Ikonboard » Printable Version of Topic

Forum: The Classroom
Topic: Computer problem
started by: Der_Teufel

Posted by Der_Teufel on Dec. 05 2000,23:43

Some how a program messed up my computer, not very hard to believe. When I tried to logon as my user it would not recognize my password. So I tried to create a different user, but when I tried to type in the password it would not recognize it, saying the password was invaild, when I know that the password was right. So now I have to use the default user, which requires no password. I was wondering if just a re-install of Windows would fix this?

Posted by aventari on Dec. 06 2000,00:05

a bit of essential information is missing from your post bro. What version of windows?
What program that you installed messed up the system? what do you mean by default user?

Posted by Der_Teufel on Dec. 06 2000,00:15

I am running Windows 98 SE. The program was Cain. Someone dled it to try and figure out a friends password, but it screwed up my user password. By default user I mean that anyone can use it, no password is needed and there is no user name. When the login screw comes up on start-up just hitting cancel takes me into the default user.

Posted by cr0bar on Dec. 06 2000,00:54

Why are you using usernames/passwords on your computer in the first place? Windows' scheme for this is worthless.

Posted by askheaves on Dec. 06 2000,06:25

quote:
Originally posted by cr0bar:
Why are you using usernames/passwords on your computer in the first place? Windows' scheme for this is worthless.

Clarification. The Win95/98/98SE/Me concept of usernames and passwords is totally worthless. In the WinNT/2K/Whistler line, it is totally valid and the only option in a corporate environment (in the sense that it's a necessity in an MS house).

Posted by cr0bar on Dec. 06 2000,13:20

quote:
Originally posted by Der_Teufel:
I am running Windows 98 SE.

Posted by neotope on Dec. 06 2000,14:04

One question would be why are you running Windows 98 and trying to use passwords? Are you oblivous to other operating systems that would be so much better for this?

->neotope < http://www.neotope.com >

Posted by Der_Teufel on Dec. 06 2000,18:23

The only reason I am using a user/password scheme is because I am not the only person using this computer. My mom and my sister also use this computer. Only reason I use a password is so that my mom or my sister don't logon to my user.

Posted by Michael on Dec. 06 2000,19:00

quote:
Originally posted by Willy Pete:
Never heard of Cain

from < http://packetstorm.securify.com/Crackers/ >

quote:
Cain is a GUI multithread application that can be used to recover various passwords on Win 95/98 machines. Features: Screen Saver password decoder, Cached resource recover, OSR2/98 PWL password recover, Local Shares quick modification and password recover, Network Shares password recover, Quick change Screen Saver, Network and Windows passwords, Quick toggle "Password Caching" system features, Dictionary and Brute-Force Attacks, much more

Of course, just because there's a real program under that name doesn't mean that your version of the program couldn't be infected. Someone could easily have created a trojan under the same name to make it look legitimate.

Posted by Willy Pete on Dec. 07 2000,05:34

Just hit escape when it asks you for your user name and do a 'FIND' for *.pwl on your C: drive. These are all the Login and password files on your pc. Delete them all. Start again if you really need to use a user name. (Not that it'll stop anyone!)
I'd also check for any other weird shit going on were I you. Never heard of Cain and it might include a Trojan. PWLScan is usually used for viewing Win 95/98 passwords.