Solved! Windows 8 Laptop won't let me boot off of CD/DVD?

[BirdOfSteel]

I have a Windows 8 laptop from a few years back. I am the only account (administrator). I want to retrieve the data from it, but I forgot the password to it. To remedy, I tried using some types of Windows Password Recovery/Reset software, such as Ophcrack, and Hiren's BootCD.

After burning Ophcrack onto the flash drive, I put it into the laptop, went to the BIOS, and selected it to boot from the flash drive. It didn't work, so I restarted the laptop and then tried again; only this time to have it not give me the option to boot off of anything but the HDD. I tried several times again, but it didn't work. Neither did using a DVD with Hiren's BootCD burned onto it.

I don't know if this helps with anything but it tells me that the laptop is offline and that I should use the last used password to sign in.

Now I know it detects it, because the BIOS showed the name of it. It just didn't show it as an option to boot off of. Any ideas unto why this is happening/how I can fix it? Thanks!

 

[Petrossa]

Regarding your password, it sounds like that system is set up to use a Microsoft account to log in with. Try connecting it to the Internet and then entering your current Microsoft account password, otherwise try one of the previous ones you might remember. 1st prize though is getting it online and using the current Microsoft account password.

 

[rgd1101]

read http/www.tomsguide.com/forum/id-2317969/read-passwords-lock-codes-pin-numbers.html