I forgot my password on Windows 8, how can I remove it? Windows password reset programs

How to reset a password on Windows 8 is a hot topic today. This operating system has a high level of security, and a password is required when installing it. But there are often cases where users simply forget the key and cannot log into the system. Moreover, a password may also be required to perform certain operations, such as and so on.

What should I do if I forgot my login password, but the system requires it? There are different ways to reset it. We will look at the simplest and fastest option on how to reset your Windows 8 login password, which anyone can handle. In this case, you do not have to wait long or.

How to reset your account login password in Windows 8

First of all, it should be noted that we will not need any third-party applications. We will do everything using the built-in utilities of the Windows 8 operating system. But, before moving directly to solving the task at hand, it is necessary to prepare. How to make it?

First we need a regular flash drive. Volume of at least 2 GB. We connect the drive to the computer and launch the control panel. In the upper corner of the service there is a search bar in which you need to write “Recovery”. Open the tool. It should not be confused with the Windows 7 file recovery utility, since in the latter case you can only create a CDDVD disk, and we need a flash drive.

So, the Recovery tool allows us to create bootable portable memory drives (Flash). To do this, click “Create a recovery disk.” We confirm the action. Next, a window will appear with information about the flash drive being created and what it can be used for. A little lower, you need to uncheck the “Copy recovery partition” checkbox. As a rule, it is not active, but in some cases it must be removed (if it is installed). Click “Next”.

The next step is choosing a memory drive. Here you should select our flash drive. Click “Next”. The system warns us that all data on the drive will be deleted. Click “Create”.

It is recommended to always have such a flash drive, since in case of any problems it will help solve the problem as quickly as possible. At this point the preparation stage is completed. It is worth noting that you can make such a flash drive on any computer with Windows 8. Now let’s move on to how to reset your password in Windows 8.

Resetting your login key

Now we have a bootable USB flash drive. In order to reset your Windows 8 password, you must boot your computer from it. If you have a desktop PC, then you need to set it to boot from a flash drive. If you are using a laptop, then everything is simpler. When the system boots, press the "Esc" key. After this, a window for selecting actions will appear. We are interested in the “Boot devise” section. The device selection key may differ depending on the laptop model. This could be F2, F8, F9, F10, F11 or F12. When you click on the corresponding button, a list of devices from which you can download will appear.

We boot from our flash drive and select the “Diagnostics” section. Next, open additional options and select “Command Prompt”. Thus, we launched the next Windows tool, which is necessary to reset the key. Next we will need to enter certain commands.

Working on the command line

The main thing is to be extremely careful, since the slightest typo in a command makes it invalid. So, next you need to enter the following commands, in the same sequence as they are written:

1. Diskpart – allows you to start working with disk partitions.
2. List vol – this command is executed to display the available partitions on the hard drive. In addition, thanks to it we will determine which partition the operating system is installed on.
3. Exit – exit from working with the hard drive.

Now, knowing which partition the OS is installed on, you can move on to the next step. It is worth noting that to execute the command you must press “Enter” each time. That is, we do this after each line (each written command). So, now we write the following:

1. Above we learned the letter of the partition on which the OS is installed. Now we write the following command – C: and press “Enter”. "C" is the drive on which Windows is installed. For you this may be a different partition, then instead of “C” write the letter that corresponds to the system drive. This means that further actions will relate specifically to the specified volume.
2. Cd windows – enter the directory with the operating system.
3. Cd system32 – open the subdirectory containing the files we need.
4. Copy cmd.exe cmd.exe.original – copying files.
5. Copy utilman.exe utilman.exe.original.
6. Del utilman.exe – file deletion.
7. Ren cmd.exe utilman.exe. renaming the file.
8. Shutdown –r –t 00 – command to reboot the system.

The above commands perform the actions of replacing a specific system file. Why is this necessary? When loading Windows 8, in the menu where we must enter the password, there is a “Accessibility” button at the bottom. When you click on it, additional options appear. However, we replaced the file that is responsible for the functions of this button, and now when we press it, we launch a command line in which we can perform actions to change the password. So, let's move on to the next stage.

How to set and remove a password when logging into Windows 8: Video

Changing the login password on the command line

So, as you remember, the last command rebooted the PC. Now, when loading, we are taken to a menu where we are asked to enter a password. There is an Accessibility button in the lower left corner. Click on it. If the above commands were written correctly, a command line will open where you can reset your password in Windows 8. To do this, enter the following commands:

1. Net user Andrey * – this command allows you to make changes to the account of a specific user. Here, instead of “Andrey”, you should enter the name of your account. It is worth noting that this name must be written in the language in which it is indicated in the system. The command line supports the Russian language, so if your account name is written in Cyrillic, then write it that way.
2. Now you should enter a new password and press “Enter”. It will not appear as you type, so be extremely careful. It is best to first enter a simple key, which can later be changed in the account settings.
3. After entering the key, you will need to enter it again for confirmation. Press "Enter".
4. Now we execute the “Exit” command.

After the completed operations, you can freely log into your account by entering a new password. We have discussed with you one of the simplest ways to reset your password in Windows 8 if you cannot log into your account. It is worth noting that our data was not damaged, and we did not have to reinstall or restore anything.

How to reset your password on Windows 8: Video

Now all that remains is to perform the steps that will return the Accessibility button to its original functions. To do this, we boot from the flash drive again. Open “Diagnostics”, then “Advanced options”. Next, launch the command line. We write the following commands:

• C: — Here again, instead of “C,” we indicate the letter of the partition on which the operating system is installed.
• Cd windows.
• CD system32.
• Del utilman.exe.
• Ren utilman.exe.original utilman.exe.
• Ren cmd.exe.original cmd.exe.
• Shutdown –r –t 00.

That's all. We've changed the password and returned the Accessibility button to its original functionality. It is worth noting that if you do not use it, then the purpose of launching the command line when you press it can be left. This will not affect the operation of the system in any way.

How to remove a password in Windows 8: Video

How to disable password in Windows 10: Video

Forgotten password o T Windows It's extremely frustrating and annoying, especially when you urgently need to retrieve some important data from your computer. Fortunately, it is possible for you to instantly reset forgotten password and log into your computer again at your own discretion. This article will introduce you to 3 easy and quick ways to reset Windows 8 password, if you forgot it.

Method 1: Use Reset Windows Password Utility

Resetting your password in Windows 8, the utility is considered as the most widely used and effective way to reset lost Windows 8 password and Windows Password Unlocker is a good example. With this program, you can easily reset your Windows 8 password in 5 minutes, regardless of your level and password strength on your computer. 100% safety guaranteed.

Instructions:

• Step 1: Download and Install Windows Password Unlocker on any PC that can be run with administrator rights.
• Step 2: To reset your password, create a bootable disk Windows 8 CD/DVD or USB disk.
• Step 3: Insert the disc password reset and run target Windows 8 PC.
• Step 4: Reset the user's forgotten password in Windows 8 in 3 clicks.
• Step 5: On the login screen, log in Windows 8 without password.

Method 2: Use a previously created password reset disk

Previously created disk password reset, in fact, the easiest and fastest way reset lost Windows 8 password. With such a password reset disk in your hands, you can easily reset Windows 8 password within a few seconds when you forgot your password.

Instructions:

• Step 1: Login Windows 8 with the wrong password, and then click OK to close the error message.
• Step 2: Click on the link for password reset to open the wizard password reset.
• Step 3: Insert the previously created disk password reset to your computer and click Next.
• Step 4: Select the inserted disc password reset and click Next.
• Step 5: Enter your new password and hint in Windows 8, and then click Next.
• Step 6: Click Finish when done reset password in Windows 8.

Method 3: Use a different Windows 8 administrator account

In Windows 7/XP, you can quickly and easily reset any other user's password when you log in as an administrator. This is no exception for Windows 8.So when you forgot your Windows 8 password, log in to your account without an administrator account and reset the user password you forgot.

Instructions:

• Step 1: Login Windows 8 through another administrator account.
• Step 2: In the search field, enter the type “User Accounts” and select User Accounts from the search results.
• Step 3: The User Accounts window will open, with all accounts displayed Windows 8 .
• Step 4: Select the user account for which you want to reset the password.
• Step 5: Enter the new password twice, the password hint once, and then click the Change Password button.

Note: All EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates and passwords for websites and network resources will be lost using this method Windows 8 password reset .

The methods work well when you have forgotten the local user password Windows 8. If you are logging in with a Microsoft account and have forgotten your password, please reset it on the Microsoft account login page.

In case you forgot (or didn't know at all 🙂) your Windows 8 local administrator password, don't worry, as this password can be reset. There are a lot of ways to reset the administrator password in Windows 8, but most of them require special software, which must be written to a bootable USB flash drive (how to create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8) or a CD/DVD disc in advance. The problem is that such tools are not always at hand, and the problem of resetting the Windows 8 login password arises unexpectedly, and usually needs to be solved immediately. In this method of resetting the administrator password, we only need an installation disk with Windows 8 (on a DVD or flash drive), or a flash drive with the Windows PE environment, and knowledge of a small trick.

So, the situation is as follows: you have a computer with Windows 8 to which you have physical access, but you cannot log into it because you have forgotten the local administrator password. You need to reset your Windows 8 password so that system performance is not affected.

Preparatory stage

We insert the installation disk (or flash drive) with Windows 8 into the computer, specify in the BIOS to boot from this device and save the changes. After the computer restarts, the Windows 8 installer starts. When the download reaches the first dialog box (selecting the Win 8 installation language and keyboard layout), you must press the key combination Shift+F10, which should open a command prompt window.

The next step is to determine the letter of the system drive on which Windows 8 is installed. Most likely, it will be drive d:\ (the letter of the system drive in this case will differ from the letter assigned to the drive in the system). Using the dir d:\ command, you can make sure that we have found the desired disk (it will contain the Windows, Users, Program Files, etc. folders).

Let us briefly recall what the essence of the technique is. The system replaces the sethc.exe file with the cmd.exe file. Then, when Windows boots, pressing the Shift key five times should launch a subroutine that turns on sticky keys (the same utility sethc.exe). And since we replaced it with a command line launch file, the command line window launched with SYSTEM rights will open, which means that we can perform any operation in Windows without the need for authorization. In this case, we will simply change the Windows 8 administrator password.

So, let's create a backup copy of the file sethc.exe, saving it, for example, to the root of the drive:\ (in your case the drive letter may be different)

Copy d:\windows\System32\sethc.exe d:\

Then replace the sethc.exe file with the cmd.exe file by typing the following command and answer Y (Yes) to the file replacement request.

Copy d:\windows\System32\cmd.exe d:\windows\System32\sethc.exe

In principle, a similar procedure can be done using the Utilman.exe utility (the Ease of Access Center control panel applet). In this case, the file replacement commands will be as follows:

Copy d:\windows\System32\utilman.exe d:\copy d:\windows\System32\cmd.exe d:\windows\System32\utilman.exe

Launching the utility on the Windows 8 login screen in this case is carried out using the combination Win+U

Resetting the Windows 8 administrator password

After restarting the PC, Windows 8 starts loading normally. And a window appears to enter the Windows 8 user password, which we do not know. Press the Shift key five times quickly (if you used the method with utilman.exe, then the keys Win+U) and a command prompt window should open.

The Windows 8 username is visible on the login screen (in my case it is root). All that remains is to reset his password. Let's set a new password (NoviYPar00l) with the command:

Net user root NoviYPar00l

If the username contains a space, then his name in the command is placed in quotes, for example:

Net user “Dmitriy Adminov” NoviYPar00l

If you are afraid that the new password is displayed in clear text (someone is peeking over your shoulder), use the * option. In this case, the password is entered interactively, and not in clear text (with confirmation).

Net user root *

So, we have set a new password for the Windows 8 user account.

Getting administrator rights

If the account for which we reset the password does not have administrator rights, you can add them to it. To do this, run the command:

Net localgroup administrators root /add

Now you can safely log into Windows 8 with the new password you set.

After logging in, in order not to leave a security hole in Windows 8, you must perform the reverse procedure by returning the original file to its place sethc.exe. To do this, boot from the installation disk again and follow the same procedure, run the command:

Copy d:\sethc.exe d:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

So, we looked at the technique of resetting the password in Windows 8 without using third-party software and various LiveCDs, all we needed was the Windows 8 installation disk.

Even the most avid Windows 8 fans can be confused by the situation when a user has forgotten his password to log into the system. It turns out that in order to solve this problem, it is not at all necessary to take the computer to a service center and pay money for help. You can reset Windows 8 (and at the same time remove the password) yourself using two simple methods.

Updated:

Read our new method for resetting the password for all versions of Windows.

What to do if you forgot your Windows 8 password

Method one- only using Windows 8 itself. So, you can reset the password in Windows 8, but you should take into account the fact that when you reset the password, all personal data from the computer (documents, photos, etc.) stored on it will be deleted , including separately installed programs.

1. First of all, make sure that the computer is plugged in and do not turn it off during the reset procedure.

2. On the Windows 8 login screen, click on the power icon in the lower right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear on the screen.

3. Then press and hold the Shift key while clicking the “Reboot” menu item in the drop-down menu.

4. A new menu “Select an action” will appear on the screen. Here you need to go to the “Diagnostics” section by clicking on it with the mouse

5. In the menu that opens, click “Return to original state.”

7. If the installation disk is not inserted into the computer, the system will require you to use it to complete the recovery.

8. After a few minutes, you need to click “Just delete my files” in the menu that appears.
By completing these steps, you will return the Windows 8 system to the state of completion of installation on the computer, and you will need to re-create a user on the computer, as well as personalize the desktop and necessary programs on the computer.

Method two- using a password reset program.

To reset your password, you will need to create a bootable USB flash drive and delete the password using it.

Create a bootable USB flash drive (all data on the flash drive will be destroyed), To do this, download the program and image:

Unpack the contents and run the file rufus_v1.4.1

In the open program window, click on the disk icon, select the image in the unpacked folder called BootPass and press the start button.

We are waiting for the bootable flash drive to be created.

Now we insert the USB flash drive to reset the password into the password-protected computer and select “boot from USB” when booting. ( When booting your computer, press F10, F12 Esc depending on your computer model)

After rebooting the password was gone.))

This guide will tell you what to do if you forgot your Windows XP password and how to solve this problem without reinstalling the operating system. We'll also look at other possible password issues. The Windows 10 and Windows 7 operating systems have improved security capabilities compared to the earlier Windows XP/2000 systems.

By the way, your PC may have one of the most commonly used passwords installed; for a complete list of popular passwords, see -.

The latest versions of Windows use a more effective password system designed for business use to ensure that no one without the necessary permissions can access information on your computer. This is a double-edged sword. Most users forget some important password at least once. And then the user/owner of the information becomes the “enemy without access rights” for his computer.

Naturally, for every security method there is a way to bypass it, especially if you have physical access to the computer.

In this article, we will look at various methods of protecting your computer with a password and how to bypass them. We won't start with user account passwords, but with equally important passwords, such as BIOS passwords.

How to "bypass" the BIOS password?

BIOS password- one of the oldest methods of protecting a computer from unauthorized access and one of the most common. Why? This is one of the most effective means if the user does not have access to the system unit. Otherwise, it is the same as locking your house with many locks and leaving the window open.

The default BIOS settings on all motherboards do not store password information. So all you need to do to remove the BIOS password is simply reset the current settings, restoring the default configuration. But remember that resetting the current BIOS settings will destroy not only the password, but also all the settings that you set yourself.

There are two ways to reset BIOS settings. Most motherboards have a special jumper for clearing CMOS (the memory in which BIOS settings are stored). Usually this jumper is located near the battery on the motherboard, but to be completely sure, it is advisable to refer to the instructions from the motherboard. On some motherboards, instead of a jumper, there are simply two contacts that need to be closed with a metal object, such as a screwdriver, to reset the CMOS.

If your board has a jumper, then to clear CMOS, turn off the computer, install the jumper so that it closes the jumper contacts, and press the computer power button. Your computer will not boot, but your CMOS settings will be reset. Remove the jumper and turn on the computer again. You will most likely see a screen asking you to press F1 to set the BIOS settings. If you are happy with the default settings, press F1 and select ‘Save and exit’ from the BIOS menu. After this, the computer will boot as usual, except for the BIOS password.

If you don't know where the required jumper is located on your board or if it doesn't exist at all, which is quite possible, you'll have to go a different route. Each motherboard has a battery that powers the CMOS memory, allowing it to store information. As a rule, this is a standard CR2032 battery.

To clear CMOS, turn off the computer and remove the battery (you may need a thin screwdriver). After 5-10 minutes, replace the battery and turn on the computer. The BIOS will be set to default settings and there will be no password. To continue booting, you will need to press the F1 key, and if you are satisfied with the default settings, select the ‘Save and exit’ item in the BIOS menu that appears.

As you can see, all this is very simple on a desktop computer, but with a laptop, the BIOS password can become a serious problem. Due to the frequent theft of laptop computers, manufacturers have made it almost impossible to gain access without passing the password. So, if you have forgotten your laptop's BIOS password, most likely you will have to contact the manufacturer's service center.

What to do if you forgot your Windows password?

If circumstances have developed in such a way that you have forgotten your Windows password, then we recommend that you reset it using the built-in account called Administrator. This is done in safe mode, while booting or rebooting your PC.

To restore access to your computer, you will just need to press F8 and in the menu that has already opened, in which you will be presented with some additional options for loading your operating system, you will have to select the aforementioned “Safe Mode”. Next, you will need to select a built-in account, which, by the way, by default, cannot be protected by any password.

If you did everything correctly, since you strictly followed the above sequence of actions, then while still on the Desktop, you should see a window with a message that Windows is running in the “Safe Mode” you need, which is as simplified as possible. You will need to click “Yes” and go to Control Panel - User Accounts, where there is an icon for the account for which you want to reset the password. On the left, you must select “Change Password” and in the appropriate window enter and then confirm a new password. Ultimately, you will need to restart your PC for the above changes to take effect.

How to crack Windows password on a computer or laptop?

In order to do this, you will have to follow the following sequence of actions:

1. Prepare a CD or flash drive on which a special set of recovery programs intended to restore Windows should be recorded. You will need to insert it into the drive or into the appropriate port during the subsequent reboot of the computer. You can prepare this package of resuscitation programs yourself by downloading programs intended for separating, saving and restoring data, or you can download some ready-made RBCD 10.0, for example;
2. When starting the PC, in order to enter the BIOS, press the “DELETE” button. There we will need to change the installation priority and assign the computer to boot from the CD-ROM. After this we visit our boot disk in the drive and restart the PC;
3. Having entered the recovery disk, which should appear after the package of resuscitation programs has been downloaded, we must select the edited copy of Windows and go to the “System Restore” mode - the section that will be located at the very bottom of the page;
4. We look for the command line and enter “regedit” there (we look for it in the dialog settings of the same window). We find and then select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE section, in which we need to select File, and then Load hive;
5. Open the “SAM” file and select the section - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\hive_name\SAM\Domains\Account\Users\000001F4. Double-click on the F key located there and go to the very first value located in the line, which we will need to replace with the number 10;
6. In the same section, select “File”, and then “Load Hive”. Click “Yes” to confirm unloading the bush. We close the registry editor, thus completing the installation process, take out the flash drive or disk and reboot the computer.

How to find out your computer password?

The question: how to crack a password on a computer still remains relevant. Unfortunately, it seems possible to actually find out the password from a computer only by choosing it correctly manually. Therefore, if you are not ready to spend several hours of your free time on this process, we strongly recommend that you simply reset it and come up with some new one.

Again, it’s much easier to just reset the password and come up with a new one afterwards. However, if you specifically need to find out the password, we recommend that for these purposes you use a program called, from the image of which you will need to make a boot disk. Having correctly configured the BIOS boot from the drive and installed this program, immediately upon entering the Desktop, a window will open in which you can see user names, including the Administrator, as well as passwords for their accounts.

When wondering: what to do if you forgot the password from your own PC, it is not at all necessary to use the above methods for restoring it. You can also reset your password in the Windows 7 operating system using the Net User command. To do this, while rebooting the PC you will need to press F8. Thus, you can open a Menu that allows you to make additional options for loading this operating system, in which you will need to select not just “Safe Mode,” but one that also supports the command line. While in it, you will need to select the built-in Administrator account and in the Command Interpreter window, immediately after this, system prompts will appear where you will need to enter net user “username” “password”.

We assume that you yourself understand that instead of “username” you will need to enter the name of your local user account, and instead of “password” you will need to enter a new password. If you did everything correctly, then in order to close the window, you will need to enter exit on the command line and restart the PC.

How to reset your password on Windows 8?

In the case of this operating system, things are much simpler! You can reset your password on Windows 8 as follows:

• On the login screen, you will need to click on the special power icon, which is located in the lower right corner of your screen;
• Next, you will need to press the Shift key and click “Restart”;
• Click "Troubleshoot";
• Click Reset PC;
• Click “Next” and the system will automatically reboot in order to begin preparations for resetting the password.

How to reset your password on Windows 10?

It is not so difficult to reset the password for Windows 10 users, of course, provided that they have access to the email or phone to which their account was linked. Otherwise, you will have to reset the password from the flash drive, as already described above.

How to reset Windows 7 administrator password?

The best way to reset the Windows 7 administrator password is through the Windows Command Interpreter. Follow the following sequence of actions:

1. First, launch it. You can do this by following the following path: Start - Run - Run the program - cmd. In the Command Interpreter menu that opens, you will need to enter: control userpasswords, after which a window called “User Accounts” will open;
2. Select the account for which you want to reset the password and do not forget to uncheck the box next to “Require username and password”;
3. In the window that opens, you will be required to enter and then confirm a new password. Next, in the command boot window you will need to enter Exit and restart the PC as usual.

View the passwords that Windows stores

In addition to the access passwords of various users, Windows also stores a number of others, no less important: the password for connecting to the Internet, passwords for mailboxes or access to websites. As a rule, there are quite a lot of them, so it is quite natural that they are forgotten over time.

The operating system offers an “autofill” function for passwords and other frequently entered information in browsers (Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera (Blink), Firefox, Explorer 11, etc.). So it is not uncommon for a user to enter a password once, and after a few months, naturally, cannot remember it. Everyone understands that important passwords need to be written down, but not everyone does this. And if you no longer remember the password, how can you find it out, since it is displayed as a series of asterisks: ******?

The solution is offered by programs from different manufacturers that can obtain the password from this string of asterisks. There are quite a lot of freely available programs for decrypting Windows passwords or hidden passwords from input lines in various browsers.

We will use a program from Passware. This is an easy-to-use, freely distributed program that analyzes passwords hidden by asterisks and reports them to you. She is very easy to work with. Just highlight the password line and click the ‘recover’ button.

Of course, there are also commercial versions of programs, which, as a rule, have a greater range of functions. For example, Password Recovery Toolbox scans the system and identifies saved passwords, data saved for automatic filling, Outlook Express passwords, Internet connection passwords, etc. This information is then presented in a convenient form. A few more alternatives to the programs described above: , or Password Viewer.

Windows XP user passwords

Windows XP stores user passwords in a modified form. For example, the password "password" would be stored as a string like this: 'HT5E-23AE-8F98-NAQ9-83D4-9R89-MU4K'. This information is stored in a file called SAM in the C:\windows\system32\config folder.

This portion of the SAM file is encrypted by the syskey system utility to improve password security. The data necessary to decrypt the information after syskey is stored in the system file in the same folder. But this folder is not available to any user. Only the operating system itself has access to it during its operation. You can access the SAM and system files only when running a different operating system or by connecting the drive to another Windows computer.

All versions of Windows XP have an "administrator" account. This name gives the user full access to the system and the ability to reset the passwords of all other users. This can save you if for some reason you cannot log in with your regular user password. The specifics of using the administrator password depend on the version of Windows XP: XP Professional.

The administrator password is set during installation of the operating system. If you wrote it down or just pressed enter and left it blank, you can easily log in as an administrator and reset user passwords. To log in to the system in administrator mode, on the system welcome screen, press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice, a window for entering the administrator password will appear.

When the computer boots, go to ‘start\control panel\user accounts’ and change the required password. Since you are already here, this is a good opportunity to correct your mistake if you left the administrator password blank. In addition, it is advisable to change the name of the ‘administrator’ account. This name is known to everyone and is the first name used to gain access to your computer. To change the account name, right-click on 'my computer' and select 'manage'. Expand 'local users and groups' and open the 'users' folder. Right-click on the 'administrator' entry and edit it.
XP Home.

This system will not allow you to simply access your computer in administrator mode. First, you will need to boot your computer into crash protection mode. To do this: restart your computer; immediately after testing the BIOS, press F8 several times; in the menu that appears, select ‘start Windows XP in safe mode’ (boot Windows XP in crash protection mode). When the computer boots, log in with the username ‘administrator’. There is no default password. You can now change user passwords by going to 'start\control panel\user accounts'. When you're done, restart your computer as usual.
Creating a password reset disk

Windows XP allows you to write information to a regular floppy disk, which provides the ability to reset your password. Naturally, if you have already forgotten the password and cannot access the system, then you will not be able to create any disk, but it is worth creating such a floppy disk in advance to protect yourself from such accidents.

To create a floppy disk: go to ‘start\control panel\user accounts’ (start\control panel\user accounts); select the name under which you are logged in; In the related tasks menu, select ‘prevent a forgotten password’; follow the instructions of the wizard that starts.

To reset passwords using a floppy disk: if you enter the login password incorrectly, the system will ask whether you have forgotten it; At this point, you will be able to use your floppy disk by following the operating system's step-by-step instructions.

Be careful: If you used the built-in capabilities of Windows to encrypt files and folders, but did not install the operating system update (service pack 1), removing the password will result in the loss of encrypted information.

Utilities for changing passwords Windows XP/7/8/10

There are special utilities that allow you to edit or reset Windows XP/7/8/10 user passwords. The principle of most of them is to load a minimal version of an alternative operating system, such as DOS or Linux, under which you can access files with passwords.

An example of such a utility can be found at this address: http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ Instructions for operation, as well as files for creating a bootable Linux disk, are available on the same site.

Please note that if you have used the operating system's functions to encrypt files and folders, by changing the password using any program, you will lose access to the encrypted data. In this case, the following method can help, allowing you not to replace the forgotten password with a new one, but to find out the old one.

Selection and decryption of passwords

If nothing else helps, but you have physical access to the computer, then all is not lost. You can rewrite the config and SAM files and try to decrypt the passwords stored in them using special third-party utilities. As we already said, for this you will have to use an alternative operating system, such as DOS or Linux. And when the files are at your disposal, you can use one of the programs for decrypting passwords, for example, LC4 or.

You will need:

1. Access to another computer.
2. At least two empty floppy disks.
3. An archiver designed to work with the command line, for example, RAR.
4. A DOS or Windows 98 boot disk (an image of the required disk can be obtained at http://www.bootdisk.com/) or a minimal version of Linux (for example, Knoppix). There is no need for boot disks if you can simply connect your hard drive to another computer. If you are using a DOS boot disk and the partitions on your hard drive use the NTFS file system, then to access them you will need a program that allows you to view NTFS partitions under DOS, such as NTFSDOS.
5. Program for obtaining passwords. We recommend using , as the beta version of this program is free, and the free version of LC4 is very limited.

Using a bootable USB flash drive:

1. If your hard drive has NTFS partitions, copy the NTFSDOS file to your bootable USB flash drive.
2. Copy the archiver (RAR) to the bootable USB flash drive.
3. Boot your computer from this flash drive. If there are partitions with NTFS, type the NTFSDOS command, this program will show which letter is assigned to your system drive, and you will need to use it instead of the letter C in the next step.
4. Place system files with passwords in the archive. For example, if you are using the rar32 archiver, the corresponding command will look like this: Rar32 a -v a:\systemandsam c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\system32\config\sam If the files do not fit on one flash drive, the archiver will ask you to insert a second one.

Hacking passwords

Each program you select will display a list of accounts detected in the SAM file. Select those for which you need to define passwords. If you are using , select Attack type: Brute-force. If you used only numbers in your password, check the ‘all digits (0-9)’ box. Start the password recovery process using the command from the Recovery menu.

Password guessing can last from 10 minutes to several hours, or even several days, and may fail. Especially if the password uses letters in different cases, numbers and special characters.

This is a good way to check the strength of your passwords. If you just want to check your password, follow the steps above and see how long it takes to guess it.

Windows password cracking programs

There are a huge number of software tools that can help you crack your Windows password. Apart from the above-mentioned program, there is also Windows Admin Password Hack. But, unfortunately, it can no longer be called current, since it only works in Windows 2000/XP. Its closest replacement is MultiBoot 2k10, which is essentially a feature-rich boot disk.

conclusions

In any case, if one of your loved ones forgot the password for Windows 7, or you yourself were forced to face this, do not despair, there are plenty of solutions to this problem. Well, so that you no longer have questions about how to crack a password on a laptop, we strongly recommend that you save them somewhere, in notes inside your own smartphone, for example.

We hope you don't have to resort to the methods we've described. To avoid this need, remember to write down all important passwords. And if there is a real need to protect information on your computer, then use passwords made of characters in both registers and numbers and do not use ordinary words. In this case, your passwords will be very difficult to crack.

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