Forgotten Password

[NG]

I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
administrator account is there anything i can do?

 

[anonymous]

-----Original Message-----

I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
administrator account is there anything i can do?
.
And you did not make a password diskette did you?

It should have been suggested when you set the original
password.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Because of the security features built into Windows XP, it is virtually
impossible to get back into the system without a valid password.
You have several options to try and get around this problem.

If you have access to another user account with administrator rights, you can
use that account to change the password of the account that is locked out.
You can also use the default Administrator account that is built into Windows
XP.

First you need to boot the system into Safe Mode:

1. Restart your system.
2. When you see the initial startup screen, press the ( F8 ) key about 3 times a
second.
3. You should get the Windows startup menu. Use the (Up or Down) arrow keys to
highlight (SafeMode)
4. Press (Enter) on (Safe Mode), then press (Enter) on (Windows XP).
5. The system should boot to Safe Mode.

Once you are at the Account Log on Screen, click on the icon
for the user account with administrator rights, or click on the icon
for the administrators account.

Note: For Home the Administrator account isn't normally shown & in Safe Mode you
have to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys twice to show.
For PRO you can do this in normal mode.

When the system has booted to the desktop, use the following steps to change the
accounts password:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools.
2. Click Computer Management.
3. Double click Local Users and Groups, double click the folder Users.
4. Right click on the account name that is locked out, and click on Set
Password.
5. You may get a warning message about changing the password, simply click
proceed.
6. Leave the New Password box blank, also leave the Confirm Password box blank.
7. Click OK, and OK again.
8. Then close all Windows, reboot the system and try to log in.


There are also applications that can recover the password for you.
The following companies provide these applications at a cost:

iOpus® Password Recovery XP: http://www.iopus.com/password_recovery.htm
LostPassword.com : http://www.lostpassword.com/
Asterisk Password Recovery XP v1.89 :
http://www.fadsoft.com/password_recovery.htm
Windows XP / 2000 / NT Key: http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm


If the above information does not help in recovering the password, the only
option left is to format the hard drive then reinstall Windows
and the system software.

Perhaps the following articles can help:

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your Password Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321305

Administrator and User Passwords in Windows XP
http://www2.cajun.net/~theriots/xpsitefolder/win_xp_passwords.htm

[Courtesy of Kelly Theriot, MS-MVP]

Ultimate Password Recovery Guide
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3504258,00.html


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
| screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
| administrator account is there anything i can do?

 

[NG]

No password disk either!

 

[steffens_michael]

-----Original Message-----
I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
administrator account is there anything i can do?
.
You most likely will have to reinstall windows

 

[Guest]

Try this, follow the instructions to the letter.

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
administrator account is there anything i can do?
.
If you password is ANYTHING else but Administrator then at

the passowrd screen hit control alt delete (maybe twice it
has been a while since i did this) and you can log on as
administrator (when u assign an administrator account with
another name than administrator then the original
administrator account is NOT visible at sign on) hopefully
u never assigned a password to that account

 

[NG]

Thanks alot problem solved

-----Original Message-----
Because of the security features built into Windows XP, it is virtually
impossible to get back into the system without a valid password.
You have several options to try and get around this problem.

If you have access to another user account with administrator rights, you can
use that account to change the password of the account that is locked out.
You can also use the default Administrator account that is built into Windows
XP.

First you need to boot the system into Safe Mode:

1. Restart your system.
2. When you see the initial startup screen, press the ( F8 ) key about 3 times a
second.
3. You should get the Windows startup menu. Use the (Up or Down) arrow keys to
highlight (SafeMode)
4. Press (Enter) on (Safe Mode), then press (Enter) on (Windows XP).
5. The system should boot to Safe Mode.

Once you are at the Account Log on Screen, click on the icon
for the user account with administrator rights, or click on the icon
for the administrators account.

Note: For Home the Administrator account isn't normally shown & in Safe Mode you
have to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys twice to show.
For PRO you can do this in normal mode.

When the system has booted to the desktop, use the following steps to change the
accounts password:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools.
2. Click Computer Management.
3. Double click Local Users and Groups, double click the folder Users.
4. Right click on the account name that is locked out, and click on Set
Password.
5. You may get a warning message about changing the password, simply click
proceed.
6. Leave the New Password box blank, also leave the Confirm Password box blank.
7. Click OK, and OK again.
8. Then close all Windows, reboot the system and try to log in.


There are also applications that can recover the password for you.
The following companies provide these applications at a cost:

iOpus® Password Recovery XP: http://www.iopus.com/password_recovery.htm
LostPassword.com : http://www.lostpassword.com/
Asterisk Password Recovery XP v1.89 :
http://www.fadsoft.com/password_recovery.htm
Windows XP / 2000 / NT Key: http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm


If the above information does not help in recovering the password, the only
option left is to format the hard drive then reinstall Windows
and the system software.

Perhaps the following articles can help:

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your Password Expires
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en- us;321305

Administrator and User Passwords in Windows XP
http://www2.cajun.net/~theriots/xpsitefolder/win_xp_passw ords.htm

[Courtesy of Kelly Theriot, MS-MVP]

Ultimate Password Recovery Guide
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24 330,3504258,00.html


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

--------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------


| I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
| screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
| administrator account is there anything i can do?

.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have forgotten my password for my computer on the logon
screen and the hint doesn't help. I'm the only
administrator account is there anything i can do?

This is where the reserve, emergency account called "Administrator""
comes in. Boot, hitting F8 as BIOS info goes to black; take Safe Mode,
There will then be an icon for Administrator on the Welcome screen. (If
not, hit CTL-ALT-DEL twice and enter the explicit name
Administrator
and leave the password blank)

In that, Start - Run the line
control userpasswords2
where you can select any account name and Reset Password