[NMLUG] Linux to the rescue -- or not?

[starbane at gmail.com (Paul Tietjens)]

On Apr 12, 2005 12:58 PM, Mike Kruchoski <mikek@mrcabq.com> wrote:
> I'm faced with a dilemma that can be easily solved (I think) by using a
> bootable Linux CD: gaining access to a Win2K machine as the local machine
> administrator.  Quote:
> 
> "There are Linux boot disks that have DOS and NTFS filesystem drivers and
> software that will read the registry and rewrite the password hashes for
> any account including the Administrators. It is as simply as:
>     * shutdown or turnoff the PC
>     * put the book disk in the PC and reboot
>     * respond to the Linux prompts
>     * the highest barrier is understanding unix media descriptors
>     * select the account whose password hash needs to be rewritten & enter
> a new password
>     * reboot & access using the new
> password"                                         (End Quote)
> Does anyone know whether a similar approach will allow one to change a
> user's PRIVILEGES (on the local machine), that is, to ADD a user to a group
> like the "administrators", rather than to change the administrator's password?
> 
> No doubt there are third-party proprietary solutions that can do this in
> the Windows environment.  The challenge is to be able to do it via Linux /
> open-source solutions.
> 

Hi Mike, do you want to do this (add a user to local admins) via a boot cd?

I've used the NT password recovery tool quite a few times (It's one of
the boot images on system rescue cd http://www.sysresccd.org), though
usually to re-enable the admin account and reset the password.

The ntpasswd boot disk, all by itself (so small, even those stuck with
dialup can download it with minimal fuss) is here:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd

AFAIK, there is no way to mess more intricately with the Windows
security stuff.  After all, once you're blanked the admin password,
you  can pretty  much do what you want at that point.