You couldn't point me at a tutorial to do that could you? The script I ran was a Linux script but my knowledge of Linux is too small to know what to do without a tutorial or script.
Need to break into a syskey locked xp system
- Thread starter Crackle
- Start date
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I would be very surprised - especially if everything is encrypted.
There's a lot in there which may be helpful. An awful lot of it is for Windows 7 and onwards and XP is too old and cruddy to have the same features. I am beginning to feel this could take me a while and am reluctantly thinking I should go for the re-build. Now if I can just remember how I got the crappy old DOS version of Wordperfect to work again without erroring and then get him to find all the discs..........
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Any XP disc will reboot the machine after clearing it, all you need is the 'product key' to authenticate the OS.
Walk away. This sounds like too much work. Anyone suing Word Perfect in this day and age cannot be saved.
Hah! He's an emeritus professor from a different age. I did eventually get him onto a new version but he still used the old one for reference. It's one of the reasons he was still on XP. Might be time for a new broom, though judging by his reaction to the new laptop he's just bought and I set up, this could be painful: Where's those Paracetomol.....
PhilDawson8270
Veteran
Many of the linux distributions are available as a "live" version, that is USB or CD whichever you choose. USB is certainly more convenient if the system in question has the ability to boot from USB.
Essentially allowing you to run the Linux OS from the disc
Download here
https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
Do this
https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install
The windows drive should show up inside Ubuntu then that is running from the CD. From this point, you can make a copy of important data onto a USB, and format the drive ready for reinstalling your XP. Better yet, just put Ubuntu on it if it's running XP.
U
User33236
Guest
I wouldn't assume everything on any drive is encrypted and wouldn't in the least bit be surprised if any malware on the drive was able to replicate across a network or within a host computer.
U
User33236
Guest
Windows XP has not been supported by Microsoft for a number of years and, I believe, the authentication servers form XP product keys have long gone too.
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
I've used this method in the past on a boloxed Ubuntu installation with success but had to give myself root privileges to copy data off the disc.
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
Treat that computer as hosed. You can absolutely bet that Syskey is the very least of your worries. Malware, ransomeware,, virusese, trojans, they're all distinct probabilities. The scammers had the opportunity to install all of these - and more. You have to treat everything on it as compromised.
My solution? Take off and nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. Or, more accurately, reformat the hard disk (a full format, not the quick option) and reinstall the operating system. I hope your acquantances have backups.
A high risk strategy is to take the hard disk out, attach it to another machine, and try and salvage the data - if the drive's not been encrypted. Don't attach it to another Windows machine, there's a good chance there'll be malware just waiting for that opportunity. Use something like Linux (it's more obscure, so there's fewer unpleasantries written for it), and don't use the root account! Assume any files you retrieve to be infected, and disinfect with multiple passes through several different AV programs and something like Malwarebytes.
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Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
Oddly enough, my XP system apparently thinks it's a Point of Sale terminal, and still gets updates. I have no idea how that could have happened...
