hi,
we have just recently bought a second hand laptop it's a medion notebook with windows vista premiumd
The person we bought it off has set a password to log onto the computer and we dont know what it is and now cant get hold of him!!!
Any ideas on how to get aroung this.
Have tried loading up in safe mode but wont let us get onto the computer at all.
Didn't think to ask if there were any passwords we needed to know and he didn't provide us with a back up disc!

Any advice.

Hi gemz23 and welcome.

Any advice.

Yes. Return the laptop and demand your money back or insist they provide ALL the disks and licenses for everything that came with that computer. And since laptops are common targets for thieves, I might ask for proof it is not stolen property.

Other than that, you are pretty much out of luck. If you were not provided the original disks or license for Windows, you need to contact the laptop maker and purchase a new license, then reinstall Windows. You might be able to purchase a retail version of Windows from a store, as long as all the necessary drivers for the laptop's proprietary components are readily available on their website, here.

Alternatively, there are several free Linux alternatives that might work, but again, you will need to check the maker's site for drivers.

Sorry the news is not better. Good luck.

ok thanks for your help I will have a look at those sites now.
I'm pretty sure it is legit as it's come from a friend of a friend but you never know I suppose and it seems strange that we cant get through to him.

Well, since you are not sure of it's origin, and since it came with no disks, there is already an aura of suspicion around it. For your own legal protection (receiving stolen goods being a serious crime too) I would do what is necessary to determine the computer's legitimacy.

Also, for your own personal protection, you would be wise to assume that laptop has been compromised by spyware or other malicious code. IMO, you should avoid using it - especially for any personal business that requires you to enter personal information such as credit card numbers, PINs, address, phone numbers, etc. Even if the computer is fully legitimate, you need to buy a legal copy of Windows, reformat the drive and reinstall. Unfortunately, doing so on a lap is more of a challenge - you must make sure you have all the necessary drivers on hand first. Or you might consider taking it to a shop and have them do it for you.

On the driver note, getting third party software to backup the drivers into a single .exe might be useful though. I'm using Driver Magician and it's quite good. Driver Genius Pro is supposedly another option.

The downside? They're not free.