Help

[quartet-man]

Hi, I am on a borrowed machine. My computer has not been used for almost a full year (Several surgeries starting almost a year ago, hospital and nursing home stays and rehab.)I tell you that, to tell you this. I went into my computer room to access some files on it. It has Windows 98SE. I totally forgot my Windows Login password. Maybe given enough time I can figure it out. I did cancel out and got to the desktop. The first question is, what will I not be able to do without the password? If it is something like installing new hardware or software, I could probably be okay as backing up all the data and reformatting (although a huge pain) might not be a bad thing, or I could maybe get XP for it and use this as a time to do that. If nothing else, can I back up the data or use it as a second hard drive after reinstalling 98SE or XP? I have a DVD burner, but my internet stuff is unhooked and on the computer I am using (in my bedroom.)

Also, what would I be able to do to get the password? I don't have any hints as I do on my XP machine at work, or the disk to recover. I am not sure I wrote it down anywhere since I never foresaw forgetting it. (I signed in several times a day until about a year ago.) Thanks.

[quartet-man]

I guess another question would be what would I use to back up tons of Outlook Express emails? That would be the hardest thing to back up I think. Other things should be pretty easy as long as it lets me.

[glc]

It's very easy to get rid of the password on a Win98 machine. Simply search for *.pwl and delete them.

Posted in spite of the forum rules because it's common knowledge - and Win98 security was always a joke.

[quartet-man]

Great. I guess that is one good thing about still having a Windows 98SE machine.
BTW, I knew we weren't supposed to talk breaking copy protection here and I presume cracking passwords for nefarious reasons, but I appreciate the help on my computer. I hope to either buy XP or get a new machine sometime soon. Then backing up is going to be fun.

The only reason I used a password on the thing was for privacy, and from the looks of it, they could have gotten to the desktop using cancel as I did anyhow, so it may not have done me any good all of this time.

[rwest]

With win98 installed, when you cancelled past the password screen you did not get access to your personal files. You could still use the desktop and access all programs, unlesss it was directly set up not to do so. Any folders or files created under that user are not accessible without the password. I think you were able to eliminate the passwords of other accounts without knowing them, but you had to be the under the main account. (ie. administrator) or maybe thru safe mode.. not realsure, but I belive it was possible.

[edfair]

So far as your backup of your emails, you have a burner, burn the mailbox files.

You will probably find that they are buried deep into the filesystem, enough so that the burner software will upchuck.

I have moved mailboxes on all my machines into a created mail folder at the root and have also created a backup folder at the same depth to store address books, favorites, and cookies. Moving the store is in OE, tools, options, maintenance.

[quartet-man]

Originally Posted by edfair So far as your backup of your emails, you have a burner, burn the mailbox files. You will probably find that they are buried deep into the filesystem, enough so that the burner software will upchuck. I have moved mailboxes on all my machines into a created mail folder at the root and have also created a backup folder at the same depth to store address books, favorites, and cookies. Moving the store is in OE, tools, options, maintenance.

The problem I have had is that Outlook Express uses proprietary format and they are pretty well linked to each box. I have had marginal success in exporting and importing them in the past, but really I wish they were saved as email files.

[glc]

98 did not have anything like an administrator account. After you delete the .pwl files and reboot, it will boot up to a login box, just make sure you use the same username you used before. Entering a password is NOT required.

As long as you did not have multiple users and specifically selected user-level security previously, everything should still be accessible.