wrong password ...

[Mark]

I recently changed my password to log on my account .. but
it tells me its wrong ... I tried everything.. I was
wondering if there's a way to find "my password" without
formating my cpu .. because there's a lot of stuff i'd
like to keep

 

[judy]

Recovering a user's password

If you forget your user account password, check your
password hint. (Your password hint is located on the
Welcome screen beside the password prompt.)

If you have a password reset disk, you can use it to
create a new password for your account. Your personalized
computer settings will be retained. For more information
about using the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a
password reset disk, click Related Topics.

If your password hint does not help you remember your
password and you did not create a password reset disk,
you will need to have someone with a computer
administrator account create a new password for you. For
security reasons, a computer administrator cannot recover
your password if you forget it; he or she can only create
a new one for you.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Mark;
Try leaving the password blank.

The password is Case Sensitive.
Check Caps Lock and try various of Capital combinations.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321305
If you do not have a Password Recovery Disk, it is to late to make it.
Or
Log in to any account that has Administrator access.
Then go to User Accounts in Control Panel.
Select the user and change the password.

Windows XP Pro:
At the log-in screen, press Ctrl/Alt/Del twice quickly
Type "Administrator" and leave password blank.

Windows XP Home:
Reboot, tapping F8 each second.
Select Safe Mode at the menu.
Select Administrator, leave password blank.

Then go to User Accounts in Control Panel.
Select the user and change the password.
If you are using Windows XP Pro and have encrypted data, you may
permanently lose access to the encrypted data.

Here is another option:
http://www.wininternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/index.asp

Another option is to install Windows XP on another partition and take
Ownership of your data.
You could also perform another installation on the same partition,
although this is not a permanent fix and it is recommended to perform
a Clean Installation after retrieving your data.

After this is resolved, take precautions to not lose the password.