In-Depth Terminal Hacking Guide [with Secrets]

With my Guide, you will learn everything you need to know about Terminal Hacking. From the basics to the advanced techniques.
After that, you will hack every Terminal in one go !

Basics

To start this guide off, some basics about what to expect when hacking a Terminal.

The idea is, to find the correct password to unlock the Terminal.



You will see a mix of letters, words and special characters.
Many assume to just "trial and error" until they get the correct code, but there is a bit more to it than that.


Let's take this Terminal as an example:



We choose MARKS as our first try.

It wasn't the correct password, but it has likeness = 2 which means,
the correct code has 2 matching letters at the same spot as MARKS

It might be helpful to visualize it:



The important thing is, the characters have to be in the same spot in each word!
So if you compare MARKS with NUKES, it only has a likeness = 1 because each word has an S at the end. Some people would think, both words share an S and K so it must be a likeness = 2, but the K is in a different spot in both words. This is something important you should remember

Now you can go for the next word that fits, until you find the correct code.

Skills

Your Skills play an important role when hacking.
You can hack every Beginner Terminal, but for advanced, expert and master Terminals, you will need the perk "Hacker" in the intelligence tab. When you reach LVL 33 you can upgrade the "Hacker" perk so Terminals won't lock after failing all trys.

Another thing to mention is the "Science Bobblehead" It will give you a permanent 5th try for every Terminal you try to hack.

The Science Bobblehead can be found here:



Location: Inside Vault 75 (which is inside Malden Middle School). In the Lab, in a room overlooking the Combat Course. You'll need an Admin Access Card, which can be obtained by killing enemies in the area.



Thanks to http://fallout4map.com/ for the awesome map !

Modifying the Code

Since you now know the basics of finding the correct code, here's a few secrets to make it much easier.

Everyone should have noticed already that there are not only words, but special characters on your Terminal screen. Clicking a single special character gives you an error, they are pretty much useless.

BUT!

When hacking a Terminal, there are always arrangements of special characters, like this for example:



See how you can select a bunch of special characters, like a word ? These are special codes that modify the Terminal. If you select one of those, the Terminal either removes 1 wrong word, or it resets your Try's. This is very very helpful, since you can click those without loosing a try.

The special codes always start and end with a bracket, so look out for those!

(...)
[...]
{...}
<...>

I suggest you to first try 3 different words before you go and use the special codes, so you get the most out of your try's.

In-Game Example

Now you are ready to hack some Terminals.
Here is a full example of hacking an advanced Terminal.

As my first word I picked HUNTERS


I assumed that the likeness = 1 was the first letter (H) and since there is only 1 other word starting with a H, I gave HAMMERS a try.


Likeness = 1 but still not the correct word. Now you can assume that the likeness probably has to do with the ending ERS. One of these letters must be correct. I chose BATTLES next and got a likeness = 2. So the "S" at the end must be correct.


Now that I already wasted 3 try's, i started using the special codes to reset my try's and remove some wrong words.


With 4 fresh new try's I was going for the next word ending with ES


BOTTLES being wrong leaves only one word ending with ES

DESIRES, which was the correct password

Thank You !

So I hope you learned something with this guide.
You should be able to hack every Terminal without locking it even once.


Thank you !

[Shades]

Edit: I mean, there is no similar word in the list like Wearing or Cabinet. The game doesnt work like that, its basically a game of Hangman with a ready list of words.

[Shades]

Also, the correct words ofte seem to have something in common.
With the words: Hunters, Hammers, Battles, Bottles, Desires, the word is likely one of these, instead of, Wearing, Cabinet, or Emerged, since these words are very different. Its the word with most similar versions.
Second, some ideas are more common as right answers as others. For me, Desires would be my first choice. Emotional, diary-like words seem to be more prevalent.
Second choice would be Hunters, as people doing something. Also things like Treasures would be high up in the list. Battles would be in the middle. Imagine it as, "memoirs of my Battles". Bit far fetched, but it fits the diary hypothesis.
Hammers and Bottles are almost never the right answer.

[Shades]

Lastly, Ranted, Exposed, Wearing dont fit either. Again, imagine its a diary. My Battles, or even My Bottles are possible, My Ranted, My Exposed, My Wearing are less likely.
Im not very good explaining this rule, but if you get what I mean, you can guess the right answer on the first try a lot of the time.
- Why? Well, I assume somebody had to do the lists at the developers office, take a book about rhyming, and list some words. And that someone liked to pick words he or she liked, instead of aiming for randomness.

[felc]

brooo i always thought that the likeness was about the same letters not the location of them

[DarkSabre88]

now i get it thanks

[SpaceNinja3468]

i also found that if a word like "hacking" has a likeness = 1. I immediately clear all words ending in "ing" as there's only one letter that's correct. But please note that doesn't mean it won't end with a "g"

[SomeGuyThe1]

Honestly helped a lot, thanks!

[SilverFox]

Thanks for your excellent work.

[angeneil]

thank you, muchlyanlots.

[keithv708]

yes it wes thank you