Recover a lost password
It's not just a symptom of old age: Whether due to infrequent use or an abundance of protected accounts, anybody can forget a password. These tips will help you overcome your memory lapse.
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Setting a security password in your PC's BIOS is a great way to keep people off your PC: Until the user enters the password, your PC won't even start. You can reset a BIOS password on most motherboards by resetting a small electrical switch--or "jumper"--on your motherboard. Check your motherboard's manual or the vendor's Web site for instructions on how to identify and reset the jumper.
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It's embarrassingly easy to bypass the Windows XP log-on password: Simply restart your PC and press the F8 key just before Windows starts. At the Advanced Options menu, select the first option: Safe Mode. XP will boot into Safe Mode and display a log-on screen with icons for already-established user names, as well as an icon for Administrator. Log onto the Administrator account--leaving the password blank unless you've previously assigned a password for the account--and once in Windows, open the Control Panel and select User Accounts. Now you can reset the passwords for any account.
Microsoft finally realized what a tremendous security breach this was, so Vista hides and disables its built-in Administrator account, and you can't use it to bypass the OS's log-in.
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