re-installing XP - need passwords

  • Thread starter Thread starter JulesH
  • Start date Start date
J

JulesH

Hi,

I'm about to re-instal XP as it is running very slowly, but I need to
extract my passwords, particularly for my home network connection.

Obviously, I can get into my admin account, but there seems to be nowhere
that my passwords are displayed in there.

Anyone help?

Jules
 
JulesH wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm about to re-instal XP as it is running very slowly, but I need to
> extract my passwords, particularly for my home network connection.
>
> Obviously, I can get into my admin account, but there seems to be nowhere
> that my passwords are displayed in there.

Passwords are kept in different places for different things. You would
need to specify what passwords you mean. I don't know what "home network
connection" means.

Example - Firefox allows you to see your passwords for various websites.
If you are using Firefox, then you can get those passwords.

Example - If you mean what is your password for your DSL Internet
connection and/or your email, you would have needed to write that down
somewhere. If you didn't do this, contact your ISP for help.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
JulesH wrote:

> I'm about to re-instal XP as it is running very slowly,


You choice, of course, but I think that's a very poor approach to the
problem. It will very likely fix it, but you won't find out what was wrong,
and will probably repeat the same behavior which caused it and quickly find
yourself back in the same situation.

What anti-virus, and anti-spyware tools do you run, and are they kept up to
date? The first thing to do with a slow computer is to *thoroughly* check
for malware.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup
 
Hi All,

Thanks for replying. I intended to re-install, because I'm pretty sure there
is a conflict between software somewhere, and I don't know which ones! I also
had a problem with a hotfix from automatic updates that made Outlook freeze
up recently. So yes, it is probably the easy option, but I figured that
reinstalling would also fix all those memory leaks..

As for what passwords I want to save, these are mostly network settings. I
have had a wired home network through a router for many years, and can't find
what the various passwords and configuration settings were.

Regards,
Jules

"Ken Blake" wrote:

> JulesH wrote:
>
> > I'm about to re-instal XP as it is running very slowly,
>
>
> You choice, of course, but I think that's a very poor approach to the
> problem. It will very likely fix it, but you won't find out what was wrong,
> and will probably repeat the same behavior which caused it and quickly find
> yourself back in the same situation.
>
> What anti-virus, and anti-spyware tools do you run, and are they kept up to
> date? The first thing to do with a slow computer is to *thoroughly* check
> for malware.
>
> --
> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>
 
JulesH wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Thanks for replying. I intended to re-install, because I'm pretty sure there
> is a conflict between software somewhere, and I don't know which ones! I also
> had a problem with a hotfix from automatic updates that made Outlook freeze
> up recently. So yes, it is probably the easy option, but I figured that
> reinstalling would also fix all those memory leaks..
>
> As for what passwords I want to save, these are mostly network settings. I
> have had a wired home network through a router for many years, and can't find
> what the various passwords and configuration settings were.

The easiest way to deal with the router password is to go into the
router's administration screens and change the password to something
you'll remember and write it down.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
"Malke" <notreally@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:e6G4OvZyHHA.5980@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> JulesH wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Thanks for replying. I intended to re-install, because I'm pretty sure
>> there is a conflict between software somewhere, and I don't know which
>> ones! I also had a problem with a hotfix from automatic updates that made
>> Outlook freeze up recently. So yes, it is probably the easy option, but I
>> figured that reinstalling would also fix all those memory leaks..
>>
>> As for what passwords I want to save, these are mostly network settings.
>> I have had a wired home network through a router for many years, and
>> can't find what the various passwords and configuration settings were.
>
> The easiest way to deal with the router password is to go into the
> router's administration screens and change the password to something
> you'll remember and write it down.
>

But first, he will have to enter the existing password.
 
Yes, that's the pfoblem. i set this up years ago, and I had such a hassle
getting it working in the first place, that I thought the easy option would
be to capture the passwords and configuration settings from the login screen
on the XP computer. My other machines run Win 2000, and this seems easier to
get working.

My main problem will be once I have reinstalled, and try to connect to the
other computers. I will need my passwords to log in to the networked drives
on the other machines.

I have reinstalled a few times from a backup, but this time I want to do a
fresh reinstall, as I think my slowness problems might be an accumulation of
things over the years, from successive backups being made and used.

Surely if I can get into my admin account, why can't I retrieve my
passwords? Anyone know of any software that will do this for network settings
and passwords?

jules



"M.I.5¾" wrote:

>
> "Malke" <notreally@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:e6G4OvZyHHA.5980@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> > JulesH wrote:
> >> Hi All,
> >>
> >> Thanks for replying. I intended to re-install, because I'm pretty sure
> >> there is a conflict between software somewhere, and I don't know which
> >> ones! I also had a problem with a hotfix from automatic updates that made
> >> Outlook freeze up recently. So yes, it is probably the easy option, but I
> >> figured that reinstalling would also fix all those memory leaks..
> >>
> >> As for what passwords I want to save, these are mostly network settings.
> >> I have had a wired home network through a router for many years, and
> >> can't find what the various passwords and configuration settings were.
> >
> > The easiest way to deal with the router password is to go into the
> > router's administration screens and change the password to something
> > you'll remember and write it down.
> >
>
> But first, he will have to enter the existing password.
>
>
>
 
JulesH wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Thanks for replying. I intended to re-install, because I'm pretty
> sure there is a conflict between software somewhere, and I don't know
> which ones! I also had a problem with a hotfix from automatic updates
> that made Outlook freeze up recently. So yes, it is probably the easy
> option, but I figured that reinstalling would also fix all those
> memory leaks..
>
> As for what passwords I want to save, these are mostly network
> settings. I have had a wired home network through a router for many
> years, and can't find what the various passwords and configuration
> settings were.

The password for the router won't be on your computer - it'll be in the
router. Fortunately, you shouldn't NEED the router's password for anything.
 
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