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

[boweasel]

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.

 

[Bree]

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.

 

[boweasel]

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.

 

[Bree]

...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.

 

[boweasel]

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.

 

[Bree]

... 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

 

[boweasel]

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.

 

[Bree]

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.

 

[Brink]

You can use option 3 in the tutorial below to reset your Microsoft account password online at Microsoft.

Reset Password of User Account in Windows 10

 

[boweasel]

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.