Saturday, August 25, 2012

How to Reset Forgotten Windows Password with Linux Boot CD

Forgot Windows password and cannot log in to your machine? If you have a Windows password reset disk, you should be okay. If not, you might have to turn to Linux boot CD for help. System Rescue CD is one of the most popular Linux live CDs for repairing your system and recovering your data after a crash. If you are a little more technical you can use it to reset forgotten Windows password easily.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to reset forgotten Windows password with Linux boot CD.

Reset Forgotten Windows Password with Linux Boot CD

1. Just download a copy of the System Rescue CD and burn the ISO image to a blank CD using your favorite CD/DVD burning software.

2. Boot your locked computer from the Linux CD that you created. You may have to go into the BIOS settings to change the boot order to set CD/DVD as the first boot device.

3. The boot CD will take you to the command prompt. The first thing you need to do is mount the hard drive using this command:
ntfs-3g /dev/sda1 /mnt/windows –o force

4. Typing the following command to change your current directory into the Windows/System32/config directory:
cd /mnt/windows/Windows/System32/config

5. Use the chntpw command to list out all user accounts in your Windows installation.
chntpw –l SAM

6. Now you can reset forgotten Windows password for any user account. For example, I want to reset password for an account called geek, so I run this command:
chntpw –u geek SAM

7. There are many options you can do with the account. Here we type "2" at the command prompt and enter a new password. Press "y" to save your changes. At this point your password has been reset successfully.

8. Run the reboot command to restart the computer. Take the CD out of the drive and you can then log in to your computer with the new password.

This method can work, but it's not perfect. If you run into a bug or error, and since the software runs by booting into a Linux environment, troubleshooting can be particularly tough if you don't know much about Linux. If you are a PC beginner, it's highly recommended to use Reset Windows Password utility.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password By Yourself

Lost or forgot Windows 7 administrator password? This is the most common problem that Windows 7 users are usually confronted with. How to deal with it so that you can log back into your administrator account? Even if you don't have to reset a forgotten password now, you should get acquainted with this issue. I must admit that I managed to forget my password more than once. Here I'm going to show you 2 easy ways to reset Windows 7 administrator password, so you can log on your computer when you forgot the admin password.

Method 1: Use Other Administrator Account

If you can still log on to an account with administrator privileges, it's very easy to reset the password for any other user account, including the administrator account. Please follow these steps:

1. Go to Control Panel and click on the User Accounts and Family Safety, then click on User Accounts.
2. In the next window, click on the Manage another account link, you'll see a list of Windows accounts.
3. Select the administrator account that you want to remove the password for.
4. Click on Remove the password link, it will blank your forgotten administrator password immediately.

This method enables you to reset Windows 7 administrator password without using any software. But it requires you to log on through another admin account.

Method 2: Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password with Software

If you forgot Windows 7 password and can't log on to your computer with any administrator account, you need to create a Windows password reset disk which enables you to reset Windows 7 administrator password quickly and easily.

1. Download the self-extracting Zip file of Reset Windows Password package.
2. Unzip the download file, there is an ISO image: ResetWindowsPwd.iso. Burn it onto a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive using ISO2Disc or any CD/DVD burning software you like.
3. Boot your locked computer from the Windows password reset disk.
4. Wait until the boot process is complete. When a window pops up with all your Windows accounts, select the administrator account and then click the Reset Password button.
5. It will reset Windows 7 administrator password immediately.

Next, take out the Windows password reset disk and restart the computer. You can then log into administrator account without being asked for a password.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

How to Create a Bootable Windows Password Reset Disk

Forgot Windows password? The simplest way to reset a forgotten password is by using a previously created password reset disk. You can create such disk on a USB removable media in Windows Control Panel. The problem is that you have to create the password reset disk before you forgot Windows password. Also, the password reset disk can only be used to reset password for a specific Windows account, it is unable to reset other account passwords on the same Windows installation, not to mention using it to unlock password on another computer.

So how to reset your forgotten Windows password if you don't have such a password reset disk? Obviously you have to find some other ways to unlock your computer. Here we're going to show you how to create a bootable Windows password reset disk and then use it to remove your forgotten password. It can be used to reset Windows password for any user account on any computer.

Part 1: How to Create a Bootable Windows Password Reset Disk

If you've forgotten Windows password or be locked out of your account, you need to create a bootable Windows password reset disk on another computer.

1. Download the zip archive of Reset Windows Password utility. Unzip the download file which contains an ISO image: ResetWindowsPwd.iso.
2. Insert a blank CD or USB flash drive into the computer.
3. Burn the ISO image file to your CD or USB flash drive using ISO2Disc software. You can also create the disk with your favorite CD and DVD burning tools.
4. The bootable Windows password reset disk is now ready for use.

Part 2: How to Use Windows Password Reset Disk

Once you've successfully created a bootable Windows password reset disk, you can use it to reset forgotten Windows admin/user passwords on any computer. Follow the steps:

1. Insert the bootable Windows password reset disk into your locked computer.
2. Change the boot device order in the BIOS so your computer will boot from Windows password reset CD or USB flash drive.
3. After a while the bootdisk will launch the Reset Windows Password utility. It automatically finds your Windows SAM database and display a list of Windows accounts inside it.
4. Choose a Windows account whose password you want to reset, then click Reset Password button. It will remove your forgotten password instantly.
5. Remove the password reset disk and restart the computer, you can then log on Windows with a blank password.

With the bootable Windows password reset disk you can easily reset forgotten Windows password on Windows 8/7/Vista/XP (both 32-bit and 64-bit operating system).

Saturday, August 18, 2012

How to Change or Reset Domain Password in Active Directory

"I can boot into Directory Services Restore Mode, but cannot login to the domain. Is there anything that I can do to reset the domain administrator password?"

Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) is a special boot mode for repairing or recovering Active Directory. You can log on to DSRM by using the local administrator password (also known as DSRM password) that you set when you set up Active Directory. But Windows doesn't provide any option for you to reset domain password after booting into DSRM mode. So if you forget your domain password, you've got trouble.

Unlocking your computer won't be easy, but it is possible. Reset Windows Password utility can help you change or reset domain password in Windows Server 2008/2003/2000 Active Directory, if you forgot domain administrator password or you are locked out of your account.

Step 1: Create a Domain Password Reset Disk

Download the Reset Windows Password utility. Once the download completes, right-click the .zip file and select Extract All. This will decompress the zip archive which there should be an ISO image file (ResetWindowsPwd.iso) inside.

Burn the ISO image to a blank CD or USB drive with the ISO2Disc software. It will take about one or two minutes to create a domain password reset disk.

Step 2: Set Boot Device Order in BIOS

Turn on your locked computer and hold down F2 or whatever the setup key is shown as during the initial boot screen. This should bring up the BIOS. In the BIOS look for the Boot Device Priority option, set CD/DVD as the 1st boot device if you want to boot from domain password reset CD. You can either set Removable Device as the 1st boot device if you want to boot off USB drive.

Next press F10 to save your changes and reboot the computer.

Step 3: Change Domain Password

Insert the domain password reset CD/USB into your locked computer. If you set up the BIOS correctly your computer should automatically boot from the domain password reset disk.

After a few minutes it will launch the Reset Windows Password utility. Choose the Reset Active Directory Password mode, it will scan your hard drive for partitions that may have Active Directory installed, and display a list of domain user accounts inside your Active Directory server.

Choose a domain user account whose password you want to change or reset, then click Reset Password button. It will change domain password to Password123 by default.

Now remove the domain password reset disk and restart your computer. You can then login to your domain controller with the new password.

Conclusion

This guide can be very useful if you forgot domain admin password or you are locked out of your account and unable to access all of files and software specifically tied to that account.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Forgot Administrator Password on Windows 7/Vista/XP?

Forgot administrator password on your Windows 7 laptop? Image worst case scenario when you try to login to your computer after many days (months may be) and you forgot the administrator password. Even the password hint doesn't seem to help. Now what? Oh, and the administrator was the only admin account.

There are lots of ways you can lose access to your Windows administrator account. To reset administrator password on Windows 7/Vista/XP, we are going to use the Reset Windows Password utility, which can be used to reset Windows administrator password from a boot CD or USB drive. This can be very useful if you forgot administrator password and can't log on your computer.

Part 1: Burn a bootable CD/DVD or USB flash drive

1. Download and save the Reset Windows Password self-extracting Zip file to a folder on your hard drive, then extract the ISO image file: ResetWindowsPwd.iso from it.
2. Insert a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive into the computer.
3. Download and install the ISO2Disc utility, launch the program.
4. Click the Browse button to locate your ISO image file, then click the Start Burn button to burn the ISO image to your CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Part 2: Change BIOS Settings

1. Boot your locked computer. When it is powered on, check the boot-screen for setup key (i.e. DELETE key, F8 key, F2 key) to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the BOOT tab, then change the Boot Device Priority: Set 1st Boot Device to CD/DVD so you can boot from CD and perform password resetting, or set 1st Boot Device to Removable Device if you want to boot from USB flash drive.
3. Press F10 to save your changes. Now your computer is able to boot from CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Part 3: Reset Forgotten Windows Administrator Password

1. Insert the newly burned CD/DVD or USB flash drive to your locked computer, then reboot your computer.
2. Then you will see Reset Windows Password is initializing.
3. Simply select your Windows SAM registry hive if multiple operating systems have been installed on the computer, the program will list all Windows user accounts. Select the administrator account from the list, then click on the Reset Password button. It will remove your forgotten administrator password instantly.
4. Click the Restart button to reboot the computer and remove the CD or USB flash drive, you are able to log into the administrator account without a password.

If you've managed to recover access to your administrator account, try to set a good password hint for your new password. In the case you forget the administrator password, you can see the hint to get the clue of your password. Also, there are some other precautionary measures you can take before you forgot the administrator password on Windows 7/Vista/XP.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

How to Remove Windows 7 Password With Ease

"Last day, I change my Windows 7 login password, but now I can't remember the new password. I'm locked out of my computer. How to remove forgotten Windows 7 password?"

Forgot Windows 7 password you put on your computer? How to remove windows 7 password without wiping out the hard drive? Most of us have experienced a situation where in we need to gain access to a computer which is password protected or at times we may forgot Windows password. So, if you are somewhat in a same kind of situation, here is an excellent tutorial using which you can remove Windows 7 password easily.

Method 1: Remove Windows 7 Password While Logged In

If you know the current Windows login password, it's very easy for you to remove the password just as how you created it before. If you're trying to remove Windows 7 password because you've forgotten it and can no longer access Windows, please refer to Method 2 for help.

1. Click on Start and then Control Panel.
2. Click on the User Accounts and Family Safety link.
3. Click on the User Accounts link.
4. In the Make changes to your user account area of the User Accounts window, click the Remove the password link.
5. In the text box on the next screen, enter your current Windows 7 password.
6. Click the Remove Password button to confirm that you'd like to remove your Windows 7 password.

Method 2: Remove Windows 7 Forgotten Password

Forgot Windows 7 password and can't get into your computer? This method can help you reset Windows 7 password easily by creating a password reset bootdisk. Follow the steps:

1. Download the self-extracting Zip file of Reset Windows Password package.
2. Unzip the download file, there is an ISO image file: ResetWindowsPwd.iso. Burn the CD image onto a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive using ISO2Disc.
3. Boot your locked computer from the newly burned CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
4. After a while, the bootdisk will launch the Reset Windows Password utility.
5. Select the user account whose password you forgot, then click Reset Password button. It will remove your forgotten Windows 7 password instantly.

After removing Windows 7 password and gain access to your computer, you can continue to configure Windows 7 to automatically log in to your user account. You don't need to enter Windows login password every time your computer is starting up.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Reset Windows 8 Password with a Bootable CD or USB Drive

It's bound to happen sooner or later. You set a new password on Windows 8 and now can't remember it. You may have written your password on a sticky note but now can't find it anywhere. Windows account is locked out by mistyping the password so many times, or whatever.

It's a misconception that when you forgot Windows 8 password, you will have to reinstall Windows and start from scratch. In reality, you can reset Windows 8 password with a bootable CD or USB drive, and regain access to your system without losing any file. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Create a Bootable CD or USB Drive

1. Download and save the Reset Windows Password self-extracting Zip file to any computer you have access to (not your locked computer), then extract the ISO image file: ResetWindowsPwd.iso from it.
2. Insert a blank CD or USB flash drive into the computer.
3. Use the ISO2Disc utility to burn the ISO image file to your CD or USB drive.

Step 2: Change BIOS Settings

1. Turn on your locked computer. When it is powered on, check the boot-screen for setup key (i.e. DELETE key, F8 key, F2 key) to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the BOOT tab, then change the Boot Device Priority: Set 1st Boot Device to CDROM so you can boot from the CD, or choose Removable Device if you want to boot off a USB flash drive.
3. Press F10 to save your changes.

Step 3: Reset Windows 8 Password

1. Insert the CD or USB you've created into your locked Windows 8 computer, and turn on the computer.
2. It should boot from the CD or USB, which contains a miniature operating system along with a software for you to reset Windows 8 password. The system will boot into the Reset Windows Password screen.
3. The program will locate the Windows SAM registry files for all your Windows installations on your computer. After choose the SAM registry file corresponding to your Windows 8 installation, you'll see a list of Windows 8 user accounts.
4. Select your desired account from the list, then click the Reset Password button. It will remove your forgotten Windows 8 password instantly.
5. Click the Restart button to reboot the computer and remove the CD or USB drive. You are able to log in to Windows 8 system using a blank password.

Keep the bootable password reset CD or USB drive in a safe place so you can find it easily when you need to reset Windows 8 password next time.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

How to Reset Windows Server 2003 Administrator Password

"I've forgotten my administrator password for an old Windows Server 2003, I want to use the server for another project and have lost my password list in a site relocation move. How can I recover and reset the administrator password without having to reinstall the whole operating system?"

Forgot Windows Server 2003 administrator password and can't get past the login screen? Disgruntled employee locked the server and will not give up the password? If you can't log in with another administrative account, then you need to resort to a Windows password recovery software.

Reset Windows Password is the right software that can help you reset Windows Server 2003 password on local admin and domain admin accounts easily. Follow the steps below to reset your forgotten Windows Server 2003 administrator password with ease:

Part 1: Burn a bootable CD/DVD or USB flash drive

1. Download and save the Reset Windows Password self-extracting ZIP file to an accessible PC, then decompress the ZIP archive which there should be an ISO image file: ResetWindowsPwd.iso inside.
2. Insert a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive into the computer.
3. Download and install the ISO2Disc utility, launch the program.
4. Click the Browse button to locate your ISO image file, then click the Start Burn button to burn the ISO image to your CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Part 2: Change BIOS Settings

1. Turn on your locked computer. When it is powered on, check the boot-screen for setup key (i.e. DELETE key, F8 key, F2 key) to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the BOOT tab, then change the Boot Device Priority: Set CD/DVD as the 1st boot device so you can boot off the CD, or set Removable Device if you want to boot from USB flash drive.
3. Press F10 to save your changes. Now your computer is able to boot from CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Part 3: Reset Windows Server 2003 Administrator Password

1. Insert the newly burned CD/DVD or USB flash drive into your locked computer, then restart the computer.
2. The computer will load the operating system inside the CD/DVD or USB drive. After one or two minutes, it will launch the Reset Windows Password program.
3. You can reset both Windows local administrator password and domain administrator password easily. While resetting Windows Server 2003 password, the program will also unlock/enable the administrator account in the background if it is locked out or disabled.

Option 1: Reset Windows Local Administrator Password

Simply select the Windows SAM registry hive from the list, the program will display a list of Windows local user accounts. Choose the administrator account and click Reset Password button. It will remove your forgotten password instantly.

Option 2: Reset Windows Domain Administrator Password
Simply select the Active Directory database file (ntds.dit), the program will list all domain accounts for your Windows 2003 domain controller. Select the administrator account and click the Reset Password button, the password will be changed to Password123.

4. Click the Restart button to reboot the computer and remove the CD/DVD or USB drive, you can then log in to Windows Server 2003 administrator account successfully.

In addition, Reset Windows Password utility also enables you to reset forgotten Windows password on Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2008 and 2000, including both 32-bit and 64-bit operating system.