Solved Forgot Windows 7 Password : Can access with fingerprint though.

[Alexander Moore]

Basically, I had reasons to make really weird passwords a while back because someone knew my usual password habits. So I went with a totally different password to counter that.

For the last 4 months or so I've been using my fingerprint to access my computer.

Now, I want to use Safe Mode for a few things and find that I've totally forgotten the password I made for this (the finger print software is disabled for safe mode of course). Looked for my hard copy but I think someone cleaned it out and tossed it. So now I'm without a password.

Is there any way I can change or disable my password without knowing the current password, given that I can still access my computer normally using my fingerprint?

If not, is there at least a work-around so I can access Safe Mode? Perhaps some way of making it so that my fingerprint software loads in Safe Mode?

Fingerprint Software : Upek Protector Suite 2009.

I was thinking that the fingerprint software must store my Windows password somewhere or do something I can use to my advantage. Just not sure how to extract that data from it.

Thanks!

- Alex

 

[benjy206]

Yes if you are administrator when you log in.
Start - (in search bar) cmd.exe - type the following -
net user (and the named user) * (enter)
then type the new password

example net user benjy *

 

[Alexander Moore]

Thank you very much!

 

[benjy206]

Did it work for you?

 

[Alexander Moore]

Of course! Otherwise I wouldn't have marked this as solved

Worked perfectly. The only thing you forgot to mention was to run CMD as an Administrator but I guessed that on the first go. Thank you very much!

 

[benjy206]

Well if you are logged in as admin it would run as this already so need to But least it's solved and no bother at all

 

[Alexander Moore]

This is a bit off-topic but I'm supposed to be the Admin of my system (my account is the only one) yet I still run into some issues (such as "Access Denied" errors when editing some things) as far as Admin rights go. Feels as if my system treats my account as some User/Admin hybrid. Any idea why / how to change to Admin only?

The only time I really get total control is when I'm running in Safe Mode. That's the only time I seem to have unquestioned Administrative power. My system can resist me a little in normal mode and I find it slightly annoying, but it only happens in special situations so it hasn't bugged me very much.

If I'm not the Admin then nobody is. May as well get this out of the way and give myself as much control as possible before it becomes some random problem later.

 

[benjy206]

Well like the admin account is the admin and should have all the privileges you need. But if you tell me what exactly you need to be done I maybe can give you more information on the admin account as you could mess up some files, also I don't think it would be wise to post how to access the other account for a wrong reason.

 

[Nigsy]

An admin login does NOT give you full administrator rights, hence UAC and elevated command prompts.

 

[benjy206]

Yes but it should give you the rights you need for a standard user. Unless you need to use the built in admin account which shouldn't be used for normal use, are my correct?

 

[Nigsy]

Yes but it should give you the rights you need for a standard user. Unless you need to use the built in admin account which shouldn't be used for normal use, are my correct?

Not quite.

A standard account is obviously locked down.

An Admin account has access to settings etc, except where those settings are going to make fundamental changes to Windows - For example - Installing software. Thats where UAC kicks in and asks you to confirm.

The standard command prompt runs as you - so you see > C:\Users\Nigsy (Or your user name). This means the prompt will allow you to make any changes that the user (whether it's Admin account or not) would normally be able to do.

An elevated command prompt gives you temporary access to 'God like' administrator status of the built in Administrator account, so the prompt shows > C\windows\system32. This gives you temporary access to make system changes like the user account command used in you reply.

As you say you shouldn't really use the built in Admin account unless you really have to.

 

[benjy206]

Yes but it should give you the rights you need for a standard user. Unless you need to use the built in admin account which shouldn't be used for normal use, are my correct?

Not quite.

A standard account is obviously locked down.

An Admin account has access to settings etc, except where those settings are going to make fundamental changes to Windows - For example - Installing software. Thats where UAC kicks in and asks you to confirm.

The standard command prompt runs as you - so you see > C:\Users\Nigsy (Or your user name). This means the prompt will allow you to make any changes that the user (whether it's Admin account or not) would normally be able to do.

An elevated command prompt gives you temporary access to 'God like' administrator status of the built in Administrator account, so the prompt shows > C\windows\system32. This gives you temporary access to make system changes like the user account command used in you reply.

As you say you shouldn't really use the built in Admin account unless you really have to.

Yes excatly, but what I was saying was that he was admin on his pc and if he could still log in with fingerprint then he would be able to run his command prompt as normal to change his own password. But yes to change another user on the pc you need to be the Administrator to change it.

 

[Nigsy]

If he went through normal 'maintain user account' he would be able to change his own password, but as you've got him to use the CMD prompt, it has to be elevated, how is the PC supposed to know what you are going to change? The elevated prompt is an additional security layer in an unsecure operating system!!

 

[benjy206]

But you will be still able to change the password once your account is the administrator as it shows in the picture.

 

[Nigsy]

It appears that the Net User command requires an elevated prompt, I tried it as myself and got:

 

[benjy206]

Oh Nigsy sorry about this but I forgot I'm on the domain in work and had a late night and half asleep so I'm think of the domain yes you are correct about the elevated prompt open. Sorry again.

 

[Nigsy]

As an elevated prompt I get the below...now to log off and see what it's changed!!

 

[Nigsy]

The joys of being an admin at work!!
Been there done that!!

 

[benjy206]

Yes exactly anyways sorry again. Hopefully I will be more awake for tomorrow.

 

[Alexander Moore]

Well of course changing the password through command is going to require the elevated cmd. Otherwise it'd be really easy for any virus to just go in and change the password to whatever without any authorization once executed. Not that it will help novice users that click "Yes" to everything they see anyway.

Quick question, how do you access the Admin account anyway? It doesn't matter if I login normally on in Safe Mode, "Alex" is the only user on the system.

There are still folders on this computer I can't access for whatever reasons. They're set to deny users completely it seems. Some of them I can fix by changing the permissions controls but others even have locked permissions controls. It's kinda odd.