The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97061 Message #1905198
Posted By: JohnInKansas
10-Dec-06 - 06:37 AM
Thread Name: Tech: Dim fonts
Subject: RE: Tech: Dim fonts
Cluin -
256 MB RAM is what Microsoft says is the minimum required to run Windows XP. If you want to run a program in Windows that's pretty marginal.
512 MB for WinXP is the concensus "minimum acceptable" for programs in WinXP to "limp rapidly." A few people still sell machines at that level, and lots of folk get along ok with them, but I wouldn't buy a used WinXP doorstop with less than 1GB RAM.
A machine with 40GB HD is likely dated to WinME or possible Win2K at time of manufacturer, and it may really lack the RAM for useful performance with WinXP.
For the new Vista, recommendations are generally that you get at least 4GB RAM if you're a moderately "heavy user."
For Bee:
For most users, there is NO WAY to extract a password from WinXP, and for the most part that applies to recent earlier versions. The encryption isn' incredibly good, but is quite strong enough to be unrecoverable by "ordinary means."
The usual way of "unlocking" a password locked machine is to dump the BIOS cache where the password is stored. This requires (usually) shutting down the machine, opening it up, and short-circuiting the appropriate pins on the BIOS chip to discharge the chip memory, which is the usual place where at least the Admin level passwords are stored.
Having the password in BIOS allows you to mirror the system to a new hard drive without reprogramming all the access stuff, and prevents someone from redirecting to their own substitute drive to get into yours.
In many cases it's necessary to remove the internal battery first, which may be soldered in place in many recent machines.
Shorting the wrong terminals, or omitting necessary preparatory steps before doing it, is likely to completely "fry" both the BIOS chip and other closely connected parts of the motherboard. Some computer builders include a pair of "terminals" on the motherboard specifically for this purpose, in which case a bent paper clip is the only tool required once you've run through the preparatory steps.
(If the computer had the present Windows installed by the builder, replacement of the motherboard, or BIOS chip, by anyone other than the original machine manufacturer may void your license to use your copy of Windows.)
You need EXACT INSTRUCTIONS from the ORIGINAL MAKER of the computer before any attempt to reset things. If you can't find the User Manual that came with the computer, or get one from the manufacturer, a capable (a little more than just competent) service person might be able to reconstruct which methods yours requires with information from the motherboard supplier.
Depending on the BIOS and associated chip set used, sometimes it's possible to dump only the memory for the passwords, but in other situations reprogramming the BIOS after the dump may be required, In any case you will need a verified emergency boot disk to get you back to where you can restore BIOS settings before even considering an attempted dump.
Theoretically one can just remove the battery and leave the computer disconnected until the CMOS memory discharges, but that's usually about a 2+ YEAR wait with modern chips.
If you know a friendly 13 year old "hacker" who's recently accessed the Defense Department secure network without getting caught, he might have a "cracking" program that would have a chance of eventually getting into your computer, but you'd likely be arrested long before you found a program of this kind by searching for one on the internet.
Best advice is live with what you've got, or find the person who sold it to you and get a password out of him. (Take a large ugly friend to the interview?) IFF YOU HAVE the user's manual that came with the machine, it should give instructions, and they should be simple (but tedious) to follow.
John