Parent Password for Home Access Laptop
Home Access Grant
We recently did a complete system recovery on an Acer Extensa 5235 that had a dead hard drive.
This was one of the ‘Home Acess’ computers provided by Becta the now closed government funded grant scheme to help low-income families own a computer.
The client had neglected to make her recovery DVDs whiled the system was up and running.
Usually if we don’t have the recovery DVDs or CDs we can install an OEM version of Windows using the product key on the Windows sticker attached to the laptop, resulting in a nice clean Windows install without all the crap that the manufacturers install alongside Windows. However, the Home Access laptop in our care didn’t have a product key on the sticker.
The license sticker reads: “Windows 7 Pro Natl. Academic Only OA” with a few tracking numbers and bar codes on it. Not very useful for installing Windows!
Luckily we had created a set of 3 recovery DVDs on an identical model that had come in months ago – just in case!
So Windows installed – no problem there, but… When it was time to log into Windows, we were presented with two preconfigured user accounts – Learner and Parent. Learner had no password and was a ‘Limited Account’ which basically means we couldn’t install anything or even update Windows using that account. Parent was a password protected administrator account but we had no password since the client had misplaced the original documentation provided by Comet.
A quick search of the internet revealed quite a few forum posts from people with the same issue – they couldn’t log on after a system recovery because they had lost the original paperwork provided with the laptops. Most of these laptops were provided by Comet and they suggest various phone numbers to call up so you can be told the password because it’s a big secret. After much poking around we discovered what the password was for our machine. Assuming you got your machine from Comet and that Comet didn’t give out different passwords for every machine (which is unlikely) you could try the one that worked for us.
Considering the Becta Home Access program is now defunct and there are probably a load of people out there looking for this password, here it is: cometpar
Let us know in the comments if it worked for you and remember to change it as soon as you log in to something you will remember!
For more information about Becta please see the Becta Wikipedia page
thank you very much, I put the laptop as factory setting and come out with the parent password.
Thank you again
You are welcome Ali
Hi, just a quick question, I have the same problem, my son has a home access laptop, the hard drive has died and i have no recovery disks, and no product key on the bottom of the laptop. I have purchased a new hard drive, but no way of recovering my product key from dead hard drive, my friend has has an identical laptop, i was thinking about using her recovery disks, but not sure whether there would be a product key problem. I know the password, would it work if i used her recovery disks?
Hi Chris,
The product key is not present on these laptops. When you do the recovery the system will be already activated so there is no need for the product key or activation. If your friend has the same make and model of Home Access laptop there is nothing stopping you from using her recovery disc set. Good luck.
Hey guys, as the windows Certificate of Authenticity has only a Tracking Number of the machine, I would download a copy of ProduKey which is available from NirSoft’s website (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html).
With this little program you will be able to extract your product key before it too late, Hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Steve
Thanks for your comment Stephen,
I’ve not tried with the product key that is built in to the pre-activated Natl. Academic Only OA install but I do know that the product keys that are used in mass production of computers (OPK Preinstallation Kits) are not valid for activation.
Basically that means if I have a Dell (or what ever OEM) laptop and I use ProduKey or Magic Jellybean Keyfinder software to determine the product key, that key will not match the licence sticker on the machine. Although you can install with that pre-activated key, you can’t actually activate Windows with it.
In the above case, you’d need the recovery discs or you’d have to buy a Windows licence.
hi,
I have problem…..the password which you have provided hasn’t worked on my home access laptop. Do you have any ideas? trying to download things and update the laptop isn’t possible without the password my laptop is desperate for updating as it is so slow. well the laptop is just unusable its driving me nuts…please help.
many thanks
Karla x
Hi Karla,
Is it possible that someone changed the default password?
You can probably use a CD to remove the password. Some password removal tools include:
KonBoot – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lr7SYER8x4
and PCLoginNow http://www.pcloginnow.com/
hi i have a toshiba satelitte laptop from home learning. i did an image system recovery and now it has reverted to original home learning screen and i cant find my paperwork with the password. i tried cometpar and that didnt work can anyone help
Hi Cara,
Did the laptop come from Comet? If not I’m not sure what it could be. You may have to kill the password using a boot CD that has a password reset or bypass tool.
Kon Boot is a very good tool for bypassing passwords: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lr7SYER8x4
yes we got the laptop for comet
and i tried cometpar and that didnt work
I’ve forgotten my parental password to my home access laptop. It was bought from comet and i’ve tried cometpar, but it doesn’t work. My daughter (the learner) has access as she has her password.
Please help. JoJo
For all those who have tried the ‘cometpar’ password and it doesn’t work:
We don’t have any other passwords for you to try BUT you can bypass the password and clear it or create a new one (or create a new Admin user) by using a boot CD to get into Windows.
Here is a step by step guide using PCLoginNow: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ss/pcloginnowsbs.htm
ive got a zoostorm computer and the password doesnt work what shall i do?
Please Help. Jordan
@JordanB – Please see my last post above yours.