Stuck on computer's login screen

[omaser]

This is a computer that hasn't worked for 3 years , is it possible to bypass its login screen without password ,i want to access this computer right now , but i am stuck on login screen.

This computer is running Windows 10 .

Edited September 27, 2018 by omaser

[Ghideon]

1 hour ago, omaser said:

This is a computer that hasn't worked for 3 years

What was fixed since the computer now shows the login screen?

1 hour ago, omaser said:

is it possible to bypass its login screen without password

Why do you need to bypass the login? What happens when you enter the correct password? That said, Windows 10 has password recovery features. Or, if that is what you want to do, once logged in you can let a specified user be automatically logged in next time the computer is restarted.

[palleasy]

Your problem is not so complete that we can't solve it.

[rangerx]

If worse comes to worse, you could have someone remove and slave the harddrive to another computer to recover the files, then re-format and reninstall Windows.

[Carrock]

6 minutes ago, rangerx said:

If worse comes to worse, you could have someone remove and slave the harddrive to another computer to recover the files, then re-format and reninstall Windows.

There are also various free downloadable rescue disks e.g. https://lifehacker.com/5984707/five-best-system-rescue-discs , which can alternatively be installed on a usb memory stick and used to boot your computer and fix it or copy files.

[omaser]

On 2018/9/27 at 7:34 PM, Ghideon said:

What was fixed since the computer now shows the login screen?

Why do you need to bypass the login? What happens when you enter the correct password? That said, Windows 10 has password recovery features. Or, if that is what you want to do, once logged in you can let a specified user be automatically logged in next time the computer is restarted.

I just returned home yesterday. the computer doesn't accept my login password ,,and Windows 10 has password recovery features doesn't work for me ,

 

On 2018/10/8 at 5:29 PM, palleasy said:

Your problem is not so complete that we can't solve it.

A Windows 10 computer returned to work three years later only to find it inaccessible with the login password .

On 2018/10/8 at 6:38 PM, rangerx said:

If worse comes to worse, you could have someone remove and slave the harddrive to another computer to recover the files, then re-format and reninstall Windows.

You mean I won't lose any files doing this .

On 2018/10/8 at 6:52 PM, Carrock said:

There are also various free downloadable rescue disks e.g. https://lifehacker.com/5984707/five-best-system-rescue-discs , which can alternatively be installed on a usb memory stick and used to boot your computer and fix it or copy files.

Thanks for your advice ,

As i can saw from it , i am allowed to create a bootable disk to boot the locked computer with these free methods.

Edited October 11, 2018 by omaser

[rangerx]

34 minutes ago, omaser said:

You mean I won't lose any files doing this

That's right. Although it will need a cable attached to the mainboard, it will display like any other drives. Then just copy the files you need from it.

The password is only for windows on that drive, but you're only using the file system, not the operating system.

[palleasy]

6 hours ago, omaser said:

A Windows 10 computer returned to work three years later only to find it inaccessible with the login password .

If you can get its password reset disk , you can reset the login password for your computer ,i guess you don't have it .

So next , you need to make new one for your computer .

 

[Kevin Mulisa Isaya]

On 27/09/2018 at 2:34 PM, Ghideon said:

What was fixed since the computer now shows the login screen?

Why do you need to bypass the login? What happens when you enter the correct password? That said, Windows 10 has password recovery features. Or, if that is what you want to do, once logged in you can let a specified user be automatically logged in next time the computer is restarted.

May be he is hiding something from us

[omaser]

The computer kept saying my password was wrong .

[MigL]

Just reload windows.
If the computer hasn't run since Win10 came out, it'll be doing a load of updates anyway.
You can reload Win10 with the option of saving your files, or if you don't need them, a fresh installation.

[StringJunky]

5 minutes ago, MigL said:

Just reload windows.
If the computer hasn't run since Win10 came out, it'll be doing a load of updates anyway.
You can reload Win10 with the option of saving your files, or if you don't need them, a fresh installation.

I don't think you can reinstall with file saving without logging in first but you can do a full reinstall and lose everything.

[Strange]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

I don't think you can reinstall with file saving without logging in first but you can do a full reinstall and lose everything.

I think you can but it won’t help because the account and password will still be the same. 

You only get to create a new username & password if you do a clean install. And then you have lost the data. 

4 hours ago, omaser said:

The computer kept saying my password was wrong .

Did you create the user using a Microsoft.com account? If so you could change the password online and then log in (as long as the computer is on the internet to get the new password). 

[StringJunky]

3 minutes ago, Strange said:

I think you can but it won’t help because the account and password will still be the same. 

Right. That makes sense. It occurred to me that MS would preempt anyone trying to gain unauthorised access, so I thought of that but your thought achieves the same security objective.

[Carrock]

On 08/10/2018 at 11:52 AM, Carrock said:

There are also various free downloadable rescue disks e.g. https://lifehacker.com/5984707/five-best-system-rescue-discs , which can alternatively be installed on a usb memory stick and used to boot your computer and fix it or copy files.

A slight expansion. Unless the files are encrypted I doubt they would be inaccessible. A few computers implement UEFI in such a way that it's impossible to boot from an external device. However it's such a complicated standard that most implementations in practice are insecure.

Any errors in my thinking?

[Ghideon]

It's been a while since I did serous sys admin work in windows environment but here are a few followup notes.

14 hours ago, omaser said:

A Windows 10 computer returned to work

"Work" and "returned" trigger some thoughts:
Was / is the computer attached to a corporate network?
Is the account you try a local user account or a domain user account?
What edition of Windows 10 is installed? 

Just want to make sure you are not stuck on using locked domain account instead of a local one. 

13 hours ago, rangerx said:

it will need a cable attached to the mainboard

Yes, that should work. I have done that a few times (but not for win 10).
Just a side note, if second computer is a laptop it may be easier to use a cheap USB  Hard Drive Enclosure. 
 

[MigL]

Not necessarily a SATA cable attached to the mainboard.
You can get SATA to USB cables which will attach the hard dive to your USB port, saving the trouble of having to re-open your case ( or if you're using a laptop )

[omaser]

On 2018/10/12 at 2:25 AM, Ghideon said:

It's been a while since I did serous sys admin work in windows environment but here are a few followup notes.

"Work" and "returned" trigger some thoughts:
Was / is the computer attached to a corporate network?
Is the account you try a local user account or a domain user account?
What edition of Windows 10 is installed?

1.Home network.

2.It is Windows 10  64 bit , home.

3.I have been using local accounts on this computer,no Microsoft account .

If the info i provide is complete,do you have any good suggestions ?

The state of the computer:

I am not allowed to access this computer with password , i guess is that the password is invalid or wrong, because I've already checked the keyboard ,nothing unusual .

[palleasy]

8 hours ago, omaser said:

1.Home network.

2.It is Windows 10  64 bit , home.

3.I have been using local accounts on this computer,no Microsoft account .

If the info i provide is complete,do you have any good suggestions ?

The state of the computer:

I am not allowed to access this computer with password , i guess is that the password is invalid or wrong, because I've already checked the keyboard ,nothing unusual .

Chances are you typed in a wrong password ,as i said before : Go Microsoft for getting an iSO file ,and create a bootable disk ,in this way , the password can be removed by this .

Or read the two guides for using a bootable disk to reset password :

https://www.quora.com/I-forgot-my-Windows-10-admin-password-How-can-I-recover-it

https://www.recoverywindowspassword.com/bypass-windows-10-8-7-login-password.html

Edited October 15, 2018 by palleasy

[nunzzio]

is there other admin account associated with the computer?

[studiot]

On 11/10/2018 at 4:35 AM, omaser said:

You mean I won't lose any files doing this .

No I used to do this regularly.

All you need is another device that can read the hard drive (unless it was hardware security locked to the particular computer it belongs in)

Taking the hard drive out and attaching it to another computer as an auxiliary drive is one way.
Obviously the other computer must be running an operating system that that read the directories.

To read wanted filesand even to copy them over, you may have to follow a convoluted proceedure to 'take ownership' using, Microsoft software as there may be security tokens attached to them.

 

Alternative you can obtain a linux disk or machine and bypass this problem.

You should be able to run the original computer directly from a linux rescue disk so you would not need another machine in that case.

 

[Strange]

On 11/10/2018 at 4:35 AM, omaser said:

You mean I won't lose any files doing this .

You will be able to read all the files; ie. documents, images, etc. You can copy them onto another disk/computer.

You will not, in general, be able to copy any installed programs or their settings. (There are a few exceptions, generally open-source programs that are not written specifically for Windows).

So, after re-installing a new version of Windows, you will have to re-install any applications that were on the computer. In some cases, this may mean purchasing them again to get a new license. But some companies will be helpful if you explain the problem - they might give you a new replacement license for no charge. (Even Adobe have done that for me in the past. Which is pretty bloody extraordinary.)

[Sensei]

12 hours ago, Strange said:

But some companies will be helpful if you explain the problem - they might give you a new replacement license for no charge. (Even Adobe have done that for me in the past. Which is pretty bloody extraordinary.)

It's common practice these days. Especially if app is requiring Internet connection to start up. During start up it sends license key details to the central server which verifies whether it's valid or not valid key, and allows/disallows starting it up.. Basically older key is invalidated, and new key is validated.. If you would try to run app using older license key, it would not run anymore..

ps. I prefer apps which can be start up off-line..

ps2. If company is gone, if central server is shutdown, or there is no Internet connection, application might be unable to run anymore..

(and you would have to make fake HTTP server, which will pretend central license key checking server of company to bypass it)

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Sensei

[Strange]

8 hours ago, Sensei said:

It's common practice these days.

What? Giving another license for free? I don't think so. No company is going to just give away licenses.

8 hours ago, Sensei said:

Especially if app is requiring Internet connection to start up. During start up it sends license key details to the central server which verifies whether it's valid or not valid key, and allows/disallows starting it up..

I don't see how that is relevant.

[Sensei]

4 hours ago, Strange said:

What? Giving another license for free? I don't think so.

Old license key is invalidated, new one is given instead. There is no free license, if older one stopped working.

Whether license key is valid is checked through Internet. If license key has been invalidated, license server will tell application "it's invalid license", and application won't run.

Applications very often are tied to the single hardware machine. It's typically done using MAC Address of built-in motherboard Ethernet/WiFi. They're practically unique in the entire Universe.

Attempt to use the same license key, on different machine (i.e. different motherboard with different MAC Address) will fail (which is problematic after upgrade of machine, there is need to contact company to issue new license key). Some people, who are little smarter, even buy 3rd party external Ethernet PCI cards (even though they have one built-in motherboard). It allows them just to plug old card to newer hardware after upgrade and continue using application without having to contact company which made application.

4 hours ago, Strange said:

No company is going to just give away licenses.

I received dozen of licenses NFR (Not-For-Resale) for free. From many application producers. You just have to sign-in as 3rd party developer (aka "partner") of some application. The smaller company, the smaller is their market share, the most likely you will get free license NFR.

https://www.google.com/search?q=license+NFR

Obviously, you have to be computer programmer willing to write extensions for their application..

If license key is checked through Internet each time application is started, they can invalidate it at any time anyway.

If company would find license key has been stolen (i.e. too many machines are trying simultaneously connect to license server from various regions of the world), it's invalidated, and nobody (with the same license key) can use it anymore.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Sensei