Browse in phpMyAdmin - UK Web Hosting | Dedicated Server Windows and Linux VPS Forum

**MonteJon** · #1 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 14:40

Hi eUK,
When in phpMyAdmin, if I go for example to "user names" and then "Browse/User", any information is presented in numerical form.
For example, Registration Date of 22/12/2007 is shown as 1198428780.
How can I break these numbers down in an example I don't know so that I can see the information ?
I hope this makes sense ?
Regards,
Jon:santasmileyitty:

Rock · #2 (**permalink**) 25-12-2007, 22:08

Hi Jon, Merry Christmas...

The numbers 1198428780 are in the format of Unix-Time-Stamp. The Unix time stamp is a way to track time as a running total of seconds. This count starts at the Unix Epoch on January 1st, 1970. Therefore, the Unix time stamp is merely the number of seconds between a particular date and the Unix Epoch. This is very useful to computer systems for tracking and sorting dated information in dynamic and distributed applications both online and client side. You can convert the numbers to a readable format using this link...

**MonteJon** · #3 (**permalink**) 27-12-2007, 17:21

Hi Rock, & merry christmas to you too sir !
I hav'nt been around for a few days so please accept my apologies for this late reply.

Thanks for the explanation !
Right, that explains the numerical code in phpMyAdmin but what about the words ?
For example, my SMF forum password although 8 letters long is shown as a 40 letter/number code, how do I convert this ? [I've been to the php/MySql sites and looked through the documentation but no joy]

I ask because if I should have a forum member [I should be so lucky . . .] who forgets their password how can I assist them ?

Happy New Year all !
Regards,
Jon

**247h** · #4 (**permalink**) 27-12-2007, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonteJon

...I ask because if I should have a forum member [I should be so lucky . . .] who forgets their password how can I assist them ?

A forum's administrator doesn't need to be able to decrypt a secure password string (and it wouldn't be very secure if you could easily do so) — if your forum software doesn't have a built-in utility to reset a user's password at the login screen (and most do), just provide them with a direct email address to you so they can inform you of their problem and you can then reset their password temporarily from their profile. Once logged in successfully they can then change it to their preference.

Rock · #5 (**permalink**) 27-12-2007, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonteJon

Right, that explains the numerical code in phpMyAdmin but what about the words ?
For example, my SMF forum password although 8 letters long is shown as a 40 letter/number code, how do I convert this ? [I've been to the php/MySql sites and looked through the documentation but no joy]

I ask because if I should have a forum member [I should be so lucky . . .] who forgets their password how can I assist them ?

Happy New Year all !
Regards,
Jon

Hi Jon, The 40 letter/number code is an encoded password either having MD5 or some other encryption. It can't be easily decrypted.
You can reset the password for the forum member & email them on their registered email address.

**eUK-Martin** · #6 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 10:28

Also If you wish to reset the password of the user from the database using PhpMyAdmin then you can just edit the user profile from the users table, enter the eight character password in the password field and select MD5 from the encryption list and click on GO. PhpMyAdmin will encrypt the password and will save it in the table.

**WelshTom** · #7 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 18:07

MD5 is not decryptable, and can only be broken with years of time, and several powerful computers (brute force).

**MonteJon** · #8 (**permalink**) 28-12-2007, 22:40

Hi all,
Many thanks to you all for your help and useful answers, more ticks in the eUKHost box !

One of the other reasons for me asking this question originally was that the admin of the free host I had a forum on [wysifauthoring, etc] had made a mess of my account and had to reinstate my account.
Now, I had 3 accounts in different names and passwords for this forum, when he sent me my new account details he gave me the password from one of the 3 accounts as my new pasword.
I was a bit suprised as I had kept these details secret, how was he able to do this, how did he know ?

I assumed he had done it from my details with phpMyadmin.

Any ideas ?

Regards,
Jon

PS. Happy New Year to all at eUKHost !

**eUK-Martin** · #9 (**permalink**) 01-01-2008, 10:26

There are 2 possibilities to change a user password of a forums:

1. One should be the Administrator of the forum to change a user password.

2. One must have access to the database of the forums.

**MonteJon** · #10 (**permalink**) 01-01-2008, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by eUK-Martin

There are 2 possibilities to change a user password of a forums:

1. One should be the Administrator of the forum to change a user password.

2. One must have access to the database of the forums.

Hi Martin,
Thanks for your answer, No 2 is exactly what I was thinking about.
If you have access to the database, how then could he find out my account paswords if they are in code, he would have had to have broken it down some way ?!
Do you see what I mean now ?
Thanks,
Jon