breaking passwords on discs containing Word docs

It is not the pointing out of inaccuracies that I would question - though I
have posted none in this thread - but the persistence in creating an
argument where none is required, misrepresenting what was posted, simply to
show off some largely irrelevant point that you have a bee in your bonnet
about. I am not always right, and my ego is not so fragile that I cannot
publically admit when I am wrong. I am not wrong on this occasion.

In 1994 when these documents were created, I was working in the field of
computer crime investigation. The need to open password protected documents
was something that was a regular requirement. Software has improved and PCs
have become faster since then, but the essential truth remains that it is
not easy or quick to break other than simple passwords. I never said at any
time that software would not help - but that it *could* take a seriously
long time. Better to know the limitations of password cracking software
before forking out $40 or so, than to sit waiting for the software to crack
a single password with a whole box of discs sitting on the table (or
transferred to the PC) waiting to be processed. For some life is too short
to do that.

If you are going to waste my time in arguments, at least have the courtesy
to respond to what I actually wrote. I didn't mention e-mail at all! E-mail
would be another acceptable method of data transfer and there are others too
that would work. I didn't mention those either.

There is ample anecdotal evidence that suggests when working with flash
memory and Word you *may* run into problems that will cause data loss. I did
not say that you *will* run into problems or that the problem was the flash
media itself. I merely recommended a way of using it that was safe, and in
the context of the OPs problem that was all that was required. It was you
who chose to make an issue of it for. As you say, people come here for
problem resolution. The problem posed by the user was addressed accurately
by my original answer. The user has not been back to argue the point - and
may have been deterred from doing so, by your need to polish your ego, so we
may never know his thoughts on the matter.

My 'goal' was merely to suggest an approach that would work in the context
of the OPs problems. From the information the OP provided, the answer I
provided was correct then and is still correct now. There was no need
whatsoever for a technical treatise on the merits or otherwise of flash
media. Only you have served to obfuscate the issue with your inaccurate
ramblings about password cracking and by introducing a wholly unneccessary
diatribe about flash memory - which while right as far is goes, is not
relevant to the problem in hand, and if followed *may* as opposed to *will*
result in the loss of the OPs data from the flash memory.

The subject of the post was (and still is) "breaking passwords on discs
containing Word docs". It seems that you paid scant regard to the word
'discs' and the fact that the the OP did not have a floppy drive to access
them, but had a friend with a floppy drive, so the issues raised included
that of getting the information from the friend to the PC without the floppy
drive or there would have been no point in his mentioning of it.

Your first reply which you believe answered the question was simply a link
to Google - if you had wanted to be really offensive you could have used
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=word+document+passwords which would have sent the same
unhelpful message in an altogether more pointed way.

So you expect others to educate, while you simply sneer? Is that the true
measure of your contributions to the forums?
--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



Scott M. wrote:
"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
..
So what is the point of your post other than to raise argument where
none is required?

Hmmm. So you consider pointing out inaccuracies in a post trolling? Ok.
Well, despite your "I'm right no matter what you say." attitude, you
aren't right.

1. You say that software won't help open a password protected file. You
are WRONG, period.
2. You say that somehow emailing a document is not a safe way to
transport a document to its destination? I won't even begin on that
one. 3. You say that because "just last week" there was a post about
someone who's data got corrupted on a flash drive proves that flash
memory is somehow less reliable than HDD memory.

All of these assertions are WRONG and there is ample evidence to show
it. Your argument that I am somehow trolling and providing diatribe
just bolsters my point that you aren't really interested in providing
any technical information, you just want to provide 1/2 answers to
questions that were not asked.

You were right about one thing. The question was answered after the
first reply, which was mine. Your posts have added nothing to the
conversation:
1. You brought flash memory into the fray, when no one had asked
about it. 2. You posted a link to a web page that, not only wasn't
applicable,
but provided no course of action to help solve the problem.
3. You have resorted to slinging insults to someone who is making a
perfectly valid point about the mis-insformation you've provided.


Lastly, as someone who HAS been contributing to the MS NG's for well
over a decade, I do know that most of what you can garner from user
posts here is anecdotal evidence of a problem. Of course you will
find post after post describing some problem using Word documents in
a Word Newsgroup. That's because that's where people go to get
problems solved. Just because you find a lot of people low or out of
gas at a gas station doesn't mean that fuel tanks leak! And that is
exactly the way you have come to your diagnosis of flash memory,
based on anecdotal information.
There is NO technical documentation of flash memory being any more
volitile than HDD memory when used correctly. ANY file can/will
become corrupted when the storage medium is disengaged while it is in
use. To advise to simply stop trying to access data on the storage
medium doesn't address the REAL issue and newbies reading such a post
will walk away with the incorrect idea that you shouldn't try to
access files from a flash drive, when they should come away with an
understand of how to correctly use flash memory.
But hey, if you goal isn't to educate and simply to spread
misinformaiton - - good job!

-Scott

I hesitate to enter a thread full of silly arguments, but if the Word
documents were created, and password-protected by Word, in 1994 they were
obfuscated, using XOR, rather than really encrypted and, although I don't
personally know of any software that can break this, I have no doubt some is
available, and that it is a trivial task for modern PCs. I would imagine a
web search would turn up something helpful.

You may, though, have other problems with such old documents (depending what
version of Word you are currently using).

--
Enjoy,
Tony

www.WordArticles.com

"Water and Trees" wrote in message
...
In 1994 I prepared documents saving them to 3 1/2" discs. Recently found
the
discs (there's a whole box) and would like to access them. No slot on my
current computer for them, but have a friend whose computer does still
allow
discs. My problem is wanting to by-pass the passwords I set for myself
back
in 1994.

These are basic Word documents and there may be a few WordPerfect
documents
on these discs as well. I just want to get by the passwords and get to
the
documents.

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks,
--
WaterandTrees

One additional problem that is more than likely is that the disk itself is
hopelessly corrupted and unusable. Magnetic disks do degrade over time.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"Tony Jollans" My forename at my surname dot com wrote in message
...
I hesitate to enter a thread full of silly arguments, but if the Word
documents were created, and password-protected by Word, in 1994 they were
obfuscated, using XOR, rather than really encrypted and, although I don't
personally know of any software that can break this, I have no doubt some
is available, and that it is a trivial task for modern PCs. I would imagine
a web search would turn up something helpful.

You may, though, have other problems with such old documents (depending
what version of Word you are currently using).

--
Enjoy,
Tony

www.WordArticles.com

"Water and Trees" wrote in
message ...
In 1994 I prepared documents saving them to 3 1/2" discs. Recently found
the
discs (there's a whole box) and would like to access them. No slot on my
current computer for them, but have a friend whose computer does still
allow
discs. My problem is wanting to by-pass the passwords I set for myself
back
in 1994.

These are basic Word documents and there may be a few WordPerfect
documents
on these discs as well. I just want to get by the passwords and get to
the
documents.

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks,
--
WaterandTrees