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Problem: You can't get into Windows because you forgot your
password.
Likely Cause: Consult your family physician for a complete
diagnosis.
The Fix: With each version of Windows, recovering a lost
password becomes a bit harder, thanks to Microsoft's inexorable security
improvements. However, there's no need to abandon hope.
- If it's your Windows XP log-in password, try logging in under
another account with administrator privileges. (There may have been an
account like 'Owner' installed, often with no password, when you first
bought your PC.) Any administrator account can reset the password of any
other account. If you're not using the Windows XP log-in screen (the one
with the icons for each user), you can try logging in with the account
named 'Administrator', which is hidden on the XP log-in screen. If you
are using the XP log-in screen, try pressing <Ctrl>-<Alt>-<Delete>
to reach the old, NT-style screen, which should allow you to type in the
user name. In most cases you can not log into XP as administrator unless
you reboot the PC into safe mode. (Press F8 when windows is first
starting, be quick or you will miss it) Then once in safe mode you can
remove or change your password from the control panel using the user
accounts.
- If no other account exists on the PC or you have a password on the
Administrators account, you'll need to turn to
third-party tools to reset the password or crack it. Ophcrack is the
first third-party tool I'd recommend to recover a lost password: Using
another PC, download the free software from
ophcrack.sourceforge.net and burn it to a disc. Boot from this CD
and watch Ophcrack go to work. Based on extensive password tables, it
can recover most passwords in a matter of minutes, for all the accounts
on a PC.
- You also can try a tool that can reset your password if everything
else has failed; note, though, that such tools generally involve a small
risk of data loss or corruption.
Offline NT Password &
Registry Editor and
Emergency Boot CD are both free, include bootable CD versions, and
are fairly self-explanatory if you're comfortable working with the
command line. Both can reset your Windows password for you, and they
support multiple versions of Windows.
- If you lost a BIOS-level password, you can try resetting or
bypassing it. First, try backdoor passwords as listed at
Tech FAQ. If none
works, try resetting your CMOS--as discussed in "Problem:
Your computer won't boot"--to cause the BIOS to reset to its default
state. Replace the battery and then restore the jumper to its original
position and reboot your system.
How to Avoid It Next Time: If password loss is a frequent
problem, consider writing them down and keeping them in your wallet, or
storing them in a bank safe deposit box or a safe at home--just make sure
you don't lose the key.
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