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2 Options to Reset Forgotten SQL Server 2012 Password

June 10th, 2015 by Admin

Forgot the SA password for your SQL Server 2012 instance? If you have tried to access the database too many times with wrong passwords, the SA account may be locked out. In this tutorial we’ll show you two options to take control of your SQL Server 2012 by either adding a sysadmin account or resetting the SA password.

Option 1: Reset SQL Server 2012 Password in Single-user Mode

  1. Launch the SQL Server Configuration Manager utility. Look for your SQL Server 2012 instance and stop the service.

    stop-sql-server

  2. Open a Command Prompt with admin privileges, run the following command to start SQL Server 2012 in single-user mode:
    net start MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS /m"SQLCMD"

    Be sure to change MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS to the service name of your SQL Server instance. Each instance has its own SQL Server service. The service name could be found within the Windows Services panel (services.msc).

    sql-server-service

  3. Use the sqlcmd command to connect to your SQL Server 2012 database locally. If your SQL Server is installed on a remote computer, make sure you substitute the . (dot) with the host name of that server.
    sqlcmd -E -S .
  4. Type the following SQL statement to create a new account and granting it any server-level permission.
    CREATE LOGIN tom WITH PASSWORD = 'P@ssw0rd'
    GO
    ALTER SERVER ROLE sysadmin ADD MEMBER tom
    GO

    add-sql-user

  5. Type exit to quit sqlcmd. Restart your SQL Server 2012 service to get out of the single-user mode. You can then connect to the database using the new login you just created.

Option 2: Offline Reset SQL Server 2012 Password

SQL Server creates the user’s password hash, which is stored in the master database (sysxlogins). With SQL Server Password Changer you can unlock / reset SQL Server 2012 passwords for the SA and other user accounts. Here’s how:

  1. First of all, you need to stop your SQL Server 2012 instance from within the SQL Server Configuration Manager utility.
  2. Download and install the SQL Server Password Changer program.
  3. Start the SQL Server Password Changer program. Click on Open File button to browse for the master.mdf file. Usually the master.mdf file is located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\DATA.

    open-master-mdf

  4. Once you have clicked on the Open button, the program will display a list of user accounts for your SQL Server instance. Select the SA account and click on Change Password button.

    sql-server-2012-password

  5. In the pop-up window, type a new password and click OK. The new password can be as short or simple as you want, no need to meet the password complexity requirements.
  6. After resetting the SA password, start your SQL Server instance and you can then login to the SA account successfully.

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Posted in SQL Server, Tips & Tricks

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Fix the Error “Windows cannot complete the extraction. The destination file could not be created”

June 3rd, 2015 by Admin

Windows has built-in support for zip files. It can create, extract, browse through zip files which is a nice feature but this feature can also give you troubles in some situations.

When you try to open a .zip file you’ve downloaded using Windows Explorer, you might receive the follow error:

“Windows cannot complete the extraction. The destination file could not be created.”

error-open-zip

By default, Windows will extract the files into the temp folder when you double-click on a .zip file to open it for viewing. This error means there is a problem with the permissions of the temp folder.

Here is a workaround:

  1. Move the .zip file into one of your user profile sub-folders, like Downloads, Documents, Pictures, etc.
  2. Right-click on the .zip file and select “Extract All”. This allows you to decompress all of the files into a folder of your choice.

Actually this problem has been faced by lots of Windows users. If you open the zip file with some third-party tools such as 7-zip or WinRAR, every file could be opened without error.

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How to Fix “Your connection is not private” in Chrome

May 27th, 2015 by Admin

Whenever you try to login to Yahoo Mail, Facebook or YouTube using Google Chrome, you might get the ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID error:

Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from site (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).

connection-not-private

After searching the web for solutions, most of which where pointing to system time not in sync. If your computer’s date and time is not correct, you’ll face this strange problem.

If you confirm the date is up to date, then check the anti-virus software installed on your computer which might block the website’s security certificate.

  • If you’re using Avast, you need to turn off HTTPS scanning in Avast: go to Settings > Active Protection > Web Shield > Customize, uncheck the “Enable HTTPS scanning” box.
  • For Bitdefender, open the main Bitdefender interface and go to Settings (upper right corner). From there, click on Privacy Control. Select the Antiphising tab. Switch Scan SSL to OFF.

For some situations, the problem might happen as the root certs were messed up. You have to clear all certs on your computer and rebuilt new once using Microsoft fix it tool.

Hope this helps others!

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How to Enable BitLocker Encryption without TPM Chip

May 17th, 2015 by Admin

BitLocker is a useful hard drive encryption feature in Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Windows 10/8/7/Vista, which allows you to encrypt an entire fixed drive. If you try to enable BitLocker on an old computer without TPM chip, you will receive one of the following error messages:

“A compatible Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Device must be present on this computer, but a TPM was not found. Please contact your system administrator to enable BitLocker.”

or

“This device can’t use a Trusted Platform Module. Your administrator must set the “Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM” option in the “Require additional authentication at startup” policy for OS volumes.”

However, not all computers include TPM and you can’t add a TPM chip to a computer. Luckily there is a group policy that allows you to configure BitLocker to work without a TPM chip. Here’s how:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run box, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
  2. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Operating Systems. Double-click on “Require additional authentication at startup“.

  3. In the radio buttons at the top, select Enabled. Check the box marked “Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM“.

  4. Click OK and close out of Local Group Policy Editor.
  5. Now we will need to force the policy to take effect on your PC, to do this press the Windows + R key combination. When the Run box opens, type gpupdate /force and hit Enter.

Now you can use BitLocker to encrypt your system drive without having a TPM chip in your computer.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

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Parallels Desktop: Reset Lost Windows VM Password

May 16th, 2015 by Admin

If we forget the Admin password for a Windows virtual machine running on Parallels Desktop, is there an easy way to reset it? With PCUnlocker you can reset lost Windows password and regain access to your Parallels VM. This is considerably faster than destroying and rebuilding your VM.

This tutorial will take you step by step through resetting a Windows login password inside a Parallels Desktop virtual machine running on your Mac.

How to Reset Windows VM Password on Parallels Desktop?

  1. Click here to download and save the PCUnlocker self-extracting Zip file on to your Mac. Once the download is complete, double-click on the .zip file and Archive Utility should appear and automatically extract your files. Open the folder you extracted to and you can see a CD image: pcunlocker.iso.

  2. Start Parallels Desktop but do not start your virtual machine. Right-click on your Windows virtual machine and choose Configure.
  3. In the Virtual Machine Configuration dialog, choose the Hardware tab and select CD/DVD 1. Make sure that Connected option is checked. From the “Connected to:” drop-down list, select “Choose an image file” and locate the pcunlocker.iso file you downloaded in step 1.

  4. Go to Hardware tab and click Boot Order. Move CD/DVD to the first place in the Boot order.

  5. Start your Windows virtual machine and it will boot directly to the PCUnlocker program which lists all user accounts on your Windows system.
  6. Select a user whose password you would like to reset and click on “Reset Password” button to clear the user’s password. The program should now alert you that the password was cleared.

  7. You can now power off your virtual machine. Be sure to go back to the Virtual Machine Configuration and change the boot order back to hard disk. Start the VM and you should be able to log into Windows without typing a password!

Besides resetting Parallels Desktop password, you can also use PCUnlocker to bypass the passwords for Windows virtual machines running in Parallels Workstation, VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, Virtual PC, ESX/ESXi, and other virtualization software.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

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Extend Windows 10/8/7/Vista Trial Period from 30 to 120 Days

May 14th, 2015 by Admin

During Windows installation, you can skip the product key screen to continue installing the OS for evaluation purpose. By default, you can use it for 30-day trial period. If your trial has run out before you’ve decided whether or not to purchase a license key, you can extend the trial period from 30 days to 120 days.

In this article we’ll show you how to renew the trial period once it has expired with just a simple command. This method works regardless of what edition of Windows you’re running, including Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and Windows Server 2012, 2008.

How to Extend Windows 10/8/7/Vista Trial Period from 30 to 120 Days?

  1. Open up a Command Prompt in Administrator mode.
  2. Type slmgr.vbs –rearm at the Command Prompt, and press Enter. In Windows 10 or 8.1, use slmgr.vbs /rearm instead.
  3. After a couple of seconds it will show you the message window that the command has completed successfully.
  4. Restart your computer and you can use the trial version for another 90 days for free. If you want to enjoy exact 120 days, run above mentioned command on the last day when your Windows trial period is going to expire.
  5. You can check how many days are left in your trial period, by running slmgr.vbs -dli in the Command Prompt.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

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How to Install Windows 10 or 8 without Product Key

May 14th, 2015 by Admin

Unlike earlier versions of Windows, you can’t install Windows 10 or 8 without a product key. Microsoft has made it compulsory to provide a product key before proceeding with the installation. But what if you want to install and trial Windows 8 before purchasing? Luckily there is a workaround to bypass the product key screen during Windows installation.

windows-8-setup-product-key

Note: Skipping the product key doesn’t means you get a fully activated Windows installation. Once you skip the product key, your Windows installation will be limited to a 30 days trial period and you will have to purchase a genuine product key in order to activate your Windows 10/8 installation.

How to Install Windows 10 or 8 without Product Key?

  1. Follow this guide to download a official copy of Windows 10 / 8.1 directly from Microsoft’s servers.
  2. After you’ve downloaded the Windows 10 or 8 ISO image, burn it to a USB flash drive with the freeware ISO2Disc. It is easiest if you’ve created USB installation media, as you can later edit the files directly on your USB flash drive. If you created an ISO file, you’ll have to modify the files inside the ISO image before burning it to disc.
  3. Open your USB installation drive and navigate to the /sources folder. Look for the ei.cfg file and open it in a text editor such as Notepad. If the file doesn’t already exist, create a new text document and rename it as ei.cfg.
  4. Copy and paste the following text into the ei.cfg file and then save it. Make sure that anything that already exists in the file should be cleared first.

    [EditionID]
    Professional
    [Channel]
    Retail
    [VL]
    1

    ei_cfg

  5. That’s it. Now go ahead and boot from your USB installation media. This time you will see a Skip button when you are prompted to enter a product key during Windows Setup.

Once you have successfully installed Windows 10/8 through this method, you will then have 30 days to activate your Windows installation.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 8

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How to Bypass Windows 8, 7 and Vista Password without A Reset Disk

May 12th, 2015 by Admin

A password reset disk is essentially a USB drive that contains a small file: userkey.psw, which can be used to change your password from Windows logon screen. But the catch is that you have to create a password reset disk while you’re logged in. If you’ve already forgotten your password, it’s too late.

In this tutorial we’ll show you how to bypass Windows 8, 7 and Vista password with a bootable media – PCUnlocker Live CD, which can be created on a spare computer after you forgot Windows password. PCUnlocker can be used to reset the password of any user on any Windows machine, while a password reset disk can only reset the password of the account for which it was created.

How to Bypass Windows 8, 7 and Vista Password without A Reset Disk?

If you don’t have a PCUnlocker Live CD, you can create it on any Windows computer that you still have full access to. Download the CD image of PCUnlocker and burn it to a blank CD (or USB thumb drive) with the freeware ISO2Disc.

Put the PCUnlocker Live CD in the CD drive of your locked computer. Once booted to the PCUnlocker program, it will detect all the partitions which contain a valid Windows installation.

Select the SAM file for the Windows installation whose password you need to bypass, it will list all the user accounts stored in your selected SAM file. If you’re running PCUnlocker on a dual-bot machine, there should be two SAM files and make sure you choose the desired one.

Choose a user account and click on “Reset Password”. This program will wipe the password, enable/unlock the account, and promote it to an Administrator if it’s a standard or limited account.

Take the CD out of the CD drive and reboot the computer. You can then log back into Windows without typing password. So this is how you can bypass the password for any version of Windows.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

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How to Change Local or Domain Password Policy from Command Prompt

May 10th, 2015 by Admin

How to disable the password complexity policy for Windows Server Core installation? If your Windows system comes with a GUI interface, you change the password policy from within the Group Policy Editor, but the steps are still a bit complicated for a Windows domain controller.

In this tutorial we’ll show you a quick yet simple way to change local / domain password policy from the Command Prompt. This method works with all versions of Windows, including Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and Windows Server 2012 (R2) / 2008 (R2) / 2003.

How to Change Local/Domain Password Policy from Command Prompt?

If your computer is a domain controller, follow the steps below and you can change the default domain password policy. To change the local password policy on a domain controller, you must boot your server in Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) and then perform the steps below:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt. If you’ve forgotten the local or domain administrator password and couldn’t log on, try the PCUnlocker bootdisk for bypassing the password.
  2. Type the following command and hit Enter:
    secedit.exe /export /cfg C:\secconfig.cfg

    export-group-policy

    This will dump the local policy or domain policy for the system, including account policies, audit policies, and so on.

  3. Open the C:\secconfig.cfg file with your text editor. For Windows Server Core, you can type notepad.exe in the Command Prompt. When Notepad launches, click the File -> Open menu to open C:\secconfig.cfg.
  4. Now you can view and edit all of the relevant policies as shown below. In this example, we’ll disable the password complexity policy. So we replace PasswordComplexity = 1 to PasswordComplexity = 0, and change the value of MinimumPasswordLength to 0.

    edit-group-policy

  5. When done, save your changes. To load the edited file as your new policy configuration, use the following command:
    secedit.exe /configure /db %windir%\securitynew.sdb /cfg C:\secconfig.cfg /areas SECURITYPOLICY

    update-group-policy

  6. The new password policy will apply to all password changes and new password. After disabling the password complexity policy, you should be able to change Windows account password to whatever you like.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

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