Paul wrote:
> On 2023-10-11 05:28, Robert in CA wrote:
>> I forgot,
>>
>> HD-Tune - http://www.hdtune.com/download.html  (click on the trial to
>> download?)
>>
>> AdwCleaner - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
>>
>> Imgeburn- http://www.oldversion.com/windows/imgburn-2-5-0-0
>>
>> Agent Ransack - https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/
>>
>> GeForce Drivers - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/
>>
>> Microsoft - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download
>>
>> I'm missing a VLC player download, could you please provide one?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Robert
>>
>
> There is a button on the main page, for a download.
>
> https://www.videolan.org/
>
>    Paul
>

I unscribed to the newsgroup and re-scribed
to it with a limit of 7000 but it doesn't show
the current posts.This was the nearest I could
find. Was 7000 too high? At least with the 500
I could see the current posts. Maybe I should
change it back?

Robert

Robert in CA wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>> On 2023-10-11 05:28, Robert in CA wrote:
>>> I forgot,
>>>
>>> HD-Tune - http://www.hdtune.com/download.html  (click on the trial to
>>> download?)
>>>
>>> AdwCleaner - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
>>>
>>> Imgeburn- http://www.oldversion.com/windows/imgburn-2-5-0-0
>>>
>>> Agent Ransack - https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/
>>>
>>> GeForce Drivers - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/
>>>
>>> Microsoft - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download
>>>
>>> I'm missing a VLC player download, could you please provide one?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Robert
>>>
>>
>> There is a button on the main page, for a download.
>>
>> https://www.videolan.org/
>>
>>     Paul
>>
>
>
> I unscribed to the newsgroup and re-scribed
> to it with a limit of 7000 but it doesn't show
> the current posts.This was the nearest I could
> find. Was 7000 too high? At least with the 500
> I could see the current posts. Maybe I should
> change it back?
>
> Robert

I set it to 2000 and still couldn't see
the current posts, so I unscribed for a
and re-scribed 3rd time and set it back to
500 but still can't see current posts.

Robert

On 12/19/2023 5:21 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> Robert in CA wrote:
>> Paul wrote:
>>> On 2023-10-11 05:28, Robert in CA wrote:
>>>> I forgot,
>>>>
>>>> HD-Tune - http://www.hdtune.com/download.html  (click on the trial to download?)
>>>>
>>>> AdwCleaner - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
>>>>
>>>> Imgeburn- http://www.oldversion.com/windows/imgburn-2-5-0-0
>>>>
>>>> Agent Ransack - https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/
>>>>
>>>> GeForce Drivers - https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/
>>>>
>>>> Microsoft - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download
>>>>
>>>> I'm missing a VLC player download, could you please provide one?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Robert
>>>>
>>>
>>> There is a button on the main page, for a download.
>>>
>>> https://www.videolan.org/
>>>
>>>     Paul
>>>
>>
>>
>> I unscribed to the newsgroup and re-scribed
>> to it with a limit of 7000 but it doesn't show
>> the current posts.This was the nearest I could
>> find. Was 7000 too high? At least with the 500
>> I could see the current posts. Maybe I should
>> change it back?
>>
>> Robert
>
>
>
> I set it to 2000 and still couldn't see
> the current posts, so I unscribed for a
> and re-scribed 3rd time and set it back to
> 500 but still can't see current posts.
>
>
> Robert

Can you see this new post ?

Look for the file "paganini.bofh.team.rc"

That is the subscription file. A subscription
file can have multiple lines, one per newsgroup.

Here, I made a sample file, to demonstrate with.

Exit Thunderbird, and open that file "paganini.bofh.team.rc"

Before

microsoft.public.windowsxp.general: 1-24903,25319,25320
alt.os.linux.ubuntu: 7383,7402

After

microsoft.public.windowsxp.general: 1-1 <=== reset the record
alt.os.linux.ubuntu: 7383,7402 <=== I didn't change this one

Save and start up Thunderbird again.

Paul

yes, I can see this post from you,

You mean SeaMonkey not Thunderbird, don't
you?

I logged back into the 780 and it gave me this:

https://postimg.cc/cKLS1XTh

I tried to close it with Task Manager but it wouldn't
let me. So I clicked remind me in 3 days. Should I
click continue next time? See what I mean? All this
crap is getting in the way of finishing Sea Monkey
and more to do.

I'm all confused and Sea Monkey is messed up nothing
is working and I tried to create a new USENET with
paganini. bofh.team.rc but it didn't connect.

https://postimg.cc/tZ6m960D

https://postimg.cc/64wzw1f5

https://postimg.cc/1f7TcsKG

https://postimg.cc/kV3Tf4Rb

https://postimg.cc/vg6HM0Hj

What do I do now?

Robert

_

On 12/20/2023 2:01 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
>
>
> yes, I can see this post from you,
>
>
> You mean SeaMonkey not Thunderbird, don't
> you?
>
> I logged back into the 780 and it gave me this:
>
> https://postimg.cc/cKLS1XTh
>
> I tried to close it with Task Manager but it wouldn't
> let me. So I clicked remind me in 3 days. Should I
> click continue next time? See what I mean? All this
> crap is getting in the way of finishing Sea Monkey
> and more to do.
>
> I'm all confused and Sea Monkey is messed up nothing
> is working and I tried to create a new USENET with
> paganini. bofh.team.rc but it didn't connect.
>
> https://postimg.cc/tZ6m960D # Need to use Notepad for this
>
> https://postimg.cc/64wzw1f5
>
> https://postimg.cc/1f7TcsKG
>
> https://postimg.cc/kV3Tf4Rb # account actions, remove that
>
> https://postimg.cc/vg6HM0Hj
>
> What do I do now?
>
> Robert

https://postimg.cc/cKLS1XTh # "Remind me in three days"

You can try dismissing by pressing alt-f4, but you can
also just click the "remind me in three days" to make it go away
temporarily.

The longer term fix is a Notification setting, seen here.

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/HLvDvVjB/remind-me-in-3-days.gif

*******

https://postimg.cc/tZ6m960D # You were supposed to use Notepad

In Agent Ransack, you can scan the C: drive for paganini.bofh.team.rc
which is a text file.

It's in the Seamonkey profile, in News folder.
The reason I wanted you to find it with Agent Ransack, is to avoid
having to enter the path. The thing is, Seamonkey, in the "server" settings
for that server, has a path string in the "server settings" for the
"location of the newsrc file". That string points right at it.
Your user account name, the profile folder random string, need to be
modified to make mine work.

# (Seamonkey exited...)

notepad C:\Users\Rob\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\SeaMonkey\Profiles\ABCD1234.default\News\paganini.bofh.team.rc

*******

https://postimg.cc/kV3Tf4Rb # remove this

Highlight the string ending in .rc there, as it's not an account.

Use "View Settings for this account", then "Remove Account" to remove
the bogus entry.

Paul

On 12/20/2023 2:01 AM, Robert in CA wrote:

> What do I do now?
>
> Robert

You mentioned having trouble with User Accounts ?

I looked through the list of posts and I don't
see a post like that here.

I compared the thread count on GG versus Paganini
and GG was 295 and Paganini was 278. It looks like
some might have been missed. I copied all the text from
GG for later.

This one for example, inability to access the second drive,
while booted from the first drive. If the user account
on the boot drive is the ordinary user, then you'll be denied.
If the user account on the boot drive being used is a
member of the administrator group, you'll be able to get
into the users folders on the second drive.

https://postimg.cc/YL7sFcv5

Paul

The 780 doesn't have Agent Ransack, I haven't moved
my bookmarks or my documents or downloaded anything
except FF.

So I grabbed the link to download it onto the 780 via Patriot
and the other account that's logged into everything wouldn't
let me install Agent Ransack without a Pin number. Should I go
ahead and reset the damn thing because its interfering with
everything I'm trying to do. I can't move forward because
of all these pop-ups and problems while time is running out.

https://postimg.cc/k611jDzP

https://postimg.cc/JDGSJ94q

https://postimg.cc/7fgdg1Dp

https://postimg.cc/Q99nV10Y

https://postimg.cc/rKLYFdWg

https://postimg.cc/bGdmF1cY

I also need to get off this Admin Account

when you say remove this are you saying not use it or are
you saying unsubscribe?

I'm trying to follow your instructions,....

Robert

Here is the post again

You can see with the old account I saw the current posts:

https://postimg.cc/FYZZtxy4

I tried to create a User Account in Win 10 but
there doesn't seem to be anyway That I could
see?

https://postimg.cc/sMXBX9Fy

https://postimg.cc/cgNwrgMm

https://postimg.cc/d7GTPQPT

https://postimg.cc/D8W03f1y

https://postimg.cc/t1rGgWj0

https://postimg.cc/T5DzQsWG

https://postimg.cc/1gd7THSz

https://postimg.cc/ygJtYGj9

https://postimg.cc/LJnbVwdW

Robert

I moved the string to a .txt file and saved it in notebook on the 780.

Robert

_

On 12/20/2023 7:42 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> The 780 doesn't have Agent Ransack, I haven't moved
> my bookmarks or my documents or downloaded anything
> except FF.
>
> So I grabbed the link to download it onto the 780 via Patriot
> and the other account that's logged into everything wouldn't
> let me install Agent Ransack without a Pin number. Should I go
> ahead and reset the damn thing because its interfering with
> everything I'm trying to do. I can't move forward because
> of all these pop-ups and problems while time is running out.
>
> https://postimg.cc/k611jDzP
>
> https://postimg.cc/JDGSJ94q
>
> https://postimg.cc/7fgdg1Dp
>
> https://postimg.cc/Q99nV10Y
>
> https://postimg.cc/rKLYFdWg
>
> https://postimg.cc/bGdmF1cY
>
> I also need to get off this Admin Account
>
> when you say remove this are you saying not use it or are
> you saying unsubscribe?
>
> I'm trying to follow your instructions,....
>
> Robert
>

I have a feeling, based on your comment, that you don't have
an administrator account that you control.

If the only administrator account is PIN protected, you'll never
be able to do stuff like this. You have to possess a working
administrator, to spin up more administrator group accounts.
Trying this, will just end up with the PIN request, one way or another.

net user administrator /active:yes

If this is the case, then you'd need to hack your way into the thing.

*******

[Picture] I tested a method. Here, adding TEMP acct, without needing the foreigner PIN

https://i.postimg.cc/cCvkCVtd/added-temp-administrators-account.gif

This is the web site I used for the hack.

https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/

The hack consists of using the Repair : Troubleshoot : Command Prompt on
a Win10 installer DVD, to carry out the replacement of "sethc.exe" with "cmd.exe".
This gives you permission to copy files in a sensitive area.

Then, by shift-restarting and selecting Safe Mode, that allows the computer
to come up without Windows Defender running and ruining the hack. Pressing
the shift key five times in quick succession, triggers sticky keys,
sethc.exe tries to run, but since it has been replaced with
a copy of cmd.exe, the cmd.exe runs, and it is running as administrator.
From the Command Prompt window, we can...

NET USER TEMP qwerty1 /ADD # Adding Account TEMP, Password qwerty1
NET LOCALGROUP Administrators TEMP /add # Don't forget the "s" on the end of Administrators

And that makes a new account belonging to the administrators group.
And it's all done without a PIN.

Later, you replace the fake "sethc.exe" with a copy of the real "sethc.exe".
I had to do that from the Windows 10 installer and Command Prompt, as well.
Doing it from the booted system, it likely would have needed TrustedInstaller.

As long as you are physically present in front of a computer,
you can get in. If you take a hacking course (like one of the
guys at my work), you can get in. Not only did the course
teach hacking. You sit in a room with other hackers, and
*speed* is tested. The idea is, you try to tip over your opponents
computer, before he tips over yours (remotely, on the same subnet).
There's a bunch of computers and tables in a row, so you can look at
the face of your opponent, when his computer is tipped over :-)
Our guy wasn't a delinquent, so I didn't have to worry about
"jokes to be played" and so on. We had to take at least one course
per year from the company list, and that's the one Mike selected.

Paul

On 12/20/2023 7:45 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> Here is the post again
>
>
>
>
> You can see with the old account I saw the current posts:
>
> https://postimg.cc/FYZZtxy4
>
> I tried to create a User Account in Win 10 but
> there doesn't seem to be anyway That I could
> see?
>
> https://postimg.cc/sMXBX9Fy
>
> https://postimg.cc/cgNwrgMm
>
> https://postimg.cc/d7GTPQPT
>
> https://postimg.cc/D8W03f1y
>
> https://postimg.cc/t1rGgWj0
>
> https://postimg.cc/T5DzQsWG
>
> https://postimg.cc/1gd7THSz
>
> https://postimg.cc/ygJtYGj9
>
> https://postimg.cc/LJnbVwdW
>
> Robert

control /name Microsoft.UserAccounts

Then "Manage Another Account" to see the accounts that already exist [useful!] .

At the bottom of that page in light blue tiny letters, is "add a new user".
But it vectors off to the new crap. [Not good]

*******

But you can already see what the solution is.

You need to open an administrators window.
Once you have hacked the machine, you will have such an account.

NET USER TEMP qwerty1 /ADD # Adding Account TEMP, Password qwerty1
NET LOCALGROUP Administrators TEMP /add # Don't forget the "s" on the end of Administrators

That makes an account TEMP which belongs to administrator group.

Paul

There's two Admin Accounts, there's mine and
another by the name of John. I have no idea
where it came from. That's the Admin Account that's
interfering with everything.

As I said, the guy who refurbished the 780 or who did
Win 10 upgrade put his account on all this I believe. I
guess they didn't expect anyone to do what were doing
and that's why all the pin numbers.

You lost me,...even after I re-read your instructions,..
all I got was you want me to go into safe mode. All
this sounds very tricky,...and I'm getting confused at
just what to do and where. I"m trying to follow along.

btw I have another 780 Win 10 hd that may not be screwed
up. We could put that in and see if it downloads the Agent
Ransack without doing anything else.

What do you think? What do you want me to do ?

Robert

Here's my available hd's again

List of hard drives

8500

• 8500 original 1TB hd Win 7 Pro
• spare WD 2 TB, 64 bit hd - 8500 external hd (replaced with 6 TB hd)
• spare bootable Seagate 2TB, 64 bit hd for 8500 with Win 7
• Seagate 6 TB external hd - (simple volume with just mrimgs folder)

780

• 780 Win 7 Pro#2 (2TB hd)
• spare Seagate 2TB, 64 bit hd - 780 external hd (replaced with 6 TB hd)
• spare bootable Seagate 2TB , 64 bit hd for 780 with Win 7
• Seagate 6 TB external hd (simple volume with just mrimgs folder)

Win 10

• bootable Seagate 2TB, 64 bit hd for 8500 with Win 10
• bootable Seagate 2TB, 64 bit hd for 780 with Win 10
• spare 780 Win 10 (bootable?) <--------- were working on this hd

misc

• System X 300 GB hd - 780 original hd?
• Seagate 2TB hd - bad

At present, we on the spare spare 780 Win 10 hd but I have another
780 Win 10 hd that we could try if you want. I would have to
download FF and scan it with Windows Defender then install it
then repeat the process with Agent Ransack. If all goes well then
we can move forward. Otherwise it will have the same problems
as the present hd.

I just realized it didn't have a problem when we downloaded and
installed FF so why should it have a problem with Agent Ransack?

I also have spare 780 Win 7 hd's

Robert

_

On 12/20/2023 2:05 PM, Robert in CA wrote:
> There's two Admin Accounts, there's mine and
> another by the name of John. I have no idea
> where it came from. That's the Admin Account that's
> interfering with everything.
>
> As I said, the guy who refurbished the 780 or who did
> Win 10 upgrade put his account on all this I believe. I
> guess they didn't expect anyone to do what were doing
> and that's why all the pin numbers.
>
> You lost me,...even after I re-read your instructions,..
> all I got was you want me to go into safe mode. All
> this sounds very tricky,...and I'm getting confused at
> just what to do and where. I"m trying to follow along.
>
> btw I have another 780 Win 10 hd that may not be screwed
> up. We could put that in and see if it downloads the Agent
> Ransack without doing anything else.
>
> What do you think? What do you want me to do ?
>
> Robert
>

I was addressing a situation, where you had no Administrator
account, except the PIN-protected one (where you did not have the PIN).

If you have a Rob account belonging to administrators, none of
that is necessary.

You can remove the other account, using your administrator powers.

You can see in my example in that post, that I could log in as TEMP
and erase Bullwinkle account, or I could log in as Bullwinkle and
erase the TEMP account.

https://i.postimg.cc/cCvkCVtd/added-temp-administrators-account.gif

When you see the login screen, the accounts suitable for login,
should be on the left of the screen (when there are multiple of them).
You can select an account, and then enter the password or PIN
(whatever it says to enter, on the screen).

It's just that you were showing repeated lacks of an administrator
account, so I assumed you were locked out of administrator.

As long as you know where to select the Rob account at login time,
there should not be any more "PIN to elevate" messes.

And logging in as Rob the Administrator, you should be able to make
a Rob2 account which is un-elevated. That's if you want to run that way.
There would be three accounts on the side of the screen at login,
if this was your account setup. if you cannot get the stupid GUI to offer
the option, you can make a Rob2 from command line.

foreign-account Rob Rob2
Administrators administrators

NET USER Rob2 Rob2PasswordGoesHere /ADD # Make a Rob2, without using GUI

And without the second line to make Rob2 a member of the Administrators
group, it will remain un-elevated.

The recipe for adding an elevated user like the Rob account (the center one), goes like this.

NET USER Rob RobPasswordGoesHere /ADD

NET LOCALGROUP Administrators Rob /add # Don't forget the "s" on the end of Administrators

For removal, it's better to use a GUI for that. They use a legacy
interface "lusrmgr.msc" here, as one example. Using the GUI, you can
clean up the profile folder of that account at the same time (delete it).

https://www.technig.com/remove-user-profile-correctly/

Paul

The hack consists of using the Repair : Troubleshoot : Command Prompt on
a Win10 installer DVD, to carry out the replacement of "sethc.exe" with "cmd.exe".
This gives you permission to copy files in a sensitive area.

Then, by shift-restarting and selecting Safe Mode, that allows the computer
to come up without Windows Defender running and ruining the hack. Pressing
the shift key five times in quick succession, triggers sticky keys,
sethc.exe tries to run, but since it has been replaced with
a copy of cmd.exe, the cmd.exe runs, and it is running as administrator.
From the Command Prompt window, we can...

NET USER TEMP qwerty1 /ADD # Adding Account TEMP, Password qwerty1
NET LOCALGROUP Administrators TEMP /add # Don't forget the "s" on the end of Administrators

And that makes a new account belonging to the administrators group.
And it's all done without a PIN.

Later, you replace the fake "sethc.exe" with a copy of the real "sethc.exe".
I had to do that from the Windows 10 installer and Command Prompt, as well.
Doing it from the booted system, it likely would have needed TrustedInstaller.

I'm trying to follow along where I'm suppose to do the NET USER TEMP
and NET LOCAL GROUP,... I don't have a Win 10 installer DVD.

net user administrator /active:yes

Where do I find this out?

I tried to go in and view the user accounts
to see where we stand but there was no manage
accounts and then I tried the CMD prompt.
Does this help?

https://postimg.cc/yDBTSG7Z

https://postimg.cc/Q9pt5f8F

https://postimg.cc/K4D7hNPc

Robert

_

When I logon it doesn't show the other accounts
but I have seen them during this process when I
inadvertently signed out of the original account
when I couldn't figure out to logoff . It only asks
for my password now on the 780 and I had to reset
it because I had signed out.

Robert

On 12/20/2023 11:41 PM, Robert in CA wrote:
> The hack consists of using the Repair : Troubleshoot : Command Prompt on
> a Win10 installer DVD, to carry out the replacement of "sethc.exe" with "cmd.exe".
> This gives you permission to copy files in a sensitive area.
>
> Then, by shift-restarting and selecting Safe Mode, that allows the computer
> to come up without Windows Defender running and ruining the hack. Pressing
> the shift key five times in quick succession, triggers sticky keys,
> sethc.exe tries to run, but since it has been replaced with
> a copy of cmd.exe, the cmd.exe runs, and it is running as administrator.
> From the Command Prompt window, we can...
>
> NET USER TEMP qwerty1 /ADD # Adding Account TEMP, Password qwerty1
> NET LOCALGROUP Administrators TEMP /add # Don't forget the "s" on the end of Administrators
>
> And that makes a new account belonging to the administrators group.
> And it's all done without a PIN.
>
> Later, you replace the fake "sethc.exe" with a copy of the real "sethc.exe".
> I had to do that from the Windows 10 installer and Command Prompt, as well.
> Doing it from the booted system, it likely would have needed TrustedInstaller.
>
>
> I'm trying to follow along where I'm suppose to do the NET USER TEMP
> and NET LOCAL GROUP,... I don't have a Win 10 installer DVD.
>
> net user administrator /active:yes
>
> Where do I find this out?
>
> I tried to go in and view the user accounts
> to see where we stand but there was no manage
> accounts and then I tried the CMD prompt.
> Does this help?
>
>
> https://postimg.cc/yDBTSG7Z
>
> https://postimg.cc/Q9pt5f8F
>
> https://postimg.cc/K4D7hNPc
>
> Robert

You can list the details of each account.

net user administrator

Account active No # The account exists, but it is not turned on

net user bullwinkle # Used for file sharing.

Account active Yes
Local Group Memberships *Users

net user myLoginName # How the machine is administered.

Account active Yes
Local Group Memberships *Administrators *Users

Yes, you can learn things about the accounts that way.
For the last one, it makes no mention the account is
an MSA (cloud account). But the user is a member of the
administrators.

*******

This command (likely to need administrator terminal window)...

net user administrator /active:yes # Turns on the account, which is normally off.
net user administrator * # This prompts for a new password twice. Write this down!
# If using this account some time, you will need the password.
# The login menu will have a new "administrator"
# on the left of the screen, as a login option, if you do this.

That would change the status of the (real) administrator account to active.
There would be a home directory. It should have a password set.
There is no particular need to turn on that account. The machine
is perfectly in control with myLoginName.

That's to show that, yes, the machine has a real administrator,
but it isn't needed.

If you were to login as the "real administrator", you would be
elevated at all times, and this is bad for security. If you
were to run Firefox, Firefox would be running as administrator.

So while some people like this idea, it's not a good idea.

Paul

If I signed out of my account on the
780 then I would probably see the
other accounts but that Admin utility
that it showed on the CMD prompt
was the first time I had seen it.

It shows me as just a User

The other user is the same one with all the pin
number pop-ups and I keep getting backup
pop-ups, and macrium updates all running off
his account because I tried to remove Macrium
but it required a pin number because I'm not a
Admin Account like I thought I was.

You want me to do this on the CMD prompt?

I agree, I do not want to be on Admin Account
which is why I wanted to create a User Account
but in effect that's what were doing.

I just tried to do a CMD prompt as Administrator
and it again asked for the pin number.

How about this. Why don't I try and reset the pin
number like I did the password otherwise we aren't
going to be able to do anything. Somehow everything
is tied up with this other user account and its pin
number. So let me reset it.

Once you say OK then I can should be able to do
everything you want me to do.

Robert

_

The other option is to change hd's and put the other 780 Win 10 hd in
and see if it has the same problems or is OK and we can use it and set
up a User Account on it. I would first have to download FF, then Agent
Ransack, SeaMonkey and then we should be set to go.

But it should have Edge OS on it just like the current 780 did but
I wouldn't of signed off of it so there should be no passwords. It should
be like you say showing which Account you want to log into just like Win
7 and your link with Bullwinkle and yes I understand those accounts could
each delete one another because they are both Admin but I'm just a User
on the 780.

The only way around the problem as I see it is to let me change the pin
number. We can always try the other hd later.

Robert

I was thinking, instead of spending more time on the
780 Win 10 hd, we should start fresh and switch back
to the 780 Win 7 hd and set it up. It has a Admin Account
and a User Account so there should be no problems. It
also has Agent Ransack and a older version of Seamonkey.

I'm worried about the time element and were spending
too much time on the 780 Win 10 in trying to get it to
work and time is running out.

Once we have the Win 7 OS's set up on the 780 and 8500
and able to post via Seamonkey then we can return to the
Win 10 OS's and spend more time and get them to work.

Our main priority is to get SeaMonkey to work so we
don't loose communication and the Win 7 OS is our best
chance of doing that.

What do you think?
Robert

I was thinking, instead of spending more time on the
780 Win 10 hd, we should start fresh and switch back
to the 780 Win 7 hd and set it up. It has a Admin Account
and a User Account so there should be no problems.

I'm worried about the time element and were spending
too much time on the 780 Win 10 in trying to get it to
work.

Once we have the Win 7 OS's set up on the 780 and 8500
and abe to post via Seamonkey then we can return to the
Win 10 OS and get them to work.

Our main priority is to get SeaMonkey to work so we
don't loose communication.

What do you think?
Robert

_

On 12/21/2023 2:00 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> If I signed out of my account on the
> 780 then I would probably see the
> other accounts but that Admin utility
> that it showed on the CMD prompt
> was the first time I had seen it.
>
> It shows me as just a User
>
> The other user is the same one with all the pin
> number pop-ups and I keep getting backup
> pop-ups, and macrium updates all running off
> his account because I tried to remove Macrium
> but it required a pin number because I'm not a
> Admin Account like I thought I was.
>
> You want me to do this on the CMD prompt?
>
> I agree, I do not want to be on Admin Account
> which is why I wanted to create a User Account
> but in effect that's what were doing.
>
> I just tried to do a CMD prompt as Administrator
> and it again asked for the pin number.
>
> How about this. Why don't I try and reset the pin
> number like I did the password otherwise we aren't
> going to be able to do anything. Somehow everything
> is tied up with this other user account and its pin
> number. So let me reset it.
>
> Once you say OK then I can should be able to do
> everything you want me to do.
>
> Robert

The reset for the foreign MSA account, is going to go to
his email address. The recovery won't be delivered to you.

You still need to review your accounts carefully, to see
if *any* Rob account belongs to the administrators group.

I'm still not convinced you're in control of this OS.
You can't reset his PIN, unless you have access to his
email account.

*******

You can do a clean install of Windows 10 and start all over again.
The OS will license itself. and you will go through the
account process again. The first account made, will belong
to the administrators account.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html

Microsoft is full of tricks. For example:

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/220242d1547055749-clean-install-windows-10-a-msa-1.jpg

https://www.tenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/254328d1573398880-clean-install-windows-10-a-local_2c.png

You want "Offline account" in the lower-left corner.

In this one, it's the reverse sense, the lower-left corner is the
one to avoid, as the dialog is actually making a local account.

*******

The idea is, you make a local account first. If you want to add an MSA
to the machine, you can do that as a later signup step. When you do that,
the home directory name (in my case C:\user\bullwinkle) is defined by the
local account, and the MSA cannot then "steer" the name to something
stupid, like five letters extracted from your MSA email address.

That's why there is all the fuss about making the local account. So you
get your choice of name, and not Microsofts force-constructed name.

*******

If you don't want to do a Clean Install, then you can hack the machine,
using the article I showed you.

Paul

On 12/21/2023 2:10 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> The other option is to change hd's and put the other 780 Win 10 hd in
> and see if it has the same problems or is OK and we can use it and set
> up a User Account on it. I would first have to download FF, then Agent
> Ransack, SeaMonkey and then we should be set to go.
>
> But it should have Edge OS on it just like the current 780 did but
> I wouldn't of signed off of it so there should be no passwords. It should
> be like you say showing which Account you want to log into just like Win
> 7 and your link with Bullwinkle and yes I understand those accounts could
> each delete one another because they are both Admin but I'm just a User
> on the 780.
>
> The only way around the problem as I see it is to let me change the pin
> number. We can always try the other hd later.
>
> Robert
>

"see it is to let me change the pin"

He will likely get an email, indicating someone is changing that password.

Paul

On 12/21/2023 4:36 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
> I was thinking, instead of spending more time on the
> 780 Win 10 hd, we should start fresh and switch back
> to the 780 Win 7 hd and set it up. It has a Admin Account
> and a User Account so there should be no problems. It
> also has Agent Ransack and a older version of Seamonkey.
>
> I'm worried about the time element and were spending
> too much time on the 780 Win 10 in trying to get it to
> work and time is running out.
>
> Once we have the Win 7 OS's set up on the 780 and 8500
> and able to post via Seamonkey then we can return to the
> Win 10 OS's and spend more time and get them to work.
>
> Our main priority is to get SeaMonkey to work so we
> don't loose communication and the Win 7 OS is our best
> chance of doing that.
>
> What do you think?
> Robert
>

But you have a working setup from that perspective. Put
a label on the drive "working communications" and that's
what the drive is for. If you can post properly on it,
then that's your non-GG communication solution.

You had a Seamonkey working at one point. Is it still working ?

Paul

On 12/21/2023 4:39 AM, Robert in CA wrote:
>
> I was thinking, instead of spending more time on the
> 780 Win 10 hd, we should start fresh and switch back
> to the 780 Win 7 hd and set it up. It has a Admin Account
> and a User Account so there should be no problems.
>
> I'm worried about the time element and were spending
> too much time on the 780 Win 10 in trying to get it to
> work.
>
> Once we have the Win 7 OS's set up on the 780 and 8500
> and abe to post via Seamonkey then we can return to the
> Win 10 OS and get them to work.
>
> Our main priority is to get SeaMonkey to work so we
> don't loose communication.
>
> What do you think?
> Robert

They make software for brute-forcing the pin, but it
doesn't work if the TPM was used as part of the PIN setup.
When I set up a PIN on this machine, there is no evidence
the TPM was used for that. (A TPM has internal protected
storage for assets.)

https://www.passcape.com/windows_password_recovery_windows_hello_pin_recovery

I mean, it's a bit silly concept, but someone thinks they have
the code to do it. The last time I tried to crack a password with
free software, it said it would take 12 or 13 years to do it
(long password).

https://www.passcape.com/images/windows_hello_pin3.png

If you tried to force it through the normal login dialog...

"The TPM protects against a variety of known and potential attacks,
including PIN brute-force attacks. After too many incorrect guesses,
the device is locked."

But the machine probably does not have a TPM 2.0 so who knows
whether the OS used the older TPM at all, for anything on the 780.

These guys are good at it. On a 780, the PIN might well not be protected
by the TPM. If your Windows 10 machine has no functional TPM, then the
string needing cracking is in the SAM registry.

https://blog.elcomsoft.com/2022/08/windows-hello-no-tpm-no-security/

*******

While that's all amusing, let's get back to business.

You know how to set up Seamonkey now, and it won't take long to do
it on Windows 7. Your email should be on a separate piece of software,
and Seamonkey will just be for USENET News.

Paul