GUIDE TO (mostly) HARMLESS HACKING
Beginners' Series #2, Section Two.
Hacking into Windows
95 (and a little bit of NT lore)! (This
lesson also works on Windows 98 and ME!)
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Important warning: this is a beginners lesson. BEGINNERS.
Will all you geniuses who were born already knowing 32-bit Windows
just skip reading this one, OK? We don't need to hear how disgusted
you are that not everyone already knows this.
PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED!
This lesson will lay the foundation for learning how to hack
what now is the most commonly installed workstation operating
system: Windows NT. In fact, Windows NT is coming into wide use
as a local area network (LAN), Internet, intranet, and Web server.
So if you want to call yourself a serious hacker, you'd better
get a firm grasp on Win NT.
In this lesson you will learn serious hacking techniques useful
on both Windows 95 and Win NT systems while playing in complete
safety on your own computer.
In this lesson we explore:
· Several ways to hack your Windows 95 logon password
· How to hack your Pentium CMOS password
· How to hack a Windows Registry -- which is where access
control on Windows-based LANs, intranets and Internet and Webs
servers are hidden!
Let's set the stage for this lesson. You have your buddies
over to your home to see you hack on your Windows 95 box. You've
already put in a really industrial haxor-looking bootup screen,
so they are already trembling at the thought of what a tremendously
elite d00d you are. So what do you do next?
How about clicking on "Start," clicking "settings"
then "control panel" then "passwords." Tell
your friends your password and get them to enter a secret new
one. Then shut down your computer and tell them you are about
to show them how fast you can break their password and get back
into your own box!
This feat is so easy I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how
it's done. That's because you'll say "Sheesh, you call that
password protection? Any idiot can break into a Win 95 box! And
of course you're right. But that's the Micro$oft way. Remember
this next time you expect to keep something on your Win95 box
confidential.
And when it comes time to learn Win NT hacking, remember this
Micro$oft security mindset. The funny thing is that very few
hackers mess with NT today because they're all busy cracking
into Unix boxes. But there are countless amazing Win NT exploits
just waiting to be discovered. Once you see how easy it is to
break into your Win 95 box, you'll feel in your bones that even
without us holding your hand, you could discover ways to crack
Win NT boxes, too.
But back to your buddies waiting to see what an elite hacker
you are. Maybe you'll want them to turn their backs so all they
know is you can break into a Win95 box in less than one minute.
Or maybe you'll be a nice guy and show them exactly how it's
done.
But first, here's a warning. The first few techniques we're
showing work on most home Win 95 installations. But, especially
in corporate local area networks (LANs), several of these techniques
don't work. But never fear, in this lesson we will cover enough
ways to break in that you will be able to gain control of absolutely
*any* Win 95 box to which you have physical access. But we'll
start with the easy ways first.
Easy Win 95 Breakin #1:
Step one: boot up your computer.
Step two: When the "system configuration" screen
comes up, press the "F5" key. If your system doesn't
show this screen, just keep on pressing the F5 key.
If your Win 95 has the right settings, this boots you into
"safe mode." Everything looks weird, but you don't
have to give your password and you still can run your programs.
Too easy! OK, if you want to do something that looks a little
classier, here's another way to evade that new password.
More Beginners' Guide #3--->>
