Windows 95 Login Hack

[Jensvde]

Hello everyone,

This is my first topic on this forum. I don't know if anyone posted this here, i did a search but did not found anything.

There are many methods to get into Windows 95 without typing the password, but here are 2 very easy methods to try.

1.
Just press cancel at the login screen, i tested this in some Windows 9.x operating systems and it works.

2.
When you start up your computer, press the F8 key repeatedly. Then, choose 'Command prompt only' and hit enter. Navigate to the Windows folder. Do this by using the 'cd' command. If you type dir *.pwl you can see all the usernames. Then, you will need to delete the username you want to login to. Do this by using the 'del' command. (eg. del jens.pwl) Now you need to restart your computer. When Windows 95 shows the login screen, type the username you just deleted and set a new password. Do this by typing whatever you want in the password box. Then click 'OK'. Now you can login into Windows.

English might be a little bad, i'm from Belgium.

Regards,
Jensvde

[Maxxyz]

Interesting investigation.

[Pwned]

How to log in to a system account in Windows 98:

1. Go to Scheduled Tasks and set to run explorer.exe at PC startup.
2. Reboot.

[kinokijuf]

Windows 95 series had absolutely no security. Everything was running with full admin privileges and direct hardware access.

[ggpm]

Didn't knew about this, very interesting security issues

[rthdribl]

This is not a security issue. Windows 9x has no concept of security - by design.

[WinPC]

Windows 9x was designed at a time when security for home users was not a top priority. It was pretty much as Battler explained in the Windows 9x thread; at that time, most home users had only a certain degree of network connectivity, and most viruses at that time were relatively simplistic at that, and didn't really even hack into other people's systems security-wise but instead would spread by fooling the users themselves.

At that time, all that you really needed was to install some decent anti-virus software to protect your PC. Whereas if Windows 9x development continued, then proper security functionality would have likely been added on.

[djljktq_81]

You can reset the password on any Windows, if you have full access to PC. You can always boot from a boot disk and do it.

[MrTechNews123]

Oh yeah, I figured that out a while back.

[Maxxyz]

Windows 95 have a lower security than Windows 98 and Windows Millenium.

[sagem]

one thing about the security in 95
in was for networking only not the hole system.

[cantasan99]

Windows 9x series has NO security. And NT is recommended for business. Hackers started to do good job and Microsoft added security to XP. (But today everyone are in controversy about it's security!)

You will say: "Why Microsoft added no security?" Answer: There was some users of computer. Especially, my uncle (He's a expert of 9x and NT after XP) says it to me. Internet was slow. There was some of dangerous viruses. There was antiviruses (DOS 6.22 has a antivirus!) and it was doing the job.

But now? Hackers developer themselves and Microsoft worked for security solutions. (Everyone can't be more famous than Avira about free security!)

[WinPC]

Windows 9x series has NO security. And NT is recommended for business. Hackers started to do good job and Microsoft added security to XP. (But today everyone are in controversy about it's security!)

You will say: "Why Microsoft added no security?" Answer: There was some users of computer. Especially, my uncle (He's a expert of 9x and NT after XP) says it to me. Internet was slow. There was some of dangerous viruses. There was antiviruses (DOS 6.22 has a antivirus!) and it was doing the job.

But now? Hackers developer themselves and Microsoft worked for security solutions. (Everyone can't be more famous than Avira about free security!)

Yes, that is basically what I just said above. Windows 3.x and Windows 9x were designed at a time when network security was not a major issue for most home computer users, whereas it was already quite a major issue for businesses, which is why Windows NT had such security features.

As I said above, all that was needed for most home users back then was to simply install some good anti-virus software, especially when you consider how widely available it was at the time.

[Maxxyz]

Windows 9x operating systems is just a toys, obsolete, low security, unreliable.

[djljktq_81]

Much safer when using the Internet to use Linux. Anti-virus software is not required, so the speed is increased. Windows always had and will have vulnerabilities.

[jagotu]

Yeah. Because lots of people go to the internet with Windows 95.

Besides, linux also has vulnerabilities, probably even about the same amount as Windows. Just Linux isn't so commercially popular, so it's not that worth it to exploit linux. But point of this topic isn't to flame about Windows vs. Linux security.

Lots of people know about the cancel method, but I had no clue about the pwl deletion.

[Wheatley]

Every single OS in the world has exploits. That includes any Unix based operating systems.

[rloew]

I hacked the TNIX (Tektronix UNIX) System at work in minutes using a simple trick. No software required.
I had root access for years and never learned the Root Password they used.