laptop was stolen, how easy is it to get pass the password screen

So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I can
get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass the
password protection I had on it?

"ragazzasporca" <> wrote in message
news:902F1F06-3565-4121-B0C0-...
> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I can
> get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass the
> password protection I had on it?

The answer is, that depends on which password it was. Laptops can offer
several passwords, one so that you can't restart the system - this BIOS
password often requires sending the laptop to an authorized service depot to
clear.

If you have just the XP or Vista password on the account, sorry, but these
can be cleared pretty easily.

If the system can't start due to the BIOS password, the drive can be removed
and the data simply removed... unless the data was encrypted, and that's a
feature only on a couple of versions of Vista.

However, if the passwords are cleared outside the account, encrypted data
is almost certainly permanently lost to the person holding the laptop.

So, the news may not be good, but the specific answer really depends on what
passwords you had where, and whether encryption was available and invoked.

HTH
-pk

If they have even the slightest clue and know how to use a search engine,
extremely easy.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"ragazzasporca" <> wrote in message
news:902F1F06-3565-4121-B0C0-...
> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I can
> get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass the
> password protection I had on it?

To add, if you have a BIOS level password on it it's a bit more difficult,
on some laptops almost impossible.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"ragazzasporca" <> wrote in message
news:902F1F06-3565-4121-B0C0-...
> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I can
> get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass the
> password protection I had on it?

On Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:24 -0700, ragazzasporca wrote:

> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I
> can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass
> the password protection I had on it?

I'm not sure about vista, but I know there was a Linux utility which could
easily reset the password from a Live CD - at any rate, it's trivial to
get the data.

"ray" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:24 -0700, ragazzasporca wrote:
>
>> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I
>> can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass
>> the password protection I had on it?
>
> I'm not sure about vista, but I know there was a Linux utility which could
> easily reset the password from a Live CD - at any rate, it's trivial to
> get the data.

Yea but who really cares about a Linux utility on a Vista machine?
Actually, who really cares about Open Source on a Vista machine?

NOBODY

"Bill Yanaire" <> wrote in
news:#:

>
> "ray" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:24 -0700, ragazzasporca wrote:
>>
>>> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way
>>> I can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get
>>> pass the password protection I had on it?
>>
>> I'm not sure about vista, but I know there was a Linux utility which
>> could easily reset the password from a Live CD - at any rate, it's
>> trivial to get the data.
>
> Yea but who really cares about a Linux utility on a Vista machine?

It's not a Linux utility. It's a standalone Windows utility really. It has
no use directly in Linux.

A utility that can completely circumvent Windows user authentication and
allow you to change the password of any account on the machine, including
the built-in Admin acct, all w/o having to know the original password.

Pretty handy to have. Even though it's on some live CD's, it's really only
a bootable floppy anyway.

"Bill Yanaire" <> wrote in message
news:#...
>
> "ray" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:24 -0700, ragazzasporca wrote:
>>
>>> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I
>>> can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass
>>> the password protection I had on it?
>>
>> I'm not sure about vista, but I know there was a Linux utility which
>> could
>> easily reset the password from a Live CD - at any rate, it's trivial to
>> get the data.
>
> Yea but who really cares about a Linux utility on a Vista machine?
> Actually, who really cares about Open Source on a Vista machine?
>
> NOBODY

In this case, the Linux utility is not actually "on" the vista or XP system,
and lots of people care, as they use it when windows suddenly decides that
the accounts DO have passwords, when admin passwords are lost, etc. This
is actually a pretty common use of a Linux CD.

In any case, it's not really good news for the OP, as the data, unless
encrypted, is almost certainly available. The only question is how much
the thief, or the person who winds up with the laptop, cares about the data.

-pk

On Tue, 27 May 2008 17:51:22 -0400, "Patrick Keenan" <>
wrote:

>"Bill Yanaire" <> wrote in message
>news:#...
>>
>> "ray" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> On Tue, 27 May 2008 13:41:24 -0700, ragazzasporca wrote:
>>>
>>>> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I
>>>> can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass
>>>> the password protection I had on it?
>>>
>>> I'm not sure about vista, but I know there was a Linux utility which
>>> could
>>> easily reset the password from a Live CD - at any rate, it's trivial to
>>> get the data.
>>
>> Yea but who really cares about a Linux utility on a Vista machine?
>> Actually, who really cares about Open Source on a Vista machine?
>>
>> NOBODY
>
>In this case, the Linux utility is not actually "on" the vista or XP system,
>and lots of people care, as they use it when windows suddenly decides that
>the accounts DO have passwords, when admin passwords are lost, etc. This
>is actually a pretty common use of a Linux CD.
>
>In any case, it's not really good news for the OP, as the data, unless
>encrypted, is almost certainly available. The only question is how much
>the thief, or the person who winds up with the laptop, cares about the data.
>
>-pk

The good news is most computer thieves only want the machine... not
the data because duh... they have no idea what data would be there and
accept for possible personal information for identity theft of no
interest to them. If the laptop was used for business, that might be
of interest but again computer theft is a crime of opportunity and the
thief logically had no idea what was on the machine and probably
couldn't profit from it and couldn't care less.

For those interested LoJack popular for cars (I have it) is now
available for laptops. Once the thief goes on the Internet LoJack
contacts the monitoring center (once you notify them of the theft of
course) and like with cars GPS tracks it, the police nab the crook and
you get the laptop back.

http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/

"Adam Albright" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Tue, 27 May 2008 17:51:22 -0400, "Patrick Keenan" <>
> wrote:
>
>>>>> So my laptop was stolen at the airport, and I'm sure there is no way I
>>>>> can get it back....but how easy will it be for them to try to get pass
>>>>> the password protection I had on it?
>>>>
>
> The good news is most computer thieves only want the machine... not
> the data because duh... they have no idea what data would be there and
> accept for possible personal information for identity theft of no
> interest to them. If the laptop was used for business, that might be
> of interest but again computer theft is a crime of opportunity and the
> thief logically had no idea what was on the machine and probably
> couldn't profit from it and couldn't care less.
>

Adam speaking from first hand experience.


> For those interested LoJack popular for cars (I have it) is now
> available for laptops. Once the thief goes on the Internet LoJack
> contacts the monitoring center (once you notify them of the theft of
> course) and like with cars GPS tracks it, the police nab the crook and
> you get the laptop back.


Adam would have no use for a car because the mentally insane aren't allowed
to drive. The State took his license away years ago upon his entering the
institution. He is allowed to push his own wheel chair when the nurses take
him outside to sit under the Apple tree.