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Can't remember any passwords


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Contact Richard and Gisela Gonzalez;  766-1276 home and 331 016 8336 cell;  they work late at night and would prefer to be contacted after 12 noon during the day.  He is very experienced and will be able to help you.

Also, our neurologist recommended we take Italviron which is a supplement of amino acids and vitamins that are very good for memory.  We have been taking them for a couple of years and believe they have helped a lot.  That being said, I still have to keep a log of my passwords, secret questions, etc. and if it had been 6 or 8 months since I used one I would probably not remember it.  You are not the only one that forgets these things ... even young people forget them.

 

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For years I've been keeping a 3 page list of passwords and secret questions. I would be lost without it. I can't think of nay other way to keep track.

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To retrieve passwords in Internet Explorer 11: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/35519-internet-explorer-11-stored-passwords-view-remove.html

To retrieve passwords in Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/password-manager-remember-delete-change-and-import

Some sites will not allow a browser to store passwords, such as GMail and some financial institutions.

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And then, so you never have to face this sort of problem again:

Roboform Password Manager

I have been using RoboForm for many years – 10 years would not be an exaggeration - and I could not live without it.

There are others, and imitators, and I have tried several of them, but I have always ended up sticking with RoboForm.

I cannot understand why anyone would NOT be using a good password manager!

 

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I don't use a password manager because I don't know where the data is kept.  The ones that I looked at, if your computer is stolen the password manager is useless and if they take your password manager also, you are really in trouble.  They may not be able to use the password manager but you don't know the passwords to your sites either.

I found a tiny 8gb thumb drive and put everything on it.  All my passwords, medical records, insurance stuff, a copy of everything in my wallet and a list of all my friends etc.

Everything is encrypted except my friends list.

It stays on my key chain and no one ever notices it.  If something happens, chances are that I will have my keys and you can find computers anywhere.  Just pop the drive in and call some of my friends to come rescue me.   

I broke my hip and spent 6 days in the hospital.  They have some great "joy juice" in that place.  Never felt a single pain.  I also could barely tell you my name, much less remember my families phone numbers.  My little toy saved me.  

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Bill Hely said:

And then, so you never have to face this sort of problem again:

Roboform Password Manager

I have been using RoboForm for many years – 10 years would not be an exaggeration - and I could not live without it.

There are others, and imitators, and I have tried several of them, but I have always ended up sticking with RoboForm.

I cannot understand why anyone would NOT be using a good password manager!

 

My passwords are all in a little book that stays at my house. I also have them written down elsewhere, so I am easily capable of being my own password manager, that´s why.

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1 hour ago, mudgirl said:

My passwords are all in a little book that stays at my house. I also have them written down elsewhere, so I am easily capable of being my own password manager, that´s why.

Cardinal Rule #1 Of Computer Security

NEVER EVER EVER keep a written record of passwords.

An allowable exception would be if you encrypt what you write down, but even that is not a really good solution.

And what if you lose your Little Black Book – theft, flood, fire, whatever – what then?

One aspect of the weakness of written passwords that's not often considered is that writing them down encourages short passwords that make sense. You aren't likely to use a long, nonsense, secure password like &45#grLKB3u447 (I just asked RoboForm to create that) if you have to type it in manually every time. My router is protected by a password just like that but that is 63 characters long. I also have that one particular password memorised, but I couldn't do that with the many dozens of User IDs and passwords I need regularly.

And quite apart from the security aspects, there is the matter of convenience. It's very convenient to call up a password protected web page and have your User ID and password automatically entered for you. And when you change the password (either voluntarily or because the site forces you to) RoboForm automatically notes the change and remembers it for next time.

There is no getting around it, there is no better way to manage passwords than with a good password manager.

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8 hours ago, jrm30655 said:

I don't use a password manager because I don't know where the data is kept.  The ones that I looked at, if your computer is stolen the password manager is useless and if they take your password manager also, you are really in trouble.  They may not be able to use the password manager but you don't know the passwords to your sites either.

There is no need for you to know where the data is kept, and even knowing that wouldn't help you. RoboForm has encountered these sorts of questions many times and published answers to them, such as:

"If you password-protect all sensitive Passcards and Identities then it will be nearly impossible to get an access to them without the password. Specifically, all password-protected Passcards and Identities are stored in files that are encrypted by your Master Password using AES, BlowFish or 3DES. So a person who theoretically steals your computer or files, will have to break these encryption algorithms in order to get your passwords from Passcards."

The main thing with your Master Password, as with any password, is not to use a word or phrase that can be defeated by a simple dictionary attack.

And you don't lose your passwords along with your computer if it is stolen or destroyed. Reinstall RoboForm on your new computer, provide the necessary credentials, and it will start recovering your encrypted passwords from RoboForm's master storage.

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6 hours ago, mudgirl said:

Oh, please. Different strokes for different folks. No one would be able to figure out what my passwords were for, because I have my own coding system. And like I said, I have back-up lists in different places.

Well, since every single computer security consultant and expert on the planet, without exception, would agree with the principle that you should "never ever ever keep a written record of passwords", there's no need for me to argue with you. The position you put yourself in by virtue of claiming the contrary speaks for itself.

The greatest protection you've got going for you is that you are irrelevant. That applies to most of us. It's very unlikely that anyone capable of doing so would be bothered with you. Of course if you make it too easy, that's another story...

But you clearly have no idea of the complexity and capability of programs that are available to online criminals. To someone intent on cracking your systems, a written list of passwords, encrypted or not, is just another key for them to work with, no matter how clever you think you've been in compiling it.

My point to you, and you can rabbit on all you like without invalidating that point, is that written lists of passwords are primitive, completely unnecessary, and far short of a really practical and convenient way to score passwords.

Do as you wish, I can only advise as to the best solutions. The topic came up, I can contribute, I have done so, and your agreement is not necessary.

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Simple password code for writing down passwords.   Example BCD123 password  becomes ABC012 on paper.  You can make it as complicated as you need to. Yes real computer bad guys can figure it out if it was on a computer but its on paper. Just be consistent  so you can remember the code.  Caps can become smalls to make it more complicated in a simple manner.  * can be & for example to add complexity if your password has these type of symbols in them.  Bill in the real world experts also say you should not use the same password twice thus writing them down becomes more realistic.  I agree a good password manager is a  good solution for many of us but a well hidden list of coded passwords can be very safe and usable option also.

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On 11/5/2016 at 6:07 AM, cedros said:

For years I've been keeping a 3 page list of passwords and secret questions. I would be lost without it. I can't think of nay other way to keep track.

My list is 10 pages long; it is on my computer and I also have a printout of it.

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There's a free app  called Password Safe that runs on Windows, Apple and Android devices that can be used to store passwords and other things you need to  remember. I put frequent flyer numbers, kids and grandkids birth dates, socials and passports. Record all your Mexican data like CURP and  driver's license.

The vault has a master password for access.

I keep it on my local  PC and then upload it to Dropbox to be able to  access data  around the world. Works great.

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Bill Hely, I really don't understand your desire to belittle someone because he/she doesn't agree with you on a topic like this.

For everyone else here who might be reading: I know computers, and I know a lot of people in their 70s and 80s here. They use very few passwords, but are often forced to get new ones (their email causes a password problem; their bank asks for a better password; they forgot the password because they only used it once 10 years ago...). I recommend they write it down in a little book or pad that they keep in a handy place. Password managers are too difficult for many folks who can barely deal with getting their email. I've had several people who have lost access to their expensive iPad or iPhone, because they came up with a passcode in a hurry when they opened the box for the first time.

Thieves are unlikely to steal a small pad or booklet that's sitting in a pile of papers by the computer.

Personally, I use a program that I bought for my Pocket PC 20 years ago, and is now defunct, but still works fine. I manually enter the information for everything, and that info is backed up every day to a separate hard drive. No one has any idea about this program, so they'll never uncover my passwords. I could easily use a word processor and save the file as anything but "passwords".

The point is, the chances of anyone getting your passwords are pretty slim, but knowing what they are is very important to you.

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Last Pass https://www.lastpass.com/  is a free password manager recommended to me by a friend who works at DARPA. I use it and it is okay, but one of the nice features is that is searches your hard drive and finds all the old passwords that you have used in the past. You can then view them and jog your memory.

You may choose to keep using Last Pass, I did. Or you can try a different password manager... but at least you will now have all those forgotten passwords. 

 

 

 

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OK, for those inclined to get really upset when other people don`t do what THEY do, here you go, have at it: I use the same password for almost everything!  Then I can always remember my password!  I`ve been doing this for 30 years!  OK, go to it!  I can`t wait to see what your reaction will be!  The more extreme the better!

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8 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

Bill Hely, I really don't understand your desire to belittle someone because he/she doesn't agree with you on a topic like this.

For everyone else here who might be reading: I know computers, and I know a lot of people in their 70s and 80s here. They use very few passwords, but are often forced to get new ones (their email causes a password problem; their bank asks for a better password; they forgot the password because they only used it once 10 years ago...). I recommend they write it down in a little book or pad that they keep in a handy place. Password managers are too difficult for many folks who can barely deal with getting their email. I've had several people who have lost access to their expensive iPad or iPhone, because they came up with a passcode in a hurry when they opened the box for the first time.

Thieves are unlikely to steal a small pad or booklet that's sitting in a pile of papers by the computer.

Personally, I use a program that I bought for my Pocket PC 20 years ago, and is now defunct, but still works fine. I manually enter the information for everything, and that info is backed up every day to a separate hard drive. No one has any idea about this program, so they'll never uncover my passwords. I could easily use a word processor and save the file as anything but "passwords".

The point is, the chances of anyone getting your passwords are pretty slim, but knowing what they are is very important to you.

It's not the "disagreement" that annoyed me - it was the condescending "Oh, please", as if I'm some dope who is missing the blatantly obvious.

As to your own method, if it works for you, fine. But as someone who "knows computers", you must surely be aware of the myriad weaknesses in your method.

Just for the record, I no longer consider myself to be an expert in any aspect of computing. I built my first computer around a Z80 chip, audio tape storage, long before there was any such thing as desktop PCs. I made my living as an IT consultant for around 20 years, the last half of that time self-employed and specialising in security issues. A long illness forced me to find others to support my client list and to quit the industry. It's been quite a long time since I had anything to do with computer technologies other than as an end user, and I haven't even tried to keep up-to-date. So I repeat: I no longer consider myself to be an expert in any aspect of computing, but hopefully common sense still prevails.

Even forgetting for a moment about the security or otherwise of written lists, there is the matter of efficiency and convenience. It is an irrefutable fact that a good password manager offers a level of convenience and infallibility that can't even be approached by any manual method.

I choose RoboForm and it has never let me down over a couple of decades of use. But as I said, there are others, and anyone is free to do their own research and choose any application they please.

But to choose a written list instead is the result either of not knowing any better, or pigheaded refusal to change.

And your claim that some elderly people just can't handle a password manager is quite contrary to my experience, which includes many computer users of advanced age, including one of 99 years only recently deceased.  A GOOD password manager doesn't need any management or knowledge. Once installed it just quietly does its job, automatically recording usernames and passwords, and automatically providing them again when a login form appears.

But ultimately the method used by any reader is immaterial to me. Anyone can be guided to consider other solutions, or ignore all advice that comes their way. All I care about is that incorrect information isn't passed on to others who don't know any better. That sort of thing does tend to get me going.

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You can insult as much as you want. It doesn't change the facts. One of them being, and I reiterate, the chances of anyone getting ahold of anyone's hand-written list around here basically two: slim and none. And I'm done with this. Your lengthy and now public employment history only caused me to skip through the boring bits.

 

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