Don't know what gives with my password. Win10 no longer sees it as legit. I entered it about 5 times and it then worked. After downloading a file to install software it then refused the password again... and then it worked. What do I do about this problem? and what has caused it to fail and then work. any ideas?
📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses issues with Windows 10 not consistently recognizing the administrator password, with the original poster questioning why it sometimes fails and then works again. A responder suggests verifying the correct password entry or possible keyboard issues, but the original poster clarifies the problem occurs despite correct typing, especially for the admin account. The discussion then shifts into technical explanations about password hashing, storage methods, and security mechanisms like TPM and biometric data, indicating a deeper dive into Windows security. Overall, the thread reflects troubleshooting difficulties with Windows login credentials and an educational exchange on password security.
The thread discusses issues with Windows 10 not consistently recognizing the administrator password, with the original poster questioning why it sometimes fails and then works again. A responder suggests verifying the correct password entry or possible keyboard issues, but the original poster clarifies the problem occurs despite correct typing, especially for the admin account. The discussion then shifts into technical explanations about password hashing, storage methods, and security mechanisms like TPM and biometric data, indicating a deeper dive into Windows security. Overall, the thread reflects troubleshooting difficulties with Windows login credentials and an educational exchange on password security.
Solution
Well if you're talking about a local account then all Windows does is run what you type through a hashing algorithm which provided you type the correct password will always produce the same hash value. This value is compared against what it has saved for your account. If it matches you're granted access. If it's off by even 1 character the hash will not match.
This would refer to storing passwords in credential manager which is different than the SAM database where usernames and password hashes are stored for login authentication. Passwords are stored as hashes which are not clear text but still susceptible to hash cracking. Pin and biometric data are all stored differently and are encrypted.