Lost access to Admin account - urgent help pls

Hi Guys,

I bought this Laptop pre-installed with windows 8 couple of months ago. I created a new user with admin rights and was working fine. Then, I created new user (an invalid microsoft account) and assigned it admin rights. This account is like a junk account admin@admin.com and assigned admin rights. I never set any password for this. For some reason, I changed my original admin account to normal user. Now, I cant login using the invalid microsoft account and lost my admin rights to my laptop. Also, I dont have recovery cd created.

What options do I have to get back admin status?

Download Hiren's BootCD 15.2 - All in one Bootable CD » www.hiren.info , burn it to CD/USB, change BIOS to boot from it then use
Offline NT Password Changer 2011-05-11

Please report back if this solves your problem.

Partition number?

I downloaded Hiren boot cd, was able to boot my laptop (windows 8) using the CD.

I selected offline password updater, but the updater stopped at the first selection.

It prompted me to select parition number. Whatever number I keyin, it showed me the same selection screen and does not allow me to proceed further.

Help pls?

Here's a better solution and in your case, use reset the password option:
http://www.eightforums.com/user-acc...ount-type-changed-admin-guest.html#post208453

Thanks for your continued help.

I tried both the options:

1) Password Changer menu - I am unable to proceed after Partition menu. I hit entet without typing anything OR enter 1 etc., it comes back with the same screen.

2) Mini XP option - I went to this HBCD-> Programs Menu. In the password renew dialog, I dont see my windows folders to select it as Target. All I see RamDrive, HBCD and Mini XP

Look forward to further suggestions.

Do you see all your Hard Drive listed as shown below:

Unfortunately, I dont see any of my hard drives.. All I see is 3 drives: 1.RamDrive, 2. HBCD and 3. Mini XP

I can still use my laptop fine, but without admin privileges.

Does your Windows use UEFI with GPT disk format ? If so then may be this approach will not work. Do you have Windows Installation Disk available ? Or can you create a Recovery Disk from another PC ? We can try different method.

I think UEFI.. This was recently purchased Laptop and it came with Windows 8. Unfortunately, I didnot create a recovery CD.

My 2nd laptop has Windows 7 and not 8. What else can be done?

The other method I have in mind will require a UEFI recovery disk. Do you have important data that need to be saved ? if not, I think you can restore back to the original from factory without a recovery CD by booting the PC and press one of the function key to get to the recovery menu and restore back to factory. The Function Key differs from different laptop manufacturers. Go to the manufacturer website and download the manual for your laptop model, it may have the information about what Function Key to use.

BTW, you need to fill out "My system specs" to get better help.

:winkey:+x to get the management menu then select Command Prompt (Admin)

type

net user

then <enter> to see what user accounts are available on your system

If there is one called Administrator, then the hidden Administrator account is still available.

type

Net user administrator /active:yes

then <enter>

If all is ok, the hidden administrator account (not passworded) is activated, and then the next commands you type at the prompt will allow you to manage the user accounts:

type

netplwiz

then <enter> should bring up the user accounts 2nd dialog window with administrative privileges.


At the command prompt, also type

lusrmgr

then <enter> to bring up the local users and groups dialog window, where you can create a new user with admin rights:
select user and then the Action menu and New User... option to create a new user and password.

(Write the username and password down in a safe, secure place, be imaginative, but not too obscure, but not associated with the PC itself. I have an old but usable dictionary containing passwords starting on page 100 and corresponding usernames on page 200 etc, written in the margins.)

You can use the command prompt to activate the new administrative account with the net user command

first deactivate the Administrator account

Net user administrator /active:no

<enter>

Net user username password /active:yes

with your new username and password

On the user accounts dialog, you can change the way you log on - Although you don't need to use your password often on a machine only you use, it is important nonetheless to have a strong password associated with your username. A strong password contains uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers, and even spaces and punctuation characters in some cases. The length of the password is important - the longer it is, the longer a brute force cracking attempt will take. Don't use single words that are found in a dictionary list.

You can uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password..." box in netplwiz - you need to enter your password twice on the next dialog after clicking OK, but logon will thereafter be automatic - your password will be stored in a readable form in your registry (you will need to alter your Power Options to not require a password on wakeup, too if needed).

You can also type netplwiz and lusrmgr at the start screen, but you may not be able to access them unless logged on with an administrative account.

@fafhrd

+x to get the management menu then select Command Prompt (Admin)

Click to expand...

I am not sure if he can login at all or if he can with a non admin user account, I would think the command prompt(Admin) would not be available.

Neither do I, but until the OP tries, and lets us know, who can tell? The "lost" Admin account might present itself.
I agree that with a maker and model, we might be able to advise the OP how get to a recovery state.
Refresh or Reset or System Restore options - are they available now? Reset would probably do it.
The bootmanager is another thing to try - is it possible to get to the troubleshooter or other options menu, perhaps by the route of F8, F9 or F10 to alter the boot options menu? then to create a recovery entry in the boot menu - a WinRE installation that can be used to run WinRE regedit for offline editing of the SAM hive on the Windows 8 registry to enable the administrator account once again as per http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...rator-account-enable-disable-windows-8-a.html perhaps?

@fafhrd

Neither do I, but until the OP tries, and lets us know, who can tell? The "lost" Admin account might present itself.

Click to expand...

This would be a big security hole if Windows allows a non admin account to run an elevated command then any regular user can turn on/reset admin account.

a WinRE installation that can be used to run WinRE regedit for offline editing of the SAM hive on the Windows 8 registry

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there is no way you can open the SAM Hive. Those 2 options (load hive, unload hive) are disabled offline. Again, it's another big security hole if they are enabled then anybody with a Win RE can boot up your PC and modify the registry to turn on/reset admin account.

Unfortunately, there is no way you can open the SAM Hive. Those 2 options (load hive, unload hive) are disabled offline.

Click to expand...

I just booted from a win 8 repair disk dvd, opened the WinRE command prompt, ran regedit and loaded and opened the SAM hive offline as in option 2 here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...rator-account-enable-disable-windows-8-a.html

I don't have a preinstalled Windows 8 though, just one installed from the downloaded upgrade.

What is it that disables the ability to edit the SAM Hive?

I don't know if a UEFI bootable USB installation iso can do the same as I did.

What is it that disables the ability to edit the SAM Hive?
I don't know if a UEFI bootable USB installation iso can do the same as I did.

Click to expand...

My bad, I forgot to high lite the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. However, I did change the value from 11 to 10 but when I reboot, I did not get the login screen for Builtin Admin, just my regular local admin user then I check the Local users and Group (lusrmgr.msc) and it indeed enabled the built in Admin account. It would be interesting if you can try it yourself and let us know. Thanks

this is really useful i read all the instraction and its. .so far so good. .thanks anyway

I forgot to high lite the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Click to expand...

LOL - I do this 9/10 times too!

I get cold feet at this point - I have a happily working single Windows 8 Setup that I am loth to muck about with too much - for one thing I have autologon enabled, and I know from experience the time it takes to get a system "just so" again if you get to the point where you have to reinstall everything because of tinkering, I just don't want to go there at the moment!

The default policies in Windows 8 are set to make access to a system that apparently locks the standard user out extremely difficult, and rightly so, but there is almost inevitably some obscure back door available - offline registry editing is a case in question. Long before this is undertaken, most users would cut their losses and perform a reinstallation.

Possibly whilst performing the offline editing, changes could be made to some other registry values so that the built-in administrator account becomes the default account at the next startup. I am sure that that would then allow new user accounts to be created without problems, or existing accounts to be elevated or demoted etc.