Re: Backup and reinstall - no server access


"Antony Gelberg" <antony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4337c602$0$21190$db0fefd9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
> > "Antony Gelberg" <antony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:433420da$0$21186$db0fefd9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >>Hi,
> >>
> >>We have a Windows Server 2003 with a lost Administrator password. It is
> >>the PDC, and we don't have local or domain passwords.
> >>
> >>We have tried the procedure at
> >>
> >
> >
http://www.petri.co.il/reset_domain_admin_password_in_windows_server_2003_ad.htm
> >
> >>and didn't get very far. After resetting the local admin password with
> >>the rescue CD, we started up in Directory Services mode, but the new
> >>password wasn't recognised.
> >>
> >>The only option that I can see is to boot from a Linux live CD (e.g.
> >>Knoppix), plug in a USB hard disk, copy the files on the Windows
> >>partition to the external disk, reinstall Windows Server 2003, recreate
> >>the users within AD, copy back their profiles from the external hard
disk.
> >>
> >>Will this work? Is there an easier way to do this? Surely we can't be
> >>the only people in this position. How can we restore their mailboxes,
> >>which I don't believe are part of their profiles?
> >>
> >>Please let me know if this isn't the best newsgroup for this issue.
> >>
> >>Antony
> >
> >
> > The usual way to solve this problem is to boo the machine with
> > a boot disk from here:
> > http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html,
> > then to reset the administrator's password to a blank.
> >
> > It is also common to have at least two admin accounts on every
> > machine, with one of them locked away, the same as you never
> > have a car with one single set of keys.
>
> Thanks for your reply. We did in fact use the Nordahl tool that you
> refer to in your link. This was recommended by the original link that I
> posted.
>
> As for having two administrator accounts, we have only recently been
> asked to support this machine, so it's Not Our Fault.
>
> Bearing this in mind, I refer back to my original post. Will it work?
> If not, what are the options?

When I'm asked to take over a new machine (which happens
frequently) then the first thing I do is to create a couple of my own
admin accounts. It's saved me on countless occasions.

If the Nordahl boot disk fails then you have these options:
- Check Google for similar tools.
- Check Google for a password cracker tool.
- Move the SAM file sideways. This has the effect of
deleting all existing accounts and creating one single administrator
account with a blank password.


.

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