How to Boot From Disk (HP 18 All-in-One)

boweasel

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My friend has an HP 18 All-in-One computer that he uses for his car business. His wife handles the books, but she was in a car accident and is suffering from a brain injury. My friend needs to get into this Windows 8 PC that contains a lot of financial information, but he can't remember her password. We've got a Windows 8 disk, but we don't seem to be able to boot from it.

If I tap the Escape key while powering on the unit I can hit Escape again and can get into the BIOS. On the Security tab I can hit Secure Boot Configuration , enable Legacy Support and disable Secure Boot, hit F10 to Accept. If I then hit the Storage tab I can change the boot order. But change it to what? The first heading is UEFI Boot Sources and the choices are
USB Floppy/CD
USB Hard Drive
ATAPI CD/DVD Drive

The second heading is Legacy Boot Sources
ATAPI CD/DVD Drive
Hard Drive
SATA0
USB Floppy/CD
Network Controller (Realtek PXE B03 D00)

I can tab to each of the choices - even the headings. I've got the W8 disk in the optical drive, but it does do anything - no Press Any Key to Boot from CD. It just takes to the password entry screen.
 
In the BIOS you should put the Legacy ATAPI CD/DVD Drive at the top of the boot order, enable Legacy Support and disable Secure Boot. It should then be able to boot from the W8 disk.
 
I already was able to get the PC to boot from my Windows 8 disk, but there seems to be no ability to reset the password. The computer does have the Administrators account enabled and I can boot the PC with that account, and if I remember correctly, there is a way to reset passwords if you're logged in as an administrator.
 
...The computer does have the Administrators account enabled and I can boot the PC with that account...


Do you mean that you can boot the PC and can sign in to the built-in account called Administrator? If so, then while signed in as Administrator use WinKey+R to open the Run dialog, type NETPLWIZ and click OK. In Netplwiz you can select any other account and
reset its password.
 
Bree, I'd managed to get to that screen previously, but it had some sort of a box that would enable the passord to be changed. That box was greyed out if I recall. When I go to it now through the Administrator account it shows me other users (my friend's wife listed twice - in the Group HomeUsers, and again in HomeUsers; Administrotor, along with a third user just called HomeGroupUser$. The cursor won't move off of the first User Name - Administrator.
 
... When I go to it now through the Administrator account it shows me other users ... The cursor won't move off of the first User Name - Administrator.

You must first tick the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer box before you can reset any passwords. I suspect yours is not ticked and that is why you cannot select a user or change the password.

See Option Four in this tutorial.

Local Account Password - Change or Remove in Windows 8
 
Yeah, when I'd gotten to this screen previously it DID have that Users must enter a user name... box checked. I'd forgotten. And Just like now, when I move off the Administrator to my friend's wife's User Name it puts the msg You cannot change the password for de*****@hotmail.com at the bottom of the screen.
 
Ah, so it's a MS account. That's why it's listed twice, once as the MS account and again as a local sign in.

I don't use a MS account, and @Brink's tutorial is just for resetting local account passwords. Perhaps someone who uses an MS account may be along to help further.

What I can say is that as you are signed in as Administrator you can access the local user files for any other user. You should find hers in the C:\Users\de*** folder. You could copy the important documents from his wife's folder and either put copies in his user folder or onto a USB stick so that he can use them.

Unfortunately, if any of the documents are held online you'd still need to sign in as de*****@hotmail.com.
 
This has turned into a nightmare. To do the option 3 reset we would have to be able to get into his wife's cell phone - which we cannot do - she has it password protected. Or we'd need to access her email. And I'm sure her hotmail password IS her Windows password. Sigh....

Makes a body yearn for the old days.
 
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