Help with "borging" new computer
 

Hello all,

I have inherited a PC from a friend who never used it. She got it from a friend who had to move out of country for work and didn't want to take the machine with him. It is somewhat old (4-5 years). Unfortunately, the previous user did not have a guest account and the only account is locked with a password. The OS is Windows 7 Professional. Is there any way around this conundrum? Google so far has not been a help- probably because I am not using the correct key words. Everyone I've come across so far implies that I need to be able to sign in to the current account. I just want to use the computer to run LL tests. Thanks!

Kyle

Edit: Because I inherited the computer I do not have any password reset disc that the original owner may have created.

Probably an easier way, but this may work: [url]http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/reset-password-windows-7.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.agix.com.au/blog/?p=2816[/url]

gives a way to use knoppix and chntpw

Anyway, search for knoppix and win7 passwords. :geek:

[QUOTE=Primeinator;387936]I just want to use the computer to run LL tests.[/QUOTE]

Ditch Windows and install Linux (maybe Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Mint, Puppy, etc.). Any of these should let you ignore the existing Windows installation, reformat the hard drive, and then [URL="http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpost.php?p=262805&postcount=3"]run GIMPS in an automated fashion[/URL].

[QUOTE=wombatman;387937]Probably an easier way, but this may work: [url]http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/reset-password-windows-7.htm[/url][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=paulunderwood;387938][url]http://www.agix.com.au/blog/?p=2816[/url]

gives a way to use knoppix and chntpw

Anyway, search for knoppix and win7 passwords. :geek:[/QUOTE]

I have managed to overcome the password on the user account (cue evil laughter). Unfortunately, I am with another problem. The driver to recognize the WiFi does not appear to be installed; however, there is an antenna to receive WiFi in the back of the mini-tower. How do I go about setting up and installing a WiFi driver with no Internet?

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;387941]Ditch Windows and install Linux (maybe Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Mint, Puppy, etc.). Any of these should let you ignore the existing Windows installation, reformat the hard drive, and then [URL="http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpost.php?p=262805&postcount=3"]run GIMPS in an automated fashion[/URL].[/QUOTE]

Could I do the above with your suggestion, Mini-Geek? In addition, the CD ROM drive appears to be broken- I cannot get it to open and there is some kind of disc in it.

Lastly, I think this is going to be VERY slow at running LL tests. I only vaguely recognize the name of the processor. -- Intel Atom. I need to look up a benchmark. It may not even be worth running tests.

IMHO, Atom=not worth running LL tests. Edit: Slower than Pentium 3.
Depending on the Atom model, it can be just fine for light office use.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;387956]I have managed to overcome the password on the user account (cue evil laughter). Unfortunately, I am with another problem. The driver to recognize the WiFi does not appear to be installed; however, there is an antenna to receive WiFi in the back of the mini-tower. How do I go about setting up and installing a WiFi driver with no Internet?



Could I do the above with your suggestion, Mini-Geek? In addition, the CD ROM drive appears to be broken- I cannot get it to open and there is some kind of disc in it.

Lastly, I think this is going to be VERY slow at running LL tests. I only vaguely recognize the name of the processor. -- Intel Atom. I need to look up a benchmark. It may not even be worth running tests.[/QUOTE]

Presumably USB is working, so you don't really need a CD-ROM.

Identify your wifi -- in Linux this is done with "lspci" meaning list pci. In Windows you have do some clicking somewhere to identify the hardware installed without a driver. Then download the correct Windows driver from the manufacturer's website, to a usb stick or use a cat5 cable; and install the driver. :smile:

[QUOTE=Primeinator;387956] In addition, the CD ROM drive appears to be broken- I cannot get it to open and there is some kind of disc in it.[/QUOTE]Look for a small hole in the front panel of the CD drive. Usually it is a mechanical release that a straightened paper clip can be pushed into to cause the disk tray to unlatch and pop foward. I usually do this with power off, just in case, because the paper clip is conductive. Infrequently it is an electronic switch that needs power on but that is usually with strange smart devices.

Depending on the size of the hard drive, I often install linux on such a machine in a manner which resizes the Windows partition and then installs linux within the free space created. The machine becomes a dual boot, which defaults to the linux OS. This (usually) preserves the Windows OS, in case you want to do further experiments at a later time.

To do such an installation, once you have a method (DVD/USB) and are using the GUI installer, you should see an option to install the linux distro along side the Windows installation. You will then need to choose how much space to allocate to either side.

[QUOTE=sdbardwick;387957]IMHO, Atom=not worth running LL tests. Edit: Slower than Pentium 3.
Depending on the Atom model, it can be just fine for light office use.[/QUOTE]

I was afraid of this. Started an LL test and it gave an estimate of about 3.5 years for a 21-million-digit number. Interestingly, this did not change between running one worker and two workers. The processor is also hyperthreaded. I doubt anything I could do would bring the ETC under 1 year. I will have to look at what the motherboard is and see if it is compatible with a more powerful processor. Then I will think about purchasing a low-end processor to put into it. To be passable at LL testing it may also require faster RAM (It is DDR2 and maybe only 800 MHz) and probably a new motherboard. What would low-end versions of all of these be? Capable of finishing an LL test in 2-4 months?

[QUOTE=paulunderwood;387960]Presumably USB is working, so you don't really need a CD-ROM.

Identify your wifi -- in Linux this is done with "lspci" meaning list pci. In Windows you have do some clicking somewhere to identify the hardware installed without a driver. Then download the correct Windows driver from the manufacturer's website, to a usb stick or use a cat5 cable; and install the driver. :smile:[/QUOTE]

Somehow I got the Internet to work- but just going to the control center and plugging in an Ethernet able I found. What's weird is IT SHOULD NOT. What network was it connecting to? All of the ones around me are protected and I hadn't put in any password. I had it connect to my own network and entered the password instead

[QUOTE=only_human;387969]Look for a small hole in the front panel of the CD drive. Usually it is a mechanical release that a straightened paper clip can be pushed into to cause the disk tray to unlatch and pop foward. I usually do this with power off, just in case, because the paper clip is conductive. Infrequently it is an electronic switch that needs power on but that is usually with strange smart devices.[/QUOTE]

Okay. I will try this when I get home in the next day or two. Thanks.

Atom boards are their own socket- you cannot replace the CPU with a normal Core chip. I doubt even a current "nice" Atom is worth your time. Memory, likewise- it is whatever it is, and different generations of memory (say, DDR3 vs DDR2) are not interchangeable.

The Atom CPU was designed primarily for netbook use- super low-power draw, but very slow. I suppose you could salvage the case/disk/memory by buying a used Core2Quad chip and board for $100ish, but even then the power supply might not be up to the task to run the CPU.

I think this machine is best given to e.g. a friend's child.

[QUOTE=VBCurtis;388021]Atom boards are their own socket- you cannot replace the CPU with a normal Core chip. I doubt even a current "nice" Atom is worth your time. Memory, likewise- it is whatever it is, and different generations of memory (say, DDR3 vs DDR2) are not interchangeable.

The Atom CPU was designed primarily for netbook use- super low-power draw, but very slow. I suppose you could salvage the case/disk/memory by buying a used Core2Quad chip and board for $100ish, but even then the power supply might not be up to the task to run the CPU.

I think this machine is best given to e.g. a friend's child.[/QUOTE]

I thought about giving it to a friend's child but alas they are all too young for the time being. 100 dollars is cheaper than I thought for replacing the board and CPU. I assume I could also find a cheap PSU? There is a "hole" in the back of the case where it would go and the fact that it didn't have one really confused the IT people at MicroCenter for a while.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;388066]I thought about giving it to a friend's child but alas they are all too young for the time being. 100 dollars is cheaper than I thought for replacing the board and CPU. I assume I could also find a cheap PSU? There is a "hole" in the back of the case where it would go and the fact that it didn't have one really confused the IT people at MicroCenter for a while.[/QUOTE]

If it has a PCIe slot, it might be cheaper to pick up a used graphics card and run mfakt*. Make sure the power supply has the right connectors for the card.

At some point it might be worthwhile to ask if it is worth trying to upgrade if only the case, HDD, and possible optical drive are all you are carrying over. Also, you should be sure that the case will accommodate an ATX or mATX board. This would include mounting positions (standoffs) and alignment of card slots with the openings in the case.