Ultimate Windows 7/Vista/XP Password Recovery Tools

Change your Windows 7 password and now can't remember the password? You are given a spare computer but don't know the login password? The administrator account is locked out after too many failed password attempts? Is there a way to get around these password problems?

Windows encrypts user account passwords on your hard drive to provide better security. It even prevents any external tampering while Windows is running so that the only way to reset / recover Windows password would be through a boot CD. With the right boot CD you can circumvent Windows security restrictions and reset the password directly.

If you'd like to learn how to recover Windows password, there are multiple methods of doing so – some are easy and some are painstakingly difficult – but each of them comes with their own advantages and disadvantages. Here are 2 ultimate Windows password recovery tools for you to recover or reset forgotten Windows 7/Vista/XP passwords.

Method 1: Reset Windows Password (Recommendation)

We're going to start off with the easiest method of cracking Windows password and access a Windows PC, which is using a Windows password reset CD. All you need to do is download the ISO image of Reset Windows Password utility. Next, you will have to burn the ISO image file you just downloaded onto a CD. Boot the computer from the CD and The boot CD allows you to safely reset any pre-existing admin or user account password. You will then be able to reboot and quickly log back into Windows with an empty password.

This method is quite easy, which can help you instantly reset local admin/user passwords on Windows 7/Vista/XP. It can also reset domain administrator passwords on Windows Server 2008/2003/2000. One main flaw is that you can't access EFS encrypted files after resetting Windows password. But EFS is rarely used so this isn't a big concern.

Method 2: Recover Windows Password

If you're facing the challenge of an EFS-encrypted PC, the only option you have left is to use a brute force attack to crack Windows password. Now, this can take from a few hours to days, depending on the speed of your PC and the complexity of the password, so patience is a must. You will need to download and burn the Ophcrack Live CD and boot the computer from the CD. After it loads up all the files, you will be brought to a GUI, where you can start to crack your password.

Although this method works on EFS encrypted files and operating systems, there is still a big problem as it can't recover every Windows password, especially complicated passwords as that requires a few weeks or even months to crack a password. So you do have a small chance to recover the original password. Another problem is that Ophcrack Live CD doesn't support domain controller.

Conclusion

Method 1 should be able to solve all major problems of forgetting Windows password. It's also much easier to use and more effective than Method 2. But each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses. Which password recovery tool is better for you to unlock your computer? It all depends on your situation.

How to Recover Windows Administrator Password without Logging in

If stay online most of your life, probably you have a long list of secure passwords that you need to remember. Many password manager software are available for you to store passwords so you can login to your favorite Web sites securely with a single click. But none of such software can help you auto-fill your Windows login password on Windows logon screen. So we need to remember Windows password by ourselves.

There are many occasions when you might forget Windows password, or the administrator account is locked out as you mistype your password too many times. This happens more often than we would think! How to recover Windows administrator password if you forgot the password and can't login.

In this tutorial I'll show you how to recover Windows administrator password without logging in. The recovery procedure can be divided into 3 steps generally.

Step 1: Create a Windows Password Recovery CD

First we need to download the zip archive of Reset Windows Password utility. The software comes as an ISO image file which you have to burn to a CD. It's also possible to boot from a USB stick. You can create a Windows password recovery CD using any CD burning software you like. If you don't have one, you can use this freeware: ISO2Disc.

Step 2: Set Locked PC to Boot from CD

To make your locked computer boot from a CD, you need to change the boot sequences in your computer's BIOS: move CD-ROM at the top of any other boot devices. The computer will try to boot off a CD or DVD before your hard drive.

Step 3: Recover Windows Administrator Password

Put the Windows password recovery CD in the CD drive of your locked computer. Restart the computer and it will load the Windows PE operating system in the CD. After a while, the Reset Windows Password program will launch, which shows all Windows SAM registry hives and Windows user accounts available in your computer.

Select the Administrator account and then click Reset Password button. The program will remove your forgotten password instantly, also unlock the account if it is disabled or locked out.

Restart the computer and remove the Windows password recovery CD, you can successfully log in your Windows system without being asked for a password. Keep the CD in a safe place, so even if you forgot the administrator password next time, you can recover Windows password and regain access to your computer using this CD. Enjoy!

How to Recover Windows Password for Windows 8/7/Vista/XP

I forgot my Windows Password and I am not able to login to Windows 7 system!! What can I do now? How can I login to my system as I have a lot of important data on my system? Are you in this situation? Well, if you are, then you are reading the right article.

It is important to not only choose a good and secure password, but one that you can also remember. If you have forgotten Windows password and can't log in to your computer account, it'll make you losing all access to your files on the computer.

A lot of people think that after forgetting Windows password, they absolutely have to reinstall their OS. Let me tell you something: They are wrong! With some necessary software you can recover Windows password easily. No need to reinstall the entire operating system. Here we'll demonstrate how to use Reset Windows Password to recover Windows 8/7/Vista/XP password instantly.

1. Create a Windows Password Recovery Disk

1. Download and save the Reset Windows Password self-extracting Zip file to another accessible computer (not your locked computer), then extract the ISO image file: ResetWindowsPwd.iso from it.
2. Put a blank CD or DVD into CD-ROM drive of the computer.
3. Download and install the free CD/DVD recording software: ISO2Disc, launch the program.
4. Click the Browse button to choose your ISO image file, then click the Start Burn button to write the ISO image onto your CD/DVD.
   

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 CDROM.
3. Press F10 to save your changes.

3. Recover Windows Password

1. Insert the Windows password recovery disk you've created into the locked computer, and start it.
2. The system begins to load, and you'll reach the main window of Reset Windows Password program.
   
3. Simply select a Windows account from the list, then click the Reset button to reset the password as blank.

Next, remove the password recovery disk and restart your computer. You'll find that you can log in to your computer without being required to type a password. This guide is intended for both skilled and non skilled users alike. Even the complete newbie can follow the steps to recover Windows password on Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP, including both computers and virtual machines.