My dad is finally using the computer and email now. I am worried, because he forgot his password now, and I am afraid people go on his computer and mess with his settings. The computer has memorized his password for hotmail.

I am worried, either A) someone clears the information or B) like happened to me, hotmails ask for a verification of password for saftey. I tried using my account for a trial, to see if I can reset the password and it ask for Windows Live account. My father doesn't rememeber any of this information.

Is there anyone I can call at Microsoft to see if I can help my dad recover his password? He will be lost if somehow he can't access his hotmail account and I don't know what to do.

I would appreciate any help anyone can give me.

Thanks.

Where does your dad live that he is at risk of people going onto his computer and messing things up? :huh:

Create a new account, and set up the old one to forward all emails it gets to the new one. That way if you get locked out of the old one everything is fine.

I don't know if Hotmail has this feature, but I know Gmail does.

I don't even know what was said in the OP

This is the gist of what I got: your father no longer remembers his password, but it is saved in the web browser. You want to know how to recover the password

If using Firefox: Tools -> Options -> Security -> Saved Passwords -> Show Passwords -> Yes. You can now see all the passwords Firefox has stored

If using Chrome: Tools/Wrench icon -> Options -> Personal Stuff -> Show Saved Passwords

If using Internet Explorer: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial79.html OR http://techie-buzz.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-import-firefox-and-ie-bookmark-and-settings-into-google-chrome.html then follow the instructions for the chosen browser using the above steps. Proceed to stop using Internet Explorer (optional, but advisable). Internet Explorer doesn't have a proper password manager (passwords get stored encrypted in the registry), so if you can't learn to remember your passwords you are better off not using it.

Consider using a password manager in the future such as KeePass or LastPass. That way all you need to remember is a single master password.

If all else fails, there is the following: https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx. By selecting "forgot password" and proceeding to try to reset your password, there is an option for customer support (may only be available in the USA, though). Otherwise enter in the answer to the security question.


A better solution is to use an email client, thus making it so he can't get locked out. If someone can't remember one password, how will they remember two?

The point is they won't have to remember two. Once they set up the old email to forward all emails, they can completely forget about the old account.

My point was: he already forgot one, how long until he forgets the second one? If he just lets the browser remember the password, he can just as easily forget that one due to never entering it just like the first one. Fixing the problem without addressing the underlying issue only leads to the problem reoccurring. Email clients have a built-in password manager, so even if he forgets, he can always pull it up.

Thank you guys so much. My Dad has a hard time learning all this computer stuff, so when the kids come over, mine, or other people come over and use Hotmail, or Facebook, people keep changing his settings and he gets upset since it wasn't the same that he is use to.

I will do as you guys have suggested. I will try and use Chrome, since I am sort of fimiliar with that one.

Thank you all, I apprciate it for helping me out.

*edit*

I am using chrome, I hit the wrench, picked options choose Personal Stuff, but I do not see "Show Pass Words". Am I doing something wrong, or I don't have the latest version, or should I use Fire Fox?

Your dad sounds like a very generous and trusting person. If he's not net savvy then it's best he guards his computer as he would his wallet.



You should be able to see the pass word by clicking on the "manage saved passwords", click on whatever line you need to recover, then select "show".

I haven't gotten to my Dads computer yet, practicing on my computer, so I don't screw anything up. So far I am not having any luck. I have used Fireforx, I imported the stuff from MS Explorer, I did this If using Firefox: Tools -> Options -> Security -> Saved Passwords -> Show Passwords -> Yes. You can now see all the passwords Firefox has stored, and I all I see is an empty screen. What should I do now?

*edit* Ok, I see how it works, I have to go to the site first, and enter the password. Thing is, my Dad doesn't rememeber the password so how can I enter it? I thought when we imported it from MS Explorer it would have saved the passwords as well. Does importing take the passwords as well or not?

**edit again**

Now I see, when I import, I don't have the option for saved pass words. Is this option gone now? What can I do, install an earlier version? Anyone know where I can get an earlier verison?

Is your dad always logged in on his computer, or is he logged out with the email address and password filled in as a bunch of asterisks (those black circly things)

When my Dad's computer is off, he turns it on, waits for it to reboot, and just clicks the explorer icon, and has hotmail favorured. He just clicks on enter since his password and login name is already entered and saved. So I believe the ***** is already entered for him.

http://aksn1p3r.blogspot.com/2009/12/password-asterisk-revealer-firefox.html

To clarify, this stuff:

javascript:(function(){var s,F,j,f,i;s="";F=document.forms;for(j=0;j

It'll uncover any password hidden by asterisks

Proceed to use Firefox or Chrome so you can use their password manager so this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN


To break it down into every little step:

1. Turn on his computer

2. Click on the Internet Explorer icon

3. Go to the hotmail log in screen

4. DON'T LOG IN!

5. Paste the javascript in the codebox into the URL bar

6. Immediately after pasting, hit enter (as in: while the curser is still blinking in the URL bar)

7. A message box should appear with your password in it. Write it down

8. Download and install Firefox and have it remember all your passwords.												

Thank you Defron, I will try this next time I am at my Dads. Thank you very much.

Still having problems Defron. I tried using my old computer that had XP on it, just like my Dad's computer. I go to hot mail, but it will not work for me. If I click on my sons account (wich is remembered) if I click on it, it logs me in automatcially. I log out, so I tried again without clicking on it, and enter the code like you told me to do, and it doesn't work.

It works on other forums so I can see how it works. It will not work on the Bethesda forums. So is there something I am missing on Hotmail?

That bookmarklet only works if the asterisks are showing, which they aren't by default on Hotmail (because hotmail is [censored]). You need to click "Sign in with a different Windows Live ID". Then, hopefully you will see the asterisks. If you don't, then IE doesn't actually know your password, but rather a persistent cookie is keeping you logged in.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/internet_explorer_password.html. I make no promises on the quality of said program, though as I've never used it.

In the end, I can't stress this enough: create a password system for memorizing your passwords and use a bloody password manager if you are incompetent at remembering your passwords. Internet Explorer, no matter your thoughts of it in other aspects, is piss-poor in the password management field, so don't use it.

thanks again Defron, I will see if my Dad will want to use a password manager. He gets frustrated easily espcially when it comes to cmputers, so hopefully everything will work out fine.

Thank you so much for your patience.

No, he doesn't have a choice, you force him to use a password manager. Disable Internet Explorer and install another browser