Password Prob - XP Professional

[beffy77]

Any ideas or solutions greatly appreciated:

My old work laptop has windows XP professional and has the hard drive password protected. It is definitely the 'primary hard drive' that is protected, not Windows.

I have not used it for about a year and when I tried to just now, it did not recognise the password.
The battery had gone flat, and the date in the set-up was 2002! I have put the date right and charged the battery, but it still does not recognise the
password. I have had this same password for about 8 years and I know that it is right.

Is there any way to access the hard drive without the password? If I enter the set-up it tells me that there is no hard drive, presumably because it is hidden by the password.

I do NOT have the original Windows XP Professional CD.....

HELP!!

[beffy77]

Darn, thanks though!