It is probably asking for the Password Reset disk. Was this disk created when the password was added to his account?
If not and he is using an Administrator account, you may be stuck?
Not simple, Vista is much more secure than previous versions of windows.
If there is another Administrator account on the computer, you can log on with that account, go to User Accounts in Control Panel, select his account, remove the password, and then create another password and a pssword reset disk.
Otherwise you will need to use one of the following options to recover.
There are several ways to recover if you did not create a password reset disk when you set the password on that admin account.
If you have a retail Vista installation disk, you can use the procedure from the following website. Use the Option 2 there.
What do I do: I can no longer log in or elevate to an administrator account:
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/Administration/locked_out_of_admin.aspx
If you do not have an installation disk, there are free password recovery procedures on the internet, I usually do not recommend these simply because they require advanced computer skills and some of them can turn your computer into an expensive doorstop.
Offline NT Password & Registry Editor:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/main.html
As a last resort, there is software available that you can purchase that will solve the problem, easily.
The program that I recommend is the first one, it is very easy to create a recovery disk that you can use on any Windows PC. These recovery programs usually cost about 30-40 USD.
@PC: Windows Password Recovery Software. Reset Administrator Password. XP VISTA 2003 2000 NT.:
http://www.password-changer.com/
Windows Password Recovery Key - Resets the Administrator account password:
http://tinyurl.com/2qr7oc
If this post helps to resolve your issue, click the Mark as Answer or Helpful button at the top of this message.
By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience