Windows 2000 memory/harddrive recover.

[Hawklore]

Okay..

I've got a laptop that noone can remember the password to, and we need to get into it to recover some 'documents', stories, poems, what have you..

Any tips?

[Russian]

there are many options starting from removing HD and reading data directly to hacking admin password.

[Nashwan]

BIOS password or windows login password?

If it's windows login, try googling for

linux boot disk password

There's a lot of different versions out there. Watch out if you have encrypted data though, as you might not be able to read it if you reset the password.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Usually by far the easyest is to get an adapter and plug it to a desktop computer - or reinstall windows if no encryption was used.

[deSelys]

If it's not a BIOS password

Easiest: boot with a Knoppix cd (iso images @ http://www.knoppix.org) and access the files directly. Copy on USB disk and reinstall the laptop.

A bit trickier (and necessary if windows encryption is used): boot with a Knoppix cd and use magicrescue to find the administrator or user password. This is a brute force attack but there are free recipe files that will significantly speed up the process and will work in most cases.

For the BIOS password: check on the manufacturer's website...

[Heater]

Try looking here:

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

[eagl]

deselys has the easiest answer... Make a knoppix boot cd and mount the drive read-only.

You might be able to boot it and if it was set up for network file sharing, the admin share (//computername/c$/) might be shared without a password, but that's not terribly common.

I think using a linux "live" cd image is probably the easiest, followed by the various ways to trick it into giving up the login password.