DEVICE PASSWORDS AND ONLINE ACCOUNT PASSWORD RESETS
Gaining access after being locked out
Everything has a password or security code these days! With so many to remember it's no wonder that people occasionally forget their Windows logon password or the password they set for their Outlook e-mail a year ago. Luckily these passwords are easy to recover or reset in most instances. Whether you're locked out of Windows, forgot the password to your Excel or Word document, or need to recover a starred password (disguised by *****) stored in Internet Browser or some other program, chances are we can help you. We may also be able to recover passwords for other types of programs and files; ask us and we'll let you know.
Be mindful that proof of ownership is required for Operating System and Device Firmware passwords.
COMMON PASSWORD SERVICES
PERFORMED IN STOKES COUNTY, NC
WINDOWS LOGIN - PASSWORD REMOVAL
If you have become locked out your Windows Operating System and do not know the Administrative Password a series of third party tools can be used to remove the password. We do require that the customer provide proof of ownership of the device before we can return the system. This proof of ownership may be as simple as a State issued ID that matches the user name or knowing the content of files on the system.
MICROSOFT ACCOUNT - PASSWORD RESET
If your Windows device is associated with a Microsoft Account your password recovery options are usually easier, assuming recovery options have been set. If recovery options were not set additional tools can be used to bypass the account while still being able to retain personal files.
MAC OS LOGIN - PASSWORD REMOVAL
If you have become locked out your Mac OSX or OS11 Operating System and do not know the Administrative Password a series of third party tools can be used to remove the password. We do require that the customer provide proof of ownership of the device before we can return the system. This proof of ownership may be as simple as a State issued ID that matches the user name or knowing the content of files on the system.
APPLE ICLOUD ACCOUNT - PASSWORD RESET
If your Mac OSX or OS11 device is associated with an Apple iCloud Account your password recovery options are usually easier, assuming recovery options have been set. If recovery options were not set additional tools can be used to bypass the account while still being able to retain personal files. This is assuming disk encryption tools like File Vault have not been enabled.
CHROMEBOOK LOGIN - PASSWORD RESET
Google Chromebooks are bound to your Google Gmail Account. Password recovery is relatively simple and just require your Google Account to be reset. Depending on your recovery options this can be accomplished in a few minutes.
ONLINE ACCOUNT RESET
If you are unable to login to your Social Media, Shopping or Banking Accounts we can assist with helping reset the password and enabling 2 Factor Authentication to secure the account in the future, while also make password resets easier for you in the future. Sometimes account password resets take a technician down a rabbit hole of having to unlock multiple e-mail addresses as most users have forgotten the passwords to those old e-mail accounts used in the late 90's and early 2000's (Yes you: AOL, Yahoo, and Earthlink) that may be set as the primary recovery method.
PASSWORD MANAGERS
Password Managers are tools or plugins that remember your user name and passwords for specific websites. The beauty of a Password Manager is it allows you to have complex and unique passwords for each online account. You simply need to remember the Master Password to unlock the plugin to enter this information. We can review over the different Password Managers that exist and which product will work best for your individual needs.
PASSWORD TIPS
I lost my password! Do I have to set up a whole new account now?
No. The good news is, most online services provide a password retrieval option. If you’re not sure how to access password retrieval for any of your services, we can help.
I write all my passwords down in a little notebook. Is that secure?
Well, it’s better than writing them down in a note file on your computer! But no, it’s not really the best choice for securing your important passwords, especially passwords which would permit an intruder to access your banking or other financial services.
The safest option is either to set passwords you can easily remember or have us install a password manager on your system. Password managers protect your passwords behind strong encryption algorithms. All you have to do is remember one password to unlock the password manager. This is the best way to keep your data safe.
Why can’t I just use one password for all my accounts?
The reason this is a bad idea is simple. Hackers only need to find one of your passwords to access all your services. So if you use the same password for your Netflix account, your bank and your local library, a hacker only needs to find your password on your local library’s (probably fairly basic) server to have access to all your important data.
Ideally, you should have a unique password for every single service you use, and especially for important things like banking.
Can’t I just use a simple password, like my pet’s name? No-one will know that!
Most passwords aren’t cracked by a human. Instead, a hacker will use a computer to guess millions of passwords each second.
A seven-character password can be hacked by a computer in less than 5 seconds. An 8 character password requires about 5 hours. Often this single character difference alone is enough to stop everything but a truly determined hacker.
But here’s the thing. This same super powerful computer would require a decade to crack an 11 character code and two hundred years to crack a 12 character code.
The point is, simple, short words won’t cut it. To be safe, you need a password of 11 or more characters.