The password is stored in SAM, security accounts manager, which is run off/part of the system registry and is not accessible during operation of the system using the registry.
Usually the files are:
For restarting windows:C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindowsexecFor Windowsshutdown:C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE user,exitwindows
More OS specific commands can be found below,
Information for deleting SAM files:
In Windows NT / 2000 / XP, system uses SAM(Security Account Manager) to manage the safety of user account.SAM uses Security Identifier to perform Account management. The Security Identifier was created with the user account, and once you delete the user account, the SID will be deleted at the same time. One SID with only one account even if the same user name created in different time will with different SID. Therefore, once an account is reconstructed, it will be given a different SID, and won't keep the original jurisdiction. SAM perform with %System Root % system32configsam file. This file is a Windows NT / 2000 / XP user account database, all user name and password and related information can be stored in this file.
In a locked and heavly encrypted file called the SAM file.
It is found in/system32/config
windows xp doesnt actually store passwords, it uses a destructive algorithm called MD4 to create a hash ( a fingerprint ) or the passwords ( in the files reported by BabyTux ).
So you cant just read them. However they can easily be brute forced, WindowsXP converts all login passwords to UpperCase before hashing (which is pretty stupid, it halfs the securety)
Passwords are primarily stored in hashed form in the file C:\Windows\Sytem32\config\SAM. This file cannot be read while Windows is running; the kernel blocks all access to it from everyone except the SYSTEM account.
They aren't. They are stored on the Hotmail server.
IE have a plug-in can remenber your password of Hotmail.
You can't "retrieve" it as its not stored in a human-readable format. You must delete the old password and create a new one instead.
In the SAM file.
The boot password is a feature provided by the motherboard (hardware) and is not stored in a file on the disk that WindowsXP could access.
No. Only the BIOS settings and password are stored in the battery-backed CMOS memory. Windows passwords are stored in the Windows registry, in a file on your hard disk.
User account passwords are not stored in the regedit. The passwords are stored in a hidden file located in Windows. This file you can't see no matter what, you would have to get a third party program to unlock it and grab the information from the file.
The root password is stored in hashed form in the /etc/shadow file.
It's stored in the SAM file.
in /etc/shadow file, encrypted
if its windows then its a windows file, probably in the c drive
To lock a folder in Windows XP, right click on the folder in which you have stored your data and click "add to archive." Proceed to the tab called "advanced," and click on "select password." Create a password and select that box labeled "encrypt file names."
You must first compress the files as a .ZIP file. When you compress the file, under the security tab, you can password protect it.
FAT
To get more helpful info, u can search the method source: Windows Password Reset Std/Windows Password Reset Pro/Windows Password Reset Deluxe. And have a try. Follow my steps: Step1:Download and install Windows Password Reset Step2:Burn Windows Password Reset ISO file to CD/DVD Step3:Put in your newly created CD and remove your Windows Password Hope it can help.