Computer Question

[razorback]

So, over the holiday, my brother in-law was over and noticed that the screen on my laptop was cracked (Toshiba, at work and don't remember the model).
Hey offers me his older one, about 3 year old i5 Lenovo with Windows 7 Pro but says that he doesn't remember any of the passwords to get into it.

Which leads to my questions.
First, is there a way to get around the admin password or reset it?
Second, could I swap the hard drive out of the Toshiba (Windows 7 Home) into the Lenovo?

The second is probably preferable due to the programs on it (Heroforge and other things, as I use it on trips and when I game IRL).

Anyway, I appreciate any help.

[Silfir]

1. Yes, there is a way to get into the PC. It's easiest if you still have a Windows 7 Install DVD - a USB stick with Windows 7 on it will also do. Without the install DVD, you need to create another bootable drive with a password-cleaning utility.

That said, if you don't need any of the data already on the Lenovo (since it's your brother's and he obviously doesn't seem to need it), it's simpler and cleaner to format and reinstall Windows from scratch, as long as you still have access to the Windows key. (Usually there's a sticker on the bottom of a laptop with the Windows key on it.) The guy from above has instructions on how to get a Windows 7 install USB.

To look up the Windows key if you can't find it physically, you will probably have to bypass the password as per the first paragraph after all so you can look it up from inside the registry. Or not. See this article.

I like the guy - these articles helped me out the last time I had to get back into my machine after I scrambled the password somehow trying to rename my user account.

2. That depends on the hardware specifically. Usually hard drives are swappable, and in principle laptops should all use 2.5 inch drives. (for hard disks drives, anyway. Solid State Drives can be m.2 chips, too.) However, you will still have to reinstall Windows, since your Toshiba's Windows installation will likely bluescreen if you try to run it on a laptop, since it has, like, a whole bunch of the wrong drivers. (Imagine trying to read the original French Lès Misérables using a Japanese dictionary. That said, I don't know if it's guaranteed that the system won't boot; just very likely.) So the main reason you want to take out your hard drive is to connect it to a PC temporarily so you can get all your important files off it.

[factotum]

However, you will still have to reinstall Windows, since your Toshiba's Windows installation will likely bluescreen if you try to run it on a laptop, since it has, like, a whole bunch of the wrong drivers. (Imagine trying to read the original French Lès Misérables using a Japanese dictionary. That said, I don't know if it's guaranteed that the system won't boot; just very likely.)

I'm not sure that's the case. Yes, earlier versions of Windows would usually bluescreen with an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error if you didn't have the right drivers for your disk controller installed, but with Windows 8.1 that didn't happen when I replaced my motherboard--admittedly, that was between two AMD CPU-based boards, but with the boards being about 5 years apart in terms of age it's pretty unlikely they had the same chipset. I don't actually know when that changeover happened, though, so it might be worth him attempting the experiment, swapping the drives, and seeing what happens.

[Silfir]

I'm not sure that's the case. Yes, earlier versions of Windows would usually bluescreen with an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error if you didn't have the right drivers for your disk controller installed, but with Windows 8.1 that didn't happen when I replaced my motherboard--admittedly, that was between two AMD CPU-based boards, but with the boards being about 5 years apart in terms of age it's pretty unlikely they had the same chipset. I don't actually know when that changeover happened, though, so it might be worth him attempting the experiment, swapping the drives, and seeing what happens.

Like I said, it's not a guarantee it won't work. I think it's trickier with laptops still than it would be with desktops.

[factotum]

Maybe, but to my mind, it's a really simple thing to test out and it's unlikely to cause any problems if it doesn't work. I would obviously recommend getting some sort of external hard drive to back everything important up to before attempting anything, though.

[razorback]

Thanks guys. I'll give this some thought before I proceed but I appreciate the input.

[razorback]

Not that anyone was asking but I did the swap (Toshiba into an HP. The Lenovo was his newer one and I misunderstood him.)
No issue but what I forgot was the Toshiba I had just done the update to take it from Win7 to Win10 when the screen cracked (tells you how long this has been sitting) and it ran all the updates to 10, so I don't know if it would have truly crashed. I might try to put the HP drive into the Toshiba and see if it runs or crashes.

Thanks again.

[Lord Torath]

We always appreciate hearing how our advice did or did not help. Thanks for the update!

[factotum]

We always appreciate hearing how our advice did or did not help. Thanks for the update!

Yeah. what he said.

[ace rooster]

I would recomend a puppy linux USB stick. I use it as a computer when travelling, but it is also great for this sort of thing.


A slightly out out there question, and I would guess almost certainly not if you didn't set it up, but does your hard drive have a seperate partition for the operating system? If it doesn't, then it will be very difficult to boot off it on different hardware without wiping it even if it fits. Booting off a USB stick should be fine though, which is where Puppy comes in. Switch the hard drive and boot puppy of the USB, then install wine onto the hard drive and use it to run windows programs on the hard drive. Not perfect, but will work for most of what you want.


The other thing I might do is to take this opportunity to set up a VPN. If it is just the screen that is broken, It still functions perfectly well as a server. That way you don't need to worry about transferring everything over, as you can just get stuff off it as needed. Nice thing to put on a CV as well, so worth doing for that reason alone.

[razorback]

A slightly out out there question, and I would guess almost certainly not if you didn't set it up, but does your hard drive have a seperate partition for the operating system? If it doesn't, then it will be very difficult to boot off it on different hardware without wiping it even if it fits. Booting off a USB stick should be fine though, which is where Puppy comes in. Switch the hard drive and boot puppy of the USB, then install wine onto the hard drive and use it to run windows programs on the hard drive. Not perfect, but will work for most of what you want.

So, not sure if you're asking about the Toshiba (broken screen) or HP (forgotten password).
The drive swap (Toshiba drive into HP computer) worked, no issues so far. I haven't tried the HP drive into the Toshiba with the broken screen yet.

The other thing I might do is to take this opportunity to set up a VPN. If it is just the screen that is broken, It still functions perfectly well as a server. That way you don't need to worry about transferring everything over, as you can just get stuff off it as needed. Nice thing to put on a CV as well, so worth doing for that reason alone.

I've thought about it. An IT friend mentioned using it as a Linux box to as filter for internet spyware and such but it was over my head. Not sure what you mean by CV. Nothing on the HP drive is needed, so I can nuke and pave the drive as needed. I thought about doing this and setting up an old flatscreen so my 9 year old has his own computer to use, but we got him an iPad for Xmas, so he might not even use it.

[factotum]

Not sure what you mean by CV.

He means CV as in "Curriculum Vitae"--more commonly known as a resumé in the US, if that's where you are?

[ace rooster]

So, not sure if you're asking about the Toshiba (broken screen) or HP (forgotten password).
The drive swap (Toshiba drive into HP computer) worked, no issues so far. I haven't tried the HP drive into the Toshiba with the broken screen yet.

It was mostly an answer to your first question, rather than the second. It was complicated by the fact that it would also assist if switching the hard drives didn't work simply.

I've thought about it. An IT friend mentioned using it as a Linux box to as filter for internet spyware and such but it was over my head. Not sure what you mean by CV. Nothing on the HP drive is needed, so I can nuke and pave the drive as needed. I thought about doing this and setting up an old flatscreen so my 9 year old has his own computer to use, but we got him an iPad for Xmas, so he might not even use it.

Not much point if the hard drive switch works. The idea was that you could use the HP laptop and still get access to the data on the Toshiba without switching the hard drives.

[gomipile]

He means CV as in "Curriculum Vitae"--more commonly known as a resumé in the US, if that's where you are?

In the USA, I've also known employers to treat CV and resumé as related but distinct terms. In those cases, a resumé is a short one or two page document, and a CV can run to dozens of pages of detailed descriptions of projects worked on, skill descriptions, and references.

[razorback]

We always appreciate hearing how our advice did or did not help. Thanks for the update!

Yeah. what he said.

Well, I certainly hope everyone appreciates when other spend the time answering.

That being said, a small update.
I did the swap but W10 wouldn't let me activate in the HP, so I put it in Toshiba and did the update, then loaded it back into the HP. No problems so far Windows noticing the hardware change and I've left it on since Saturday without issue.
I haven't gotten around to trying to crack the HP drive yet but might be able to get to it this weekend.

[Xaomey]

Reseting your computer without a password is currently possible ,Windows bootable disc and Command prompt can do that (But it doesn't work for everyone).

[Roland St. Jude]

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