Hack Windows Limited User Account

If you’re using a Windows XP machine at school or work, chances are the IT department have locked down your login account as a “Limited User” rather than giving you computer administrator status. Obvious really. They don’t want you messing around with settings or installing applications and stuff. But, what if you really need to gain access to some settings?

Well, Raymond.cc recently highlighted a nifty little tool called PCLoginNow that allows you to “reset local administrator and other accounts passwords on Windows system”. PCLoginNow bypasses admin passwords and works without all that boring rebooting you usually need when changing access settings on an XP machine.

It does have some legitimate uses allowing sysadmins and users to “maintain, change accounts policy setting and properties…easily upgrade a general account to administrator level, lock or unlock accounts”. Very useful if you run your XP machine in Limited User mode to protect you from root-kits, rogue dialler, and malware. More on Limited User security and Firefox here.

But, legitimate uses aside, PCLoginNow will become the student tool of choice for gaining control of their XP machine at school or college and may ultimately allow you to get around firewalls and filtering and so access banned websites. It’s free open source software on Sourceforge. You will need to burn the iso to a bootable CD-ROM to make use of it.