EEVblog #1279 - Best Dumpster PC Find Yet! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 20, 2020, 10:08:46 pm
content: The best dumpster PC find yet!Some software hacking required to defeat Windows 10 security though.

author: johnlsenchak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2020, 11:26:38 pm
content: The camera is "NSA Spy enabled" that's awesome !That flat screen would be a good starter computer for Sagan with his school work, It needs a fast SSD drive none of that mechanical hard drive rubbish.I found a ASUS flat screen computer in a dumpster years ago. It has a quad core I7 Intel Processor . To make a long story short here whoeverowned it , realized that Windows 10 ( 1709) tried to upgrade from Windows 8.1. The install failed and corrupted the Windows file system I broughtthe computer to a repair store, they just reinstalled Windows 8.1 and the computer was like brand new I could have got between eight tonine hundred dollars on ebay for it.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2020, 11:42:06 pm
content: Dave may have been very lucky the Utilman trick worked.Just recently tried that trick on a Windows 7 PC and it appeared that none of the tricks like renaming Utilman or Sethc worked anymore, and people were saying that there was an update about September last year that blocked all the easy tricks. On boot, the files are all restored to the original files. I assumed they would also do the same updates to Windows 8.1 and 10.I wouldn't recommend renaming cmd.exe - copy it instead. You might lose your cmd.exe file when Windows boots and resets Ultiman to the original file.Another way in was to get into safe mode and select the console safe mode, but Microsoft now requires an administrator login first.This method was always a big flaw in Windows security that I think was left there because the Microsoft Tech's loved it, but I think some viruses started using the flaw.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 12:07:18 am
content: Dave,Finally found a good use for one of the Julie 'precision' resistors I gave you at Electronex a few years backlol.Nice score though, ...have dumpster envy

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 12:50:45 am
content: Dave ... just an offer to keep in mind.....If you would ever like to shed any of your dumpster finds or old lab gear, just drop me a line and I'll swing by the lab and save you the trouble of having to go out of your way to dispose of it(Yes, I like living dangerously.)

author: johnlsenchak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 01:01:49 am
content: Yes you are right, their is a way to get into the DOS prompt via the Windows login page . From there you do a bunch of DOS commands to reset andor remove the old password from the account you choose . I did the hack on a Sony laptop one time , years ago.Dave is a intelligent guy it doesn't surpise me that he didn't have any problems creating a new account using those commands. I'm sure he had a littlehelp from Google

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 01:29:08 am
content: Quote from: johnlsenchak on January 21, 2020, 01:01:49 amThe question I raised above was "does it still work if you have recent Windows updates?" It does not seem to work any more in Windows 7. I have not tested Windows 10 with recent updates, but I do not see why Microsoft would fix this security flaw in Windows 7 and not in Windows 10. Under Windows 7, if you rename cmd.exe to Ulitman.exe as Dave did and reboot, then Windows restores the original Ultiman.exe and so this method fails.

author: JonM
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 04:25:34 am
content: Quote from: lowimpedance on January 21, 2020, 12:07:18 amSomewhat oddly the most exciting thing for me in this video was the Julie Research resistor! In the Summer of 1973, fresh out of high school, I started work at a Nuclear Physics lab. One of the grad students was building an electrostatic analyzer for electrons that used Julie resistors in the voltage divider. I remember that the resistors were an object of worship and it was my first introduction to anything related to components and precision.There is a Bob Pease article about Julie resistors:https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/analog/article/21763955/whats-all-this-julie-stuff-anyhowI honored Bob Pease last week when I gave a talk titled: "What's All This FPGA and I2C Stuff, Anyhow?" to my local software developer friends.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 04:39:20 am
content: Just found it has a secure TPM crypto chip in it, niceNo idea what to do with it, but cool.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 04:45:26 am
content: Quote from: JonM on January 21, 2020, 04:25:34 amI wonder is that interview tape still exists somewhere in his archives?

author: johnlsenchak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 05:25:24 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 21, 2020, 04:39:20 amUpgrade the computer from Windows 10 Home , to Pro and then you can encrypt the hard drive

author: dave_k
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 05:55:04 am
content: Don't most name-brand PC's have a TPM in them now?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 07:02:21 am
content: Quote from: dave_k on January 21, 2020, 05:55:04 amNo idea, first time I've seen it.But I don't keep up with the Jones's

author: johnlsenchak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 12:05:34 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 21, 2020, 07:02:21 amThe "secure TPM crypto" is to run Microsoft Bit Locker in Professional version , they are secure keys within the BIOS/UEFI

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 02:35:43 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 21, 2020, 07:02:21 amThat made me smile.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2020, 06:25:12 pm
content: Dear Mr. DaveThat is a "default" Lenovo Power Plug who can found on any (Business?) Lenovo Laptops.Its a good think because the change you have, finde, get such Adapter are huge! Mine broke in Japan when I was there and realy quick found a new one.Try this with other Brands.

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2020, 03:02:46 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on January 21, 2020, 02:37:08 pmAll laptops and desktops have fTPM(firmware TPM), present in the chipset since the Haswell era.But most users use Home editions of the OS they never even notice that its there..And its exploitable and broken:https://tpm.fail/