Lost password on a Acer Asire one netbook (vista)

dtokez · 26 Feb 2012 at 20:38

Hi all, I have been asked to try and sort a friend of the families laptop out, which they cannot access due to a forgotten windows log-in password.

Is there anything that can be done? There is an option after you enter a in-correct password that prompts for you to insert removable media - USB flash, external hdd i think - but when I put in a usb drive nothing happens?

I know on my Samsung netbook there is a system restore / backup feature but cant see anything like that on boot up of the Acer.

With no cd drive I am stumped as to what can be done?

Thanks

scrlk · 27 Feb 2012 at 07:13

I stripped one of my ones through a Linux live CD, but I'm sure there are simpler methods. I found this via Googling:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm

Good luck.

dtokez · 27 Feb 2012 at 20:48

Thanks bud, only thing is though being a net book it has no optical drive

any other options?

Disco Boy · 27 Feb 2012 at 20:52

make a live usb stick instead of a live disk

or

use an external optical drive

RooBoonix · 27 Feb 2012 at 21:05

Can you boot into safe mode? if you can, and if you can access CMD then I think there is something you can type into CMD to change the password, not sure if it works in safe mode but just a thought

dtokez · 28 Feb 2012 at 23:27

wont work mate, I cant get into windows even in safe mode

Never had any luck mounting a bootable usb stick (2 minutes ago being no exception), and no access to a usb optical drive

any other options lol?

RooBoonix · 29 Feb 2012 at 13:34

Difficult with no DVD Drive, suppose a USB one won't work either, with no drivers...

Can't think of anything yet! Oh, and are you the dtokez from MSUK? If so, i'm the RooBoonix from MSUK

POB · 2 Mar 2012 at 21:22

Buy a DVD drive? they are very cheap, I think £22 inc a burner or less even still with just a reader.

Its a useful tool to have around.

Tomsk · 2 Mar 2012 at 21:29

dtokez said:
Never had any luck mounting a bootable usb stick (2 minutes ago being no exception), and no access to a usb optical drive

any other options lol?

Not all USB sticks are bootable.

dtokez · 3 Mar 2012 at 23:07

RooBoonix said:
Difficult with no DVD Drive, suppose a USB one won't work either, with no drivers...

Can't think of anything yet! Oh, and are you the dtokez from MSUK? If so, i'm the RooBoonix from MSUK

yes mate, im from MSUk too

I think I will just have to buy a usb cd drive. The laptop has a windows code on a sticker, is there a way to use this?

Shadz · 3 Mar 2012 at 23:40

There is no need for all that kinda stuff, boot the laptop into a command promt and type

net user (Username here) *

then it will ask you to type in a password and repeat it.

Job done password changed.

P.S. To get the command prompt I think you keep hitting F8 on boot up and it will
ask you what you wanna do, you want something like networking with command prompt.

dtokez · 3 Mar 2012 at 23:54

I tried safe mode with command prompt but I still have to log into windows which I can't do

The password I am trying to retrieve is the only account on the machine

DennisColes · 4 Mar 2012 at 01:21

Had the same problem just a week ago on my Dell laptop running Windows 7.

http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

This fixed it.

Since you don't have a CD drive, you'll need the USB version. Download the USB.zip file on that page.

Follow the instructions in the readme.txt and the walkthrough on that page.

Shadz · 4 Mar 2012 at 22:39

dtokez said:
I tried safe mode with command prompt but I still have to log into windows which I can't do

The password I am trying to retrieve is the only account on the machine

Why try and retrieve the password when you can just change it?

Surely its easier to change the password instead.

noiaquwa · 8 Mar 2012 at 01:00

Lost Acer Aspire one Netbook Vista password

Friend, the USB flash drive you inserted to your computer cann't work if the password reset disk didn't create before you forgot password. But, you still can recover lost Acer Aspire one Netbook Vista password with this bootable blank USB disk to DIY a password reset disk. At the same time, you may need professional Windows Password Recovery Corporation software to help you!

Also, you can try to recover password via search engine, command prompt, other admin accounts, etc.