password Recovery program.

  3. The program begins to search your Outlook profiles and instantly reveal your email account passwords along with other details such as server settings.

So this is how can you recover Outlook 2013 saved passwords easily. Outlook Password Recovery program also enables you to recover saved email account passwords from Outlook 2010/2007/2003/2000/97, as well as unlock .pst file password.

Comments Off on How to Recover Outlook 2013 Saved Passwords Easily »

Posted in Tips & Tricks

Tags:

How to Reset Forgotten SA Password in SQL Server 2008

May 29th, 2013 by Admin

I installed SQL Server 2008 sometime ago and forgot the sa password I set during setup. How can I connect to SQL server now? Is there a way I can retrieve sa password in SQL Server 2008?

If you ever forgot a SA password, you may have thought that the only option is to reinstall SQL Server. But this is not true. If you can still log in to your SQL Server with Windows authentication mode, or log in using other user account that is a member of sysadmin role, then you can reset the lost SA password easily! However I don’t think this approach will help you, otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting here reading article, would you?

Other method is to use this professional password recovery software – SQL Server Password Changer, which provides you with an easy way to reset forgotten SA password in SQL Server 2008 (R2). It also supports SQL Server 2012/2005/2000. Follow this tutorial and you can reset SQL Server password and regain access to your database easily and quickly.

How to Reset Forgotten SA Password in SQL Server 2008?

  1. Download and install SQL Server Password Changer on your computer.
  2. After installing, start the program and then click on “Open File” button.
  3. It will display a dialog box that prompts you to choose the master.mdf database of your SQL Server. But at this time you need to stop your SQL Server serivce in advance so this password recovery program is able to regain full control over the master.mdf file.
  4. Once you’ve chosen the master.mdf file, click on “Open”. The program will display all user accounts existing in your SQL Server database.

  5. Choose the SA user account and then click on “Change Password” button. Enter your new password and click OK. Now you’ve successfully reset your forgotten SA password in SQL Server 2008.
  6. Start the SQL Server service and then you can log in to the SA account using the new password.

Using SQL Server Password Changer you can also reset the password of any other user accounts existing in your SQL Server 2008 database. Resetting the password of SA is a breeze!

Comments Off on How to Reset Forgotten SA Password in SQL Server 2008 »

Posted in Others, SQL Server, Tips & Tricks

Tags:

How to Recover Lost Office 2013 Product Key (CD Key)

May 29th, 2013 by Admin

Have you lost or misplaced your product key for your Office 2013 installation? Well, the product key is usually on a sticker attached to your CD case or the computer that came with Office 2013 installed. If you downloaded Microsoft Office 2013, your product key was probably included in an email from Microsoft.

If you are still unable to find your Office product key, there is an easy way that can help you recover lost Office 2013 product key (CD key) from your current Office installation. Just get an Office product key finder and you can find Office 2013 product key in just a few steps!

How to Recover Lost Office 2013 Product Key (CD Key)?

Product Key Finder is one of the best Office key finder programs which can help you retrieve lost Office CD key from your current Office installation. Easily get back your lost product key and save your time and money!

  1. Download and install Product Key Finder program on your computer.
  2. Launch Product Key Finder program and then click on “Start Recovery” button.
  3. Choose the “From current system” option to let the program to search the product keys in the Windows registry on your local computer.
  4. After a while, the program will display your Office 2013 product key, Windows CD key and other serial keys for many supported software installed on your computer.

After recovering your Office 2013 product key, write your product key down exactly as the key finder program shows it to you for use when reinstalling Microsoft Office 2013. If you need to reinstall Microsoft Office 2013 but you’ve tried everything and still can’t find your Office 2013 product key, you may have to purchase the software all over again.

Comments Off on How to Recover Lost Office 2013 Product Key (CD Key) »

Posted in Product Key, Tips & Tricks

Tags:

Outlook Password Recovery v1.8 Release!

May 29th, 2013 by Admin

A long-awaited upgrade of Outlook Password Recovery is here – welcome version 1.8! Our developers worked hard on adding new features and polishing the existing ones and here what we’ve got in result.

We still keep the same simple and intuitive interface for the program. We’ve fixed the problem which will happen when unlocking a large .pst file. The file size is too big that will cause the program to crash. Another change is to add a new feature of supporting Outlook 2013 password recovery. It can recover all types of email account passwords from Outlook 2013.

If you’re a registered user of Outlook Password Recovery program, just uninstall your existing copy of Outlook Password Recovery program and install the latest trial version. The new version v1.8 will still keep using your old license key.

Comments Off on Outlook Password Recovery v1.8 Release! »

Posted in Software News

Tags:

How to Retrieve Outlook Password from Registry

May 28th, 2013 by Admin

I forgot my email password in Outlook 2007, I know what my username is. I just do not remember my password. Is there any way that I would be able to find out what my password is?

If you’ve lost or forgotten your Outlook password, you will be unable to access your email account online through a web browser or set up that email account on another computer. This could be a headache thing especially when you have to reinstall the system but can’t afford to lose the email account in your Outlook application.

Luckily, there is an easy way to retrieve your Outlook password from the Windows registry. If Outlook asks you to enter your email password and you’ve checked the “Remember password” option, it will save your password in the Windows registry but in a encrypted form. Using Outlook Password Recovery program you can decrypt and retrieve your forgotten Outlook password quickly and easily.

How to Retrieve Outlook Password from Registry?

  1. Download and install Outlook Password Recovery program on your local computer.
  2. After installing, start the program and click on the “Start Recovery” button.

  3. The program will begin to search your Windows registry for Outlook email accounts, then decrypt and retrieve your Outlook passwords immediately.
  4. After recovering the password, you can save the Outlook passwords along with other account settings into a text file for safe keeping.

The method above allows you to retrieve Outlook 2013/2010/2007/2003/2000 passwords from registry on Windows 8/7/Vista/XP. This is not a hacking trick because it requires you to have physical access to your computer.

Comments Off on How to Retrieve Outlook Password from Registry »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks

Tags:

How to Unlock ASUS Laptop if I Forgot the Administrator Password

May 28th, 2013 by Admin

I changed the administrator password and then when I tried to log in again, I forgot it. It’s an ASUS laptop and I do not have a password reset disc. How can I recover or reset the administrator password without wiping out the hard drive?

Forgot the administrator on your ASUS laptop? Need to reset lost password in an ASUS notebook running Windows 7, Vista or XP? Losing an administrator password can render Windows system useless and the situation arises frequently. Luckily there is an easy way to unlock your ASUS laptop by resetting your forgotten administrator password, so you can log back in to Windows without reinstalling.

How to Unlock ASUS Laptop if I Forgot the Administrator Password?

To unlock the administrator password on your ASUS laptop, we need to use a software called Reset Windows Password. It is password recovery program which needs to be burned to a CD or USB thumb drive. Boot your locked ASUS laptop from the CD/USB drive and you can reset the administrator password easily. Just follow these simple instructions:

  1. To get started, download the .zip archive of Windows Password Reset utility which contains a bootable ISO image. Unpack the .zip file and you’ll get the ResetWindowsPwd.iso file. Burn it to a CD (or USB thumb drive) using ISO2Disc, BurnCDCC or other CD burning program.
  2. After the boot CD is created, take it out from the CD drive and then insert it into your locked ASUS laptop. Turn on or restart the laptop and press ESC when the Asus logo is on screen to access the Boot Menu. Choose the CD-ROM from the bootable device list and press Enter.
  3. The system will boot from the CD and open up the Reset Windows Password program after a while. The program automatically analyzes your Windows SAM registry hive and shows you a list of local user accounts.
  4. Choose the administrator account and click on “Reset Password” button, the program will reset the password and unlock the administrator account if it was disabled, locked out or expired.

Remove the CD and restart your ASUS laptop. Now you should be able to log in to the administrator account without being asked for a password. Quickly unlock your ASUS laptop without losing any files on your computer. You can use this method to reset lost or forgotten administrator password on any ASUS laptop running Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP.

Comments Off on How to Unlock ASUS Laptop if I Forgot the Administrator Password »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags:

2 Options to Recover Windows Product Key from Dead or Unbootable PC

May 27th, 2013 by Admin

How to recover Windows product key in the event your computer won’t boot? In one of my previous post I wrote how to recover Windows product key, but it requires that you are able to boot normally into Windows. What to do if your computer has already crashed? In this article we’ll show you two options to help you recover Windows product key from a dead or unbootable computer.

Option 1: Connect your Dead or Unbootable Drive to Another Working PC

Simply take the hard drive out of your dead or unbootable computer, then attach it to another working computer as a slave (or secondary) drive. Using KeyFinder Plus program you can easily recover lost Windows and software product keys from the Windows registry file on your dead or unbootable hard drive. Follow these steps:

  1. Launch KeyFinder Plus and then click on “Start Recovery” button.

  2. Choose the “From non-booting system” option from the drop-down menu, a new dialog box will appear.
  3. Click the “…” button to specify the SOFTWARE registry file of your dead or unbootable hard drive, which is present in the Windows\System32\Config folder. Click OK.

  4. The program will now show you all the product keys that it is able to find from your broken computer which makes it very handy when needing to re-install.

Option 2: Using a Key Finder Bootable CD

PCUnlocker is the ultimate rescue & recovery bootdisk which can not only be used to reset forgotten Windows admin/user password, but also recover lost Windows product key from crashed or dead computer.

  1. Boot your target computer from PCUnlocker Live CD, which can be created by following this tutorial.
  2. When the PCUnlocker program starts, click the Options button at the bottom left corner and then select “Find Product Key“.

  3. In the popup window, you’ll see a list of product keys which are recovered from your Windows installation. Click on Save.

  4. Browse to a location where you want to save the product keys. It could be your external USB flash drive.

Conclusion

There are many other ways to recover lost Windows product keys from a dead or unbootable computer, but these two method above should be the best and the easiest ones. The key finder programs mentioned above support the product key recovery for Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, Microsoft Office and many other softwares.

Comments Off on 2 Options to Recover Windows Product Key from Dead or Unbootable PC »

Posted in Others, Product Key, Tips & Tricks, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Tags: