OneNote section password forgotten

[Rudolf Posch]

Hi, a personal section in my OneNote 2007 ( in German language "Abschnitt
Persoenliche Informationen") is secured with a password which I have
seemingly set (although I do not remember this).
How can I remove this password ? (Microsoft OneNote Help says "Microsoft
cannot help in this case").

Thanks for help Rudolf

 

[Sid]

Hi, a personal section in my OneNote 2007 ( in German language "Abschnitt
Persoenliche Informationen") is secured with a password which I have
seemingly set (although I do not remember this).
How can I remove this password ? (Microsoft OneNote Help says "Microsoft
cannot help in this case").

Thanks for help Rudolf

As long as I read on this newsgroup since I am here, there is no
solution about this :/

 

[xTenn]

As long as I read on this newsgroup since I am here, there is no
solution about this :/

This is probably one of the best features of OneNote - the security is real,
with true encryption. It is not using a toy password system set to please
the corporate world with an easy bypass (i.e as it is with the rest of
Office, and the OS lock as far as that goes). I hope this continues to be
the case.

Unfortunately this catches you at the wrong time now, but it should
encourage future use of the product by knowing that the data is more secure.

Now, is it possible that you used another language for the password (You
seem fluent in English as well). How about any special characters from
either language. It mgiht be good to make a list to go through any possible
combinations, and also try to list any common keying errors that you could
have repeated twice while entering the password originally. Assuming that
you opened the notebook at least once since creating it you could almost
rule out the accidental entries, but anything is possbile (bad habits tend
to be repeated while keying entries, such as an accidental captilized second
character).

Another thing is to look at the timeframe that you created the notebook,
since a lot of people tend to set passwords in an evolving pattern. By
looking at the timeframe you may be able to place what you were using at
that time. This could really help if you use a sequence.

These are no doubt things that you have already exhausted but it may help
with the thought process of reclaiming the password.

Good Luck.

 

[Rudolf Posch]

Hi,
I have read more about this theme. I believe OneNote is not alone in this
way. Am I right that the OneNote-password on a section follows the same
mechanism like a password set to any other Office file (.xls, .doc, .. ). I
mean a password set to a single file (which is asked for when opening that
specific file). That would mean when you set e.g. a password on a word
document and forget it you will never be able to read it (I hope this
document contains not a list of all your passwords you use :=) )

About how to remember a forgotten password:
I am retired and have therefore much time to visit many diverse websites and
online shops. Therefore -and as an old man who forgets everything which I do
not write down immediately- I have a text file full with dozens of
passwords and Id's (5 pages with text in 8 dot font). I follow the rule not
to have the same password on 2 different sites. Further I try to change the
password quite often.
Sometimes I am lazy and scribble a new password on a sheet of paper on the
table and I have the strong will to insert it (very soon) in my central
master password file. And then rings the telephone, or my wife calls for
dinner or my son asks something or hundred other things happen.
You can imagine what happens next, the password on a sheet of paper has a
strong desire to vanish in the paper garbage basket, .... and my password is
gone.
I have password systems, words about specific themes (which I do not specify
here in order you cannot crack my passwords), mixed with numbers and special
characters (which I have learned one should do).

So can you help me, was the forgotten password "7dog%", Bill%Clinton32 or
was it "NewYork213$" ? (For the right hint I will pay a beer ...)

Greetings from an old computer user who has lost in his 30 year long user
life about 20 passwords and 10 address books

Rudolf

 

[xTenn]

See Inline:

Hi,
I have read more about this theme. I believe OneNote is not alone in this
way. Am I right that the OneNote-password on a section follows the same
mechanism like a password set to any other Office file (.xls, .doc, .. ).
I mean a password set to a single file (which is asked for when opening
that specific file). That would mean when you set e.g. a password on a
word document and forget it you will never be able to read it (I hope
this document contains not a list of all your passwords you use :=) )

The password mechanics in OneNote differ from the other office products in
that the other office products are not true encryption but rather a
protection scheme, which can be bypassed. OneNote uses true encryption.

About how to remember a forgotten password:
I am retired and have therefore much time to visit many diverse websites
and online shops. Therefore -and as an old man who forgets everything
which I do not write down immediately- I have a text file full with
dozens of passwords and Id's (5 pages with text in 8 dot font). I follow
the rule not to have the same password on 2 different sites. Further I try
to change the password quite often.
Sometimes I am lazy and scribble a new password on a sheet of paper on the
table and I have the strong will to insert it (very soon) in my central
master password file. And then rings the telephone, or my wife calls for
dinner or my son asks something or hundred other things happen.
You can imagine what happens next, the password on a sheet of paper has a
strong desire to vanish in the paper garbage basket, .... and my password
is gone.

Does your master password file have password protection? To note,
though, I would consider inserting into your system the act of shredding the
paper before putting it in the garbage... Unless it is not you who trashes
it, which may be plausible.

I have password systems, words about specific themes (which I do not
specify here in order you cannot crack my passwords), mixed with numbers
and special characters (which I have learned one should do).

So can you help me, was the forgotten password "7dog%", Bill%Clinton32 or
was it "NewYork213$" ? (For the right hint I will pay a beer ...)

Well, you seem like a sane, rationale person, so I would rule out
Bill%Clinton32... unless it was a joke file, in which case I cannot see the
need to protect it... ( the exception being a personal black book, in which
case Bill Clinton would be a great choice, but not too protective). And
since 213 is an area code for NewYork, and if it was financial information
you were trying to unlock the $ would be too easy, so let's exclude
NewYork213$ as too easy. That leaves 7dog%, which could be confusing
since according to your other post you have a strong German history - the
"dog" in this case could be Bratwurst, referring to a festival or food or
generally good times, as compared to 7 for (if you are a music fan) Louis
Armstrong and his Hot Seven, leading 7dog to be a mental shortcut to HotDog
(intentional or not), which may make sense if it was a sports or competitive
section you were password locking.

That is, if your passwards are context related to the content you were
protecting, which from reading the description (and volume of passwords you
use) I would suspect to be the case.

Of course, I am just having fun, all of this means nothing, and is
definitely not meant to be taken seriously.

Greetings from an old computer user who has lost in his 30 year long user
life about 20 passwords and 10 address books

Rudolf

I think I may have you beat in lost passwords.... Rudolf, it was a pleasure
to read your post, and if by "Old Computer User" you mean advanced age I
hope to be as sharp when I get (hopefully) get there.