# linux boot disk and password recovery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099 "2003-03-29T23:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/1 "2003-03-29T23:10:37Z")
I messed up and changed my win2k administrator password. The cheapest solution to reset the password according to [color=“blue”]Googl[color=“red”]e is using a linux boot disk and resetting it with the utilities provided. How do I get the disk to work? I know there’s something about formatting the disk so it reads as linux and putting the necessary files on it rather than putting it on a windows/dos formatted disk. I don’t have linux and I’m at a loss. Hopefully I’m not being too vague or making this into something bigger than it should be.[/color] ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/2 "2003-03-29T23:17:34Z")
So you changed the admin password, but you’ve forgotten what you changed it to? The only thing I’ll say about Linux is be careful what you do, especially if you choose manual setup - you can nuke your hard drive very very easily if you don’t know what you are doing. Not recommended unless you know exactly what you are doing. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/3 "2003-03-29T23:19:43Z")
What you need (besides an appropriate bootdisk image) is a program called RAWRITE.EXE. There are several different versions of this, depending on the Windows version you are using, but they all do the same thing: write logical blocks to raw storage instead of to a filesystem. Once you have a copy installed, you can copy the disk image directly onto a floppy without it getting hosed. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/4 "2003-03-29T23:22:33Z")
\< Hijack \> **raisinbread** , this is not an official notice, but I’m begging you now. Please stop wth the colors. It’s just getting annoying. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/5 "2003-03-30T01:12:39Z")
Well I gothalfway through the process of resettingthe password when I remembered that I changed the name of the administrator but the password remained the same. hee hee thank you though! ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/6 "2003-03-30T01:24:28Z")
So you changed the Administrator account username? If you know what the password is, why can’t you log in using the new username with the same password as before? ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/7 "2003-03-30T01:38:50Z")
I can, it’s fixed. I feel silly. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-boot-disk-and-password-recovery/165099/8 "2003-03-30T07:28:26Z")
**samarm** , the problem was confusion, and thinking what was reset was the password, not the username. Realizing that the reset was the username and not the password was a later recollection and the solution to the problem.