How to Unlock / Remove Windows Vista Administrator Password

Forgot the administrator password to your Windows Vista-based computer? How can you remove / unlock Windows Vista password? Thankfully there is a bootable utility to bypass Windows Vista password so you can get back in, but you'll need access to another computer to make it work.



How to Unlock Windows Vista Administrator Password?

1. PCUnlocker is a paid tool that exists of an ISO image that needs to be burned to a CD or placed on a bootable USB drive. If you've purchased the program, you'll receive a download link to the full version of PCUnlocker. Once you’ve downloaded it, unzip it and burn the ISO file to a blank CD with the ISO2Disc program.
   
   
2. Once you have the boot disc created, pop it into your Vista computer and start it up. Depending on how your BIOS is set, it may automatically boot from the disc, or you may have to bring up a boot device menu. On Dell computers you can do this by pressing F12 at the beginning of the boot process, most boot screens will display information on what key you need to press to get the menu where you will then want to choose your CD/DVD drive.
3. When the computer boots from the boot disc, it will load the Windows PE operating system and run the PCUnlocker program. PCUnlocker will search the available drives on your computer looking for SAM databases, which is where your Windows account login credentials are stored. If you have more than one OS installed, you need to select the one you wish to reset.
   
   
   
4. Once you've choose the SAM file, you'll see a list of local accounts that exist in the selected SAM database. Select the Administrator account and click on "Reset Password" button, you'll be told if you're ready to remove the account password. Click Yes and the changes will be made in no time. You can now eject the boot disc, and restart your computer.
5. Windows Vista will load, and if you're the only user on the computer, it will automatically login. You're back in!

How to Recover Windows Vista Password

Have you ever forgotten Windows Vista password and found yourself locked out of your computer? You just changed your password and sometime in the night it managed to slip out of your mind and evaporate up in dreamspace? Perhaps your relatives or friends forget their Windows passwords and you are asked to recover the passwords?

For security purposes many of us lock our systems with password and sometimes unintentionally or accidentally we forget the password. To come out of this problem, you need to get a Windows password recovery software. With Reset Windows Password utility you can recover Windows Vista password quickly and easily.

Step 1. Create a Windows Vista Password Recovery Disk

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 on your 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.

Step 2. Change BIOS Settings

1. Boot your Windows Vista 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 if you just created a bootable CD or DVD, or set 1st Boot Device to Removable Device if a bootable USB flash drive was created.
3. Press F10 to save your changes. Now your computer is able to boot from CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

Step 3. Recover Windows Vista Password

1. Insert the newly burned CD/DVD or USB flash drive to your Windows Vista computer, then reboot the computer.
2. Now the computer will boot from the Windows Vista password recovery disk. Wait until the boot process is finished, you'll see the main window of Reset Windows Password utility.
3. Select a user account from the list, then click the Reset Password button. The program will reset Windows Vista password immediately. You can then reboot the computer and log on to Windows Vista without being asked for a password.

So there is no need to call in a technician to get around the password if you forgot Windows Vista password. You can recover Windows Vista password on your own by creating a Windows Vista password recovery disk.