My music partner has Vista Home on her laptop. She has brought it over to my studio so that I may load some programs into it. I did with no problem. She has never had to use a password before. This time it asked for one and we tried all combo's to get in, but, to no avail. I read that a USB stick can be used to change the password. Do you think this is the way to go ?

When it asks for a password just hit 'enter' leaving it blank.

Or just type 'password'... the hackers will NEVER think of that!

Enter with"password" in the box, or blank does not do, now. It used to.

I used to transfer files quite easily between my desktop (Vista) and wife's laptop (XP) over our home wireless network.
From about 3 months ago whenever I try to access a folder or transfer a small window pops up asking for a password.
Because I never set it up for a password in the first place I don't have a clue what it should be. Pressing enter didn't work, maybe next time I'll try password- can't remember if I did already

John

Is it Windows log-on password after powering-up the computer, or network log-on password? If you friend didn't set-up the password then it shouldn't be there, someone might be 'playing' with her laptop when she wasn't watching. For Windows XP there are utilities for finding out the boot password, or resetting it to none, and it works both from CD or from memory-stick, You might try that, or find something similar for Vista.

In my case both computers continue to boot up as desired without passwords.
The time I get a password window is when I try to access or alter data in wife's computer, from my own desktop computer over the wireless network. (Both are already up and running). I wondered if the change occurred due to some Windows security updates.

Thanks for the hint about utilities.

John

John,

It is normal behavior for Windows (XP and Vista). Most of the home users doesn't put any password after installing Windows, but when You are logging-on to the same computer through the network, Windows require password, so the solution is simple:

When You boot-up to the Windows, go to the Control Panel, and create the password for that user (the one You use to boot-up the computer), or create another user with the password and use this user for network connection.

OK Kalimero, thanks.
I may well have to do that.
The thing that throws me is that for about a year I could see and alter files in one computer from a second PC no problem and there was no hint of a logging in process. All shared files would appear just as if in a window of Windows Explorer.
Now, as you say, a logging in process is demanded so something for me at least has changed.

John