Windows XP Password`s

My daughter has managed to reset her password on my pc

I know I can just re-set this again but then she would know what I am looking at

Is there anyway that I can check as admininstrator what her new password is?

 

Well from what I know you can boot into safemode as Admin,then just change the passowrd to whatever you want.

 

I know that I can change it but is there anyway that I can see what it is as I don`t want her to know that I am checking up on her?

 

Well I never used this before but Im pretty sure it does what you want to do,its called SAMInside.

 

Alan, if you have a networked system at home you can also use "WireShark" to sniff out packets being sent across the Internet whilst it is happening if you are worried about what conversations she is having online or what websites she is visiting.

If it's wireless then remember to download "AirPcap" too.

I used it a few weeks ago to establish why my connection kept dropping. At the same time I also noticed that it tracked my daughters movements on the Net.

It depends on precisely what you are trying to survey.

I would be careful. Although I appreciate your situation and also I'd be wary of a child suddenly feeling that he/she had to keep an account and the activity on the PC private, there is another side of me that believes that children do get to a certain point in their lives when their parents prying on them even having a conversation about "Pokemon" online with their friends is a massive invasion of privacy.

First of all I'd sit down and speak to her, which I am certain you have. Explain the reasons that you feel that as her father it is in her & your best interest that you have access to her account, in order to ensure that she is safely using the PC, not illegally downloading material that is copyright protected & clearly not getting involved in anything that she shouldn't!

Are there many kids still out there that haven't lied about their age online to obtain a new MSN account or log into some website their mates have started using?

Reassure her that she is entitled to her own private life, that you are not prying on her every move, but at he same time it is your PC, your responsibility when anything goes wrong, you who pays for the ISP and at the end of the day it is also you who might have to speak to their ISP / Police or other parents if something happens!

We had an incident when one our daughter's friends visited a website she shouldn't have & started to download a file that messed up my HDD. This was about 4 years ago. Anyway, after that incident my eldest daughter's activities online were curbed and her time on line was limited, viewed and kept secure as possible.

It's a hard conversation to have with a child as the Internet to most children is a fantastic playground. However, you and I also know it is an unimaginably large playground full of pitfalls, issues and sharks. It can also be a place for a child to pour out their fears & upset, so considering what is going on, be careful where you tred.

Bottom line. You own the PC, you are responsible, you should demand access or just tell her the account gets deleted unless she deals with this maturely. If she doesn't then it's definately a sign that she isn't old enough to be granted that kind of responsibility. If she does, then you know she trusts you and you can reassure her that it's for her good.

 

Nothing to drastic

Just to see what sites etc she has been looking at as I have basic parental controls set up, also any e-mails she is sending etc

Just at the moment the 1 pc so just a question of rather than re-setting her password so I can see, anyway to see what her password is to avoid any suspicion

 

Easiest way is to set up a camera or hover close to hand when she types it in, or use a keylogger. Perhaps sit talking to her when she comes in and uses the PC.

It is however, despite her being your daughter an invasion of her privacy that if you are caught or you find nothing you'll begin to regret. Don't you just hate being a parent sometimes? Protecting a child from themselves or from harms way online etc is a huge responsibility.

It's also one I take very seriously.

In my opinion (don't take me wrong), reading through her emails, unless you suspect she is involved with someone or something that could be harmful, is a step too far! <I'm trying to be delicate about it mate, I get the impression this might relate to a previous thread>.

If there IS something of concern going on and you do somehow gain entry to her account (say whilst she goes for a shower, she'd probably not lock her account, most people don't even at work ffs) then you can set MSN to save the converstions she has. It is intrusive and again, you may be invading her privacy. It really does depend on the level of concern you have for her personal safety and whether it is an immediate risk or something you can deal with as a parent through general discussion.

The art of parenting!

 

Account recovery information from MS: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555473/en-us

 

You can also keep it simple and just access all the files located in c:\documents and settings\your daughters profile\ and all dirs here hold information on what she is up to/ her desktop, files she received, temp internet files that indicate where she has been and even her outlook mail dump and so on.. it's quite messy but a quick and easy way to check.
off course to really keep track in detail a keylogger would be better.

 

You can get a plug in device that you attach between the keyboard cable and the PC that records everything typed in. You can then use software to list all the stuff she has typed. The first thing will presumably be her password.

Edit: Like this: http://www.keyghost.com/

I have not used that device, but they are probably available on eBay.

 

Port, does that not depend on whether "make private" was checked when the user was setting up the account? Can a private account still be viewed in admin as I know any documents are made unavailable for ordinary users with other accounts on the PC.

Not tried that security feature tbh - considering it though.

 

It would be interesting to know how she managed to set up a password as my admin user is password protected

 

If you go into Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, Then click on Local Users and Groups and select her account, you'll see an option box that prevents her from being able to change her password. Not much help now, but might prove useful in the future Alan.

 

You can tell what sites she has gone to by the cookies websites put in your computer as you visit them. Check those folders. So, as long as she doesn't know how to cover her tracks then that is one way of checking up on her. Other than that, just give her time limits on the PC, that also helps too.

 

If you feel you must then google "LOphtCrack" and you'll find a program that will, in time, crack her password.

 

http://software.techrepublic.com.com/download.aspx?docid=299119

Here are some useful pieces of software for you - I'm personally using the timer, it's handy...

 

As Pikkon said, Saminside is really good at the job.
VA, what version of XP are you using?

 

Here is your answer:
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/
Click "bootdisk"
Then just burn the CD image.

 

Thanks Marshallh, most useful!

 

you can also use a keystroke logger, which reminds me: Does anybody know where I can get one for free that works well, and isnt jammed with ad-ware?