How to Reset / Recover Forgotten Windows Password?

Loosing the login password of Windows is one of the most common issue faced by people. After that they strive hard to find the reset stuff. I still wonder why Windows do not offer a process of resetting the password on the login screen itself. It is a bit complicated for non-tech guy to find the right solution for that. They get easy trap for fake password recovery software which really does not works well. If you lost the password there is no way you can get into and fix it. And the last option that mostly relies for all is formatting the computer and re-installing Windows back. It was a ages before, but today we have tons of alternate option that can help use to recover those password quiet quickly. I will list you some of the most easy methods that can help you to recover those login details. Also I will provide you the ways to backup your data once you lost your login details. First lets check out some quick password recovery methods.

Method 1 - The Ctrl + Alt + Del

After installation when you create your account, by default Windows has a hidden Administrator account which does has any password. The current login screen changes to classic. This administrator account act as a failsafe method to access your system, but it is a bit risky as if someone else knows he can too login. To access the same on login screen press Ctrl + Alt + Delete. There will be a classic login Window. Now in the user name type Administration and leave the password as blank. Hit ENTER. If this account is not touched you will be able to login. You can go in Control Panel and modify the account password. You can also try to do the same in Safe Mode is you are not able to get that access in the regular mode. You can then go in User Accounts listed under Control Panel and make changes to the same.

Method 2 : Using Password Cracker Bootable Disc.

There are tons of recover software that you can find on web. One of them in OPHCrack. You have to boot your system with and it will display you the password on the screen. You can the use it to access your system. There is no disc which can wipe your the login password but it can reveal you or provide options to change it.

Method 3 -- Windows Repair disc

I always keep a Repair disk with me. A bootable repair disc offers you to access Windows CMD. The command prompt and from there you can change the password. You can make a Repair disk from any other working computer. Just boot your disc with that and then hit CMD. In command prompt ensure that you are in C:\Windows. Type net user and hit enter. After typing this command you will find the list of user account in your system. Then type net user nameofyouraccount * and hit enter. Do not forget to put *. Hit enter a multiple time after that and the admin password will be wiped out. Restart and just click your account you will not be prompted for password.

Backup Option :

Here are some backup things that you can keep in your system. It is a nice method to fix a system if you forget password or if it is crashed. The first thing is by installing two different operating system in your computer. First will be Windows and second will be a Linux. Linux based Distro are much easier to install and they provide you a secondary option to recover your data when the first system fails. You can also add two different Windows Operating system in it.

The last option is using a LiveCD. LiveCD are found easily on web. Mostly all Linux Distro installation CD/DVD are a kind of LiveCD. It allows you to use a operating system without installing it. It works through the disc itself. You can access your files and copy them.

Some time ago I had faced the same issue. I had kept my password a bit complicated so that no one can access that. I had kept a note of that which I lost. Now there was no password and my laptop was lock. One of my friend was using Windows Password Reset. Tihs is a nice utility which act as password unlocker and really works well. You have to burn the tool on a CD. It works through bootable CD mode. There is a .iso file available on web. Just burn that to disc with the help of a iso burner. Insert the disc and boot your system with that. You can see the user accounts listed in it. It will offer you option to reset or remove the password as per your need.

I can list you some of the most popular tool that you can go for recovery purpose. One of them is Windows Password Recovery Tool. This software is one of the famous and most widely used worldwide. I found it as one of the best tool yet available. It offers a nice way to find password of any edition of Windows you are using. The best part of using this software is it offers you a GUI based interface for recovering password. There are not complicated command mode. Another one which I am using is Password Recovery Bundle. This is a idle set of Reset tools that works in better way and offer you more than just recovering the password. It offers you a unlock disk. You just need to boot your system and use the disc to login. It offers blocking other accounts as well. and then last one is Windows Password Key 8.0. This is one of the best tools for new users. It offer you nice reset ability to restore password of any windows system. You can create a bootable usb also to unlock your system.

I am also one who is facing the problem. After reading this thread I had checked a number of options for testing. At start I had tested that Ctrl + Alt + Del option. But it sitll ask me the password. It is not taking the blank password in that. It looks the account is modified already. Because at the time of installation I had added this account. So this way will not work for me. Next I tried to make it work by using Windows XP Installation CD. You have to boot your system with that. After boot hit F8 a number of time. It will then ask you to run a Repair setup. Hit R for that. Windows will copy all the files and will reboot automatically. You must ensure that your system must not be turn off on any condition. Later on you have to press Shift + F10 to launch cmd. Once command prompt starts working then type nusrmgr.cpl and hit enter. It will launch the User Account screen which one is located in Control Panel. That's all make changes to the account and reboot. You can start login with your new password now.

Windows Password key worked quiet well for me. This is one of the best thing I had seen. I had used this on number of pc at my office and it works well. You must keep such handy tools with you.