Root Access

Gypsy Spellweaver

07:00

@JourneymanGeek Smallest in use is 320gb SATA. I'd love to go SSD, or at least a hybrid for /boot, but price point just don't justify it yet. Need the space more than I need the speed.

Journeyman Geek

@GypsySpellweaver I think I paid something like 50 cents a gig on those

and for a upgrade on older boxen, its quite magical

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek I'll bet! I don't reboot more than I have to now cause it keeps loosing the video card and HDDs every so often. Have to keep power-cycling until it works. Royal PITA.

Journeyman Geek

0_0

djsmiley2k

screw that idea :/

i only keep hardware that works D:

Gypsy Spellweaver

Can't really complain too much though. Dozen years of faithful service ain't too bad, considering the hard life most of my equipment suffers.

@djsmiley2k That's why I'm working on a new build.

Journeyman Geek

07:07

._. I can't get this to USB boot. There is a passwordless secondary account I forgot about

djsmiley2k

@JourneymanGeek :(*

bios reset time?

Journeyman Geek

@djsmiley2k might be that specific usb key

djsmiley2k

ah

got a known good one for booting?

Journeyman Geek

that was my known good one ;p

djsmiley2k

lol trump got blocked again

Journeyman Geek

07:09

anyway, I want to confirm this runs first

djsmiley2k

URgggh

could do with a quiet day at work today, I so know I'm not going to get that tho :(

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek Are you sure that the "totally useless password password" wasn't 'password'?

Journeyman Geek

tried that

and password password

and useless

Gypsy Spellweaver

Know anyone, back then, that was totally useless?

Journeyman Geek

nope

and it should be to prevent people from casually logging in

djsmiley2k

07:16

soooooooo can it boot without the usb device? does it actually 'work' ?

/me is confused now

Gypsy Spellweaver

Next time make the hint less "useless" :D.

Journeyman Geek

@djsmiley2k I can boot into the hard drive. I can log in with a non admin account. I'm locked out of the admin account

djsmiley2k

oh

get the nt password reset cd?

/me has that at all times... cough

Gypsy Spellweaver

Did Win 10 ask for a pass if it didn't have one?

djsmiley2k

@GypsySpellweaver no it doesn't

you click 'sign in' and it signs in

Journeyman Geek

07:17

its using an old account

AFK, walkies ._.

I'll beat this into working later

Gypsy Spellweaver

Is the pass the same as the user?

djsmiley2k

^^

or like '1'

Gypsy Spellweaver

That would be useless

djsmiley2k

'totally useless password' is actually almost quite good.

Journeyman Geek

clearly I have outsmarted myself

yeah I've not tried the username as a password

Gypsy Spellweaver

07:19

@JourneymanGeek Proves how well you know yourself.

"Admin"

Journeyman Geek

If all else fails, I can pre-prepare a linux disk and pick that as a boot device

djsmiley2k

Password

caps....

Journeyman Geek

tried

djsmiley2k

or just '.'

so many 'simple' solutions :/

anyway, walkies

Journeyman Geek

roomie has changed his mind ._.

Gypsy Spellweaver

07:22

@JourneymanGeek Why? Did he soil the other one?

Journeyman Geek

naw

roomie does not ever go toilet on the floor

He considers it dishonourable and unworthy

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek Sounds like a good dog to me.

djsmiley2k

:D

Journeyman Geek

If the password is woof...

djsmiley2k

rofl

Journeyman Geek

07:24

no

Tried every variation of password and my common passwords

Bob

@TOWMN visible burn in on the status bar :( dammit AMOLED

Journeyman Geek

Tried both title and lowercase.

Hm.

Bob

@JourneymanGeek have anything bootable? any old Windows install disc would work

the ol' cmd narrator trick :P

@GypsySpellweaver I get annoyed at the required hint and type a single space. one of these days that's gonna bite me

Journeyman Geek

@Bob I don't really have any optical disks in use

Bob

T568A, T568B...

!!standards

ChatBot John Cavil

07:36

Fortunately, the charging one has been solved now that we've all standardized on mini-USB. Or is it micro-USB? Shit.

Journeyman Geek

OH

.... optical drive is busted

Bob

:S

Journeyman Geek

I can mount the hard drive in another system in theory

You want to do the hacked accessibility tool trick?

ah

I found the problem

I think you gave me an idea

Bob

@JourneymanGeek ya, that's my go-to

Journeyman Geek

It didn't work on my r60

and that gave more useful error messages

Bob

07:47

@JourneymanGeek it always works :P

assuming no disk encryption

Rahul2001

Hey!

Bob

slightly fiddly on 10 but doable

Rahul2001

3 down, 2 to go. Bloody exams.

Journeyman Geek

@Bob oh, I just realised I have no way of actually checking if the boot disk was fine

Rahul2001

Students from my school fighting to be able to hug: youthkiawaaz.com/2017/03/the-no-touch-policy

Gypsy Spellweaver

07:52

@JourneymanGeek Finally found the manual for my PSU, does have 8-pin +12V. WooHoo! drive.google.com/file/d/0B9XEw3a3QXDJRkJ6SXpMZHpKS28/…

Journeyman Geek

@Bob heh, got the dvd drive running and the random, dodgy dvd I picked up might have chntpw

or I presumably could burn a disk

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver that's... an unusually modern looking psu for 2004

Journeyman Geek

the manual says 2008 ;p

Bob

I like how it's max 80% efficient :P

Gypsy Spellweaver

Had to take the manual I could find. But the pics match the back of the unit and the spec label on the side. so close enough

Bob

07:56

a modern psu is usually min 80%

@GypsySpellweaver so, since it's modular... do you actually have an EATX12V cable around?

Gypsy Spellweaver

I was feeling generous to myself back then

Bob

hmm. I smell shenanigans

2004 with 8-pin PCIe too?

Gypsy Spellweaver

That's what's plugged in, flat black, pair of 4-conductor going to 8-pin plug

Tiger direct was my source back then

Bob

hmm. should work then?

Gypsy Spellweaver

Probably closer to 2005/6 winter

did some overhaul about that time

Looks like it can handle a modern mobo :D more ¥ for other things. OR sooner built.

Bob

07:59

ah that makes more sense

PCIe was very new at that time

Gypsy Spellweaver

I had to make sure my FX-62 had a nice home didn't I?

No cats, no wife, just me and my computer.

Probably have to get more SATA cables though, these been spliced and split a few times.

Journeyman Geek

"spliced and split" 0_0

I rarely do bleeding edge hardware

Gypsy Spellweaver

Add a molex, drop a SATA, replace a SATA, drop a molex, etc.

Journeyman Geek

Never had the budget nor appetite for risk

@Bob found cds, loaded up chntpw

Gypsy Spellweaver

Was being nice to myself while coming out of some rough spots. Now I ain't got the budget, but need to replace this box. Hopefully before it goes belly-up for good. Don't need super power or speed, but would like to have some longevity.

Journeyman Geek

08:08

yeah, I know the feeling

that's roughly how I ended up with dual 4k and a high end video card

Gypsy Spellweaver

Had a pair of 1920x1200 24"s till one grew legs, had to pull the old Compaq 17" out of the parts bucket to keep dual-head. Need my screen real estate.

Journeyman Geek

hm, pretty sure the video card on this is failing

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek Still in the 2007 box?

Journeyman Geek

yup

I need to boot into the OS to shut it down sans fastboot

then change the password

skill patrol

Anyone interested in March madness in here?

Journeyman Geek

08:14

what?

skill patrol

College basketball :-)

Gypsy Spellweaver

Not without some pyrotechnics

skill patrol

They'll be plenty of fireworks at the final

Gypsy Spellweaver

Crash and burn by choice

Only sport I got any use for is le'sport

skill patrol

Tour de France?

Gypsy Spellweaver

08:18

@skillpatrol Wrong

skill patrol

:(

Gypsy Spellweaver

@Rahul2001 Good luck with that, wish you all the best. I concur, but I'll keep the rest of my thoughts to myself. Just know they're on your side.

Journeyman Geek

hm

Rahul2001

@GypsySpellweaver :-)

Journeyman Geek

screen keeps going dark just before the login screen

Gypsy Spellweaver

08:23

Might be the card, sounds more like Windows. How long have you waited for it to come back? Seem to recall Win-10 goes blank, except maybe some small green dots center screen, for a period

Journeyman Geek

Oh, this is after that

just when it should open the login screen

There's some other graphical corruption as well

the monitor is on so, maybe windows

Gypsy Spellweaver

And you don't have a Live CD, of any flavor?

Journeyman Geek

yeah, I should

but I can't access the disk if windows is hibernating

Gypsy Spellweaver

You can check the video card though

Journeyman Geek

its consistantly working on boot sooooo

lets try safe mode

Gypsy Spellweaver

08:33

Boot, and loading, have less load on it. Full GUI might be a different story.

Journeyman Geek

yup

the recovery menu loads

so going to try safe mode, then shutting down

this box is probably getting nuked and paved anyway

Gypsy Spellweaver

Gotta be seen to try :D

Journeyman Geek

hm

keyboard dosen't work in safe mode selection menu

whaaaat?

Gypsy Spellweaver

PS/2 KBD or USB?

Bob

hmm. plumbing woes. again.

Journeyman Geek

08:35

usb

Bob

another pipe burst :(

Journeyman Geek

anyway, now that I am reasonably certain the OS is hosed...

Gypsy Spellweaver

Obviously it works or you wouldn't be in safe mode to begin with. Me thinks your win-10 is hosed.

Journeyman Geek

yup

which is mostly fine

Gypsy Spellweaver

now you have a spare win-10 key :)

Journeyman Geek

08:37

oh, I could recover the windows 7 key!

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek That reminds me... In the, once was free, upgrade from 7 to 10, did they issue new key for the 10 as part of it, or did they somehow apply the old 7 key to the new 10?

Journeyman Geek

VID 20170316 1625131

►

@GypsySpellweaver the "key" is linked to the hardware

though apparently you could/can use a windows 7-8 key on 10

Burgi

morning

Journeyman Geek

(also, if my flailing about trying to get this to work bores, let me know ;p)

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek That was ugly. But it did look like there were card issues there too, not just OS.

@Burgi Olla

@JourneymanGeek Computers never bore me. People, OTOH, well......

@JourneymanGeek So the key link to the hardware is a change from the XP/Vista style of keys?

Journeyman Geek

08:43

@GypsySpellweaver pretty much

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver it's a new one, a "digital entitlement"

Journeyman Geek

that means though if you wanted to reinstall, you can do it on a system with 10 without a key

Bob

you can still buy old style keys

Journeyman Geek

You can (presumably) transfer a retail key the old way too

Gypsy Spellweaver

Looks like I may have made a goof, not sure. Might have to remove/edit an answer. superuser.com/questions/1187723/…

No, I don't know the one-box method yet either.

Journeyman Geek

08:46

question/answer on its own

2

Q: After upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10, can I restore Windows 7 raw image without license issues?

I bought a refurbished system that came with Windows 7. I imaged my hard drive using an Ubuntu live CD (cat /dev/sda > windows7.img) so I can revert to a clean system later. If I do a free upgrade to Windows 10, and later revert to my Windows 7 image, will it present licensing issues? That is,...

Like this

@GypsySpellweaver I'm reasonably certain the processor is running underclocked or stock too power supply is a spares box one...

user226528

@JourneymanGeek The OP has gone through a lot of troubles.

Journeyman Geek

@FleetCommand OP missed the free upgrade period

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek That he did, but the use of the keys is where I may have messed up :(

user226528

Like I said "a lot of troubles"...

Journeyman Geek

@GypsySpellweaver being able to use the keys is undocumented

user226528

08:51

SpellWeaver has gone through more troubles...

Gypsy Spellweaver

@FleetCommand That's me

I knew how MS did the key checks, not the details, only the process. But seems with Win-7 it has changed. My A there may be less than correct.

user226528

Hmm... I thought it was with Windows Vista.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Vista worked the same as XP did. Looked nicer, but same process and same checks. Worked without ever being online. Activation could be done totally by phone.

user226528

That's not what I meant. In Vista, they thought of integrating a digital certificate into the firmware but it wasn't until Windows 8 when they thought: "Hey, we actually could add the serial number to the firmware as well, so that the user doesn't have to type it."

Burgi

ffs, my minion is going to be late >:(

Gypsy Spellweaver

08:57

Do I need to pull that answer then?

Journeyman Geek

naw

let it be unless someone comments

Gypsy Spellweaver

I still wonder where he stored the image of the disk. That's gotta be one BIG file!

Journeyman Geek

lol

user226528

@GypsySpellweaver I don't think so. That'd be an overreaction. There are a lot of good points in it.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Looks for all the world like he cat-ed the whole disk onto the disk :|

I've pretty much dropped out of the Windows world since Vista. Keep various versions around to help others, but "use" GNU/Linux for my world. I remember the Vista-RC2, booted it up and said "Hello Mac." They cleaned it up a lot before the release though. Not nearly as Mac-ish.

@FleetCommand Was it you that asked about the blue numbers many hours ago?

user226528

09:04

That's right.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Get an answer yet?

user226528

No.

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver That's a decade ago ;P

Vista... was interesting.

It was the last major change in the NT lineage. Well, before Win10, but that's a bit debatable.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Near as I can tell that's how much activity, even a vote, that question has had. Not always have I found new comments or anything, but i think the votes changed. Only my guess, mind you.

user226528

Vista was the point when Microsoft's fate turned.

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:07

@FleetCommand Turned how?

user226528

Well, back in 2004, I read a commerce article.

Bob

Vista was a large step in the right direction, IMO. But at release time it was unpolished, and had lots of hardware compat (mostly driver) issues.

user226528

It said, the companies never see it coming.

Bob

Massive kernel and driver model changes, mixed with XP drivers... baaaaaaaaaaad.

user226528

I was wondering how could that happen to Microsoft.

Bob

09:08

7 was Vista after polish :P

user226528

So, I cataloged everything Microsoft had done.

Bob

(and then we had the 8, 10 fiasco)

Gypsy Spellweaver

@FleetCommand It was when I felt I had lost control of my own computer.

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver How so?

user226528

@Bob The answer is SUDO

user226528

09:09

Sorry! UAC! Not SUDO.

Gypsy Spellweaver

@FleetCommand Bingo

Bob

I think 10 was the only real case of that so far (the whole forced-updates thing).

@GypsySpellweaver Honest question: how does UAC translate to a loss of control?

user226528

@GypsySpellweaver ...especially, when Linux's SUDO does not translate ot loss of control?

Bob

It's ... not really any different from the user/root split in *nix. If anything, it's more convenient (and therefore less secure - the split token mechanism is comparatively easy to bypass).

Gypsy Spellweaver

It was always in the way. and I had to find work arounds to make some of my things work.

user226528

09:10

You have to do that more often in Linux.

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver Eh. Some of that was the lack of polish - it was less "in your face" by default in Win7. With the associated loss of security.

"some of your things work" => a lot of programs in the XP era didn't really respect or care about multi-user systems and happily clobbered system-level structures. Basically, DOS-like thinking in an NT OS :P

Burgi

oops

Bob

The whole NT (and then Vista) thing was supposed to lean more towards *nix and away from DOS.

Burgi

i just accidently rebooted a production server

Bob

!! s/rebooted //

ChatBot John Cavil

09:12

@Bob i just accidently a production server (source)

Burgi

i have no idea what i was thinking

Gypsy Spellweaver

In *nix the work arounds I've had to do have been lack of technology, so to speak. The ability to change anything is there, and respected in *nix. Sure I can shoot myself in the foot. But if I want to. let me.

@Burgi s/was/wasn't/

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver Ehhhh... TBH the permission structure since Vista is more or less what *nix does. System (and admins) can write to any directory. Users can only write to their own home dir. Which of course broke just about every program that expected otherwise :\

Burgi

i was just in the zone and suddenly...

Bob

You're free to disable it if you enjoy foot-shooting :P

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:16

@Burgi "vapor lock"

Burgi

i don't know what that means

Bob

Actually, XP had the same permission structure, except you ran as admin by default in a home install.

The number of programs that'd fail to run as a domain user on XP... ugh.

brb plumbing

Gypsy Spellweaver

@Bob Fortunately I've never had to deal with networks in any real way, user or admin. Home LAN not withstanding.

Journeyman Geek

yeah. this box has video issues

Gypsy Spellweaver

@JourneymanGeek With a 'loaner' card can you check the OS, or is it hosed too?

Journeyman Geek

09:18

@GypsySpellweaver the only other video card I have on hand is a 980TI

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver Networking issues are the best :P

SMB is (used to be?) the most unreliable part of Windows, I think...

Gypsy Spellweaver

@Bob I'd rather not shoot my foot, and I appreciate a warning, but don't steal my firing pin too.

Bob

Well, after printing.

Journeyman Geek

@GypsySpellweaver and at this point I need to decide if its worth the work/effort

Bob

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:20

@JourneymanGeek "Only the Shadow knows."

Bob

@GypsySpellweaver Your firing pin ^ :P

Journeyman Geek

the next thing I really ought to check is the PSU

user226528

Why?

Journeyman Geek

cause past me was a cheapass when it came to PSUs

tho I recall this had a half decent low end coolermaster rather than "Whatever was cheapest"

user226528

google.com/…

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:25

I don't recall what I did with Vista to adjust its behavior, but I made several registry changes for sure. I had to share those changes with a few other friends that were likewise disaffected. It could have been the lack of polish that led to the feeling. Whatever it was, that's when I basically left Win in the parts bucket.

@FleetCommand Perty.

user226528

@GypsySpellweaver Vista was awful. Even its UAC was substandard. We know that.

user226528

But I would never imagined someone would run straight into the arms of UAC's meaner brother, sudo.

Gypsy Spellweaver

In any case, that disconnect leaves some of my info out dated, at best, in the win realm.

Journeyman Geek

@FleetCommand nothing really wrong with sudo

Gypsy Spellweaver

SUDO matches what I grew up with better than UAC.

Journeyman Geek

09:28

or the whole concept of it

user226528

Indeed nothing wrong.

user226528

What was wrong was Windows XP's lazy-ass security-insensitive userbase.

Gypsy Spellweaver

My first computing was done on an UNIVAC 1110. And made friends with the controller real soon.

My computer ain't the only dinosaur in this room :)

user226528

That means you are at least 110 years old?

Gypsy Spellweaver

Didn't say it was a new computer. It was what the public school system had. At least 2nd hand probably 4th hand.

user226528

09:32

Oh!

user226528

My first computer was a state-of-the-art i386 DX with 40 MB hard disk drive.

user226528

And get this: It had two floppy drives!

Gypsy Spellweaver

During my 2nd semester they upgraded to a CDC, spent a few weeks in withdrawals

user226528

What's a CDC?

Gypsy Spellweaver

First "home" computer was IBM PC/XT clone, dual 5¼ half-height floppies and 20MB hard drive, 640K RAM, Herc MGA

@FleetCommand Control Data Corp.

user226528

09:35

Oh, God I hated MGA.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Didn't look to bad on an amber monitor

user226528

Oh, God I hated amber monitors. And the fight that its fan had with emerald monitors fans.

user226528

I hated emerald monitors too.

Burgi

w00t my log thing worked!

Gypsy Spellweaver

Back when I had SuSE 9 installed I actually change the console to match the amber monitor. :))

@Burgi crats.

user226528

09:39

@Burgi Really!? That's great! :)

Journeyman Geek

lol

I had a XT clone with a cga screen

user226528

@GypsySpellweaver Oh, that's understandable. I might have copied you.

Journeyman Geek

had it till I got my 486,

@GypsySpellweaver .... cdc = prehistoric cray?

Gypsy Spellweaver

Nothing that powerful, more like a "then" modern version of the EDVAC

Journeyman Geek

totally pre-historic cray en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_Data_Corporation

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:43

Basement filling collection of large transistors connected to a bunch of tape drives (reel to reel)

When I move to Albq, NM, USA, I got to use a Digital Equip Corp 1024. It actually fit in one room with space for a disk drive (36"x36"x40") and a line printer. And the controller could work in the same room too.

user226528

What was the first video game you ever played?

Journeyman Geek

striker

;p

Gypsy Spellweaver

Had a friend that had Pong

Journeyman Geek

Striker (Arcade, 1985) gameplay (PC Game, 1985)

►

user226528

Oil's Well (Sierra Entertainment)

Gypsy Spellweaver

09:49

First video game I owned was PS2, and it's still collecting dust in the bedroom

I don't have the natural hand-eye coordination to make video games worth the time. :(

Andy K

good morning

Gypsy Spellweaver

@AndyK aloha

user226528

@AndyK Hello. What was the first video game you played?

Andy K

aha

user226528

FYI, that's the subject of chat right now.

Andy K

09:52

that one mariowiki.com/Donkey_Kong_(Game_%26_Watch)

the friends of my parents brought it to me, when they came to our place

I sucked at it but it was such a great game

omg

such a fond memory

:)))

Gypsy Spellweaver

I think it's time for me to grab my Geritol® and head for the cave.

user226528

It was the first game I reverse-engineered.

Andy K

what did you do on it @FleetCommand?

user226528

Nothing. It was my first time after all. I had no idea I was supposed to do something with it to have the bragging right.

Andy K

I mean what kind of reverse engineering you did on the game?

user226528

09:57

Changed bits and bytes here and there and observed the result.

user226528

The first game I reverse-engineered with an actual purpose was Shining Force.

Andy K

oh ok

bye @GypsySpellweaver

djsmiley2k

10:21

if you wanna see madness in mario, check out tasbot

Burgi

ok so the thing that failed the audit/pentest was built by a freelancer last year. should i drop him an email saying "hey dude just an FYI this failed on SQL injection you should check your other sites if you have any" or just leave it?

Andy K

@Burgi are you familiar with pentest?

Burgi

this is only the second i've taken part in @AndyK

Andy K

how do you hire a pentester?

Burgi

we contacted an approved security company

Andy K

10:28

is there a website where I can find such...?

a list of approved security company

Burgi

yeah 1 sec

Jul 18 '16 at 11:25, by Rоry McCune

@Burgi http://www.crest-approved.org/crest-member-companies/member-companies/index.html is likely a good place to start if you want a pen. test co in the UK :)

not sure if they do pan-EU stuff

Andy K

Let's see

I saw Cisco in the list

the guys in the factories think they are sheltered from harm, because each site is not that big

most of them have a view, narrowed to their site

they did not see a real attack yet, real harm

Bob

oh. my. god.

linustechtips.com/main/topic/561041-980ti-darwin-awards-help

He... took a drill to his video card...

Journeyman Geek

@Bob 0_0

I have the same card

@Bob It gets worse

Bob

@JourneymanGeek Yes. It gets worse.

NSFSU :P

Journeyman Geek

10:39

> You were right about the layers. I booted the pc while holding a metal screwdriver in the hole to simulate soldering the hole shut. But it just started smoking. The card is F**ked

Burgi

@Bob what the actual fuck?

Journeyman Geek

@Burgi he broke the card in two.

Burgi

i can see that

Bob

@Burgi He. Uh. Got annoyed.

Journeyman Geek

@Burgi does the phrase more money than sense come to mind?

Burgi

10:42

yeah i just read the thread

heh

ok back to my other point... should i give our freelancer the heads up about his code or just leave it?

Journeyman Geek

what code?

@Burgi Ahh

no idea actually

Transcript for