subject: What are the options if you forget Windows password [print this page] What are the options if you forget Windows password
You know the value of protecting your computer with a strong password. Strong passwords are necessary not only for the safekeeping of important and critical data stored on your computer but for safer online transactions too.
You have also heard and read many times that an ideal password should be complex enough to be guessed. To make it complex, you should use almost every character present on the keyboard. Well, you totally heeded to all these advices and set a complex password for login to your Windows based computer. Everything went fine as long as you could keep track of your Windows password. As the password was difficult to remember, you had noted it down and kept it in a safe place away from the prying eyes. One day you find that you have lost the password and now you are unable to login to your computer.
You are at a loss because you are totally dependent on your computer for every single job, be it your office assignment or your personal work. As you sit staring at the blank screen wondering what to do now, try these methods given below to recover your lost password:
Try to remember: You may laugh at this suggestion but the fact is; this is the simplest method you can apply before going for the rigorous ones. No matter how tough the password is, it imprints in some part of your brain if you type it repeatedly. I myself have felt many times that I remember the passwords I have been using for quite some time even if it contains a combination of different characters. So at least give this method a try; you have nothing to lose here.
Use Windows default administrator account to reset your administrator password: Windows has a default administrator account that is hidden. You can use this default account to reset password unless you have already set password to this default account and forget that one too. For this:
Restart the computer and press CTRL+ALT+DELETE two times, and then type Administratorin the User name box. .
Leave the Password box blank, and clickOK.
Click Start, and then Run.
Type control userpasswords2, click OK.
On the Users tab, click the name of the user account for which you want to reset the password for, and click Reset Password.
Types a new password in the place provided for it and then type the password again to confirm it. Click OK.
Restart the computer, and then try to log on to Windows XP again using the new password.
Use a password reset disk: This is a bit technical but easiest way to recover your Windows password. You can use this method only if you have created a password reset disk before loosing your password. To recover password using this method:
Restart your computer, click the user name you want to use and hit enter leaving the password box blank.
From the many Forgot password options, choose Reset to start the Password Reset Wizard.
Follow the instructions and create a new password.
Use this new password to login to your computer.
Use password recovery tools:
If nothing seems to work or you wish to go the easy way, you can use password recovery tool. These tools either recover your lost password or reset it to blank. Whatever is the way, you will be able login to your computer once again.
To read more on this topic, visit Recoveryknowledgebase.
