How can I reset a windows 7 PC with a domain?

[Orika]

Hello, I've recently got a PC off eBay and its some type of business PC and I don't know any passwords, I also can't get into the F8 menu. Can anyone help?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just do a fresh install from a usb or dvd installer?

 

You probably shouldn't be running windows 7 these days anyways, get a copy of windows 10 on there if you want windows.

 

You don't want to reuse the install on there. You don't know what software it has, and what data its sending back or what they control on the system.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Reinstall Windows, you don't want to be using the existing install anyway and shouldn't be using W7 unless you plan on buying an ESU license. 

 

As for getting into the BIOS/UEFI, try holding down F2, F8 or Del as the system boots. If any fast boot is enabled, holding it down should let you in to the BIOS/UEFI. 

[Windows7ge]

If the BIOS is locked or if fastboot is enabled making getting in very hard you can reset the BIOS by finding the jumper on the motherboard or by removing power from the wall and pulling the CMOS batter for a little while. This will restore BIOS default.

 

From here I would just re-install windows fresh if you have no use for what exists on the system.

 

However if you really don't want to do that systems setup on a domain still have a local account. You can reset the local account password to something else using a number of methods:

 

 

IMO though, I'd get up to date with Windows 10 and just wipe the drive clean.

[Kisai]

1 hour ago, Orika said:

Hello, I've recently got a PC off eBay and its some type of business PC and I don't know any passwords, I also can't get into the F8 menu. Can anyone help?

You can't.

 

First of all, make sure it's not stolen. If it's more than 4 years old, it probably doesn't matter. Employees shouldn't be selling their systems on eBay. Look for an asset tag on it (foil, paper, written in the BIOS, etc.) If there is no asset tag on it, then it's probably not asset tracked, and wiping it is probably safe. If it's new/new-ish, the machine's own serial number will say it has warranty time left. If it's asset tracked and new, it's likely stolen, and might have the ME enabled even if you wipe it.

 

Second, you can use what's known as a "lock smith" tool to reset the administrative password and login to it. However Enterprise versions of Windows will deactivate if they're not on their domain after X amount of days, so you can not use this version of the OS on it regardless. Wipe the drive and install a retail version of Windows 10 on it from a flash drive, or see if the OEM has an install image for it (eg Dell has a BiosConnect method for this if the firmware is from the last year or so.)

 

Third, and this is mostly a "Buyer Beware" thing, if the ME or the OEM's partnered anti-theft software was activated, it may still come back and bite you. Which is why you absolutely need to get into the BIOS. Enterprises that dispose of hardware properly, wipe the hard drive.

[NovaNightmare]

1 hour ago, Orika said:

Hello, I've recently got a PC off eBay and its some type of business PC and I don't know any passwords, I also can't get into the F8 menu. Can anyone help?

Off of the assumption that you neither stole it, and you obtained it legally

 

Hiren's Boot CD - boot into that, and use the function that will enable the Administrator account, as well as blank the password. 

 

On the assumption that the lost logged in user is a domain user, choose to login as "other" and click the "How do I login to another domain" or something to that affect below the login fields. It will tell you what the computer name is.

 

Use the computer name (whatever it is) in the login name, like this computer-name\Administrator and the password would be blank, then you are logged in. Wipe the computer or try and do a free upgrade to Windows 10 (may still work).

 

Additionally, you may need to use jumpers, or remove the battery from the MB to reset the bios.