Windows password

[HURST]

Reading another thread, a question came to my mind.
How hard/easy is it to hack a windows account password, in case a computer is stolen?
How does startup password set at BIOS compare to it?

Thanks

[bigc73542]

The problem is Windows has a back door if you know where it is and even if there is a login in password you can just get right in the back door.it is possible to close the back door though if you know where it is.

bigc

[AKAJohnDoe]

A Windows password keeps out the honest folk.

The government or a technician can easily get around it.

You can really slow them down with encryption, though.

[lucas1985]

{QUOTE-> How does startup password set at BIOS compare to it? <-QUOTE}
Clear the CMOS and the BIOS password is gone.

[Doc Serenity]

{QUOTE-> The problem is Windows has a back door if you know where it is and even if there is a login in password you can just get right in the back door.it is possible to close the back door though if you know where it is.

bigc <-QUOTE}

So how do we protect against the back door weakness. Easy enough for a novice?

[bigc73542]

All you have to do is boot into safe mode and when you get the choice to boot into a user account or the admin, choose the admin and when it finishes booting into admin safe mode go to user accounts and set a password for the safe mode admin account then no one else can just boot your login password protected computer into admin safe mode and own your comp. very simple fix but totally effective. Just don't forget the password because you might just need to boot into the comp if you ever get a corrupted login password so you can reset the login password from the admin safe mode.


P.S.
I would use a different password in safemode than you do in login password

[FadeAway]

{QUOTE-> Clear the CMOS and the BIOS password is gone. <-QUOTE}

I had to do that once. Takes less than a minute if you know how.

[prozabor]

If You want to be secure, You should encrypt all hard drive by for examle free Truecrypt (AES). Few months ago I tested my XP and with special Linux Distrybution I cracked password in 15 minutes.