I understand that Best Buy helped out your friend and her problem is resolved.
Apparently, you can create a recovery disk from a pc or laptop that will help you reset the password yourself.  Of course, this needs to be done before you have a problem.  You might be able to create a disk on another pc or laptop that will work on yours.  You can also set up an administrator password that will let you get in if you forget your own password.  Probably writing that down somewhere, possibly with the disks or manuals, if any came with the device, would be a good place to save it, rather than under your desk blotter.
Paul Hachmeyer   

-----Original Message-----
From: Personal Computer Hardware discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dean Kukral
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2014 7:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCBUILD] Getting around a PC password

My friend tells me that her HP Pavillion laptop will not recognize the password that she's been using since new.

How can she get into her pc without the password?  As I understand it, it's pretty easy.  ( I have no need for passwords on my computers, so this is new to me.)

I think that she's  using Windows 7.

She says that she doesn't have a disk!

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