>>55034966
you can try pulling the drive out and attaching it to your system with a USB adapter, use VMware to install a new copy of 2K (if it's not an ultraportable though it sounds like it was probably a Win98 system) by assigning it as a virtual drive for a VM

>>55035055
Only issue i have is i have to get a IDE laptop -> USB or PC IDE (i have an old P4 i keep around for shit)

Is there any other methods while i wait for that?

Install xp on it nigger

>>55035096
nah senpai - Win 2k (or 98 idk yet) Master race - I honestly don't think it can support XP - not sure though. either way, don't need an XP machine - i have access to one and it's not much different than my 7 and 10 rigs in terms of compatability

>>55035082
without an optical drive your options are limited, unless it supports USB boot, but there's no real way to be sure since you haven't told us what the fuck it even is desu

>>55035157
Latitude CPt

No USB Boot. thats newfag shit.

Looks like Opticals aren't too much

Looking at <$25... Think it's worth the investment?

I got this shit for free, it was ready for the trash (Seems to be pretty 100% nothing wrong, just o l d)

Network boot?
Also there's a floppy that lets you boot from USB on any PC, e.g. https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html

>>55035675
No NIC (PCMCIA only, i don't have an Ethernet one Either)
No Floppy (You'd have to get either a floppy PCMCIA or dell official bay)

>>55035459
>Latitude CPt
yeah that's definitely 98/NT faire
>Looking at <$25... Think it's worth the investment?
if you'll get some fun out of it, why not?

Connect the HDD to your newer desktop
Launch VMWare and set the whole HDD up as an exisiting virtual disc, don't delete anything from it
Now boot a password recovery CD in the virtual machine you just created and reset the admin password
Unplug HDD and everything should still work without having to reinstall windows

>>55034966
There should be a default admin account. If I remember correctly, it ought to be called "Administrator" or "Admin". If you can get into that, you're in business

>>55034966

You can make a fresh install of DamnSmallLinux or Windows 95 with floppies and then update it to Windows 7 via LAN install.

>>55036006
dude, if it's running an OS older than some people on this site, it's probably not going to run win7. Also, the internet wasn't that much of a thing at the time. It existed, but not everything had support for it, so it might not have LAN, and interfacing with a serial modem (if you still have one), is fscking annoying

>>55034966
3 words
privilege escation vulnerability

>>55034966
If you are able to boot something like minixp, you could probably edit the registry to give yourself admin rights.

Install Gentoo.

No, really.

stickykeys

retrofags are always the most clueless shits

>>55036521

Wait, did you try rebooting into safe mode and seeing if the backup admin account is passworded?

>>55036444
>It existed, but not everything had support for it, so it might not have LAN, and interfacing with a serial modem (if you still have one), is fscking annoying
Everything could connect to the web by the time windows 2k was rolling around. Problem is he may only have a telephone line for dial up. Though I doubt it would only be that considering it is former education grade.

I've used Windows 2000 in the time of the abomination Vista, and I wish I had Vista instead. windows 2k sucked. Just install Tails on a USB and Hard Wire it and use it like that. you ain't getting any better use of that old beater hooptie