Recovering From A Lost Windows XP Password
70Help! I lost my Windows XP password!
I get this call a lot at the computer shop I work at, and I honestly feel sorry for the poor souls who befall this dreadful fate. This can occur for many odd reasons, but when it happens to you it's not a question of how it occurred, but how can I fix this!
Luckily, you stumbled upon my article, and I intend to help - but first - we need to come to an understanding. What I am about to tell you is not to be used to break into somebody else's PC. This is your computer I'm helping you with, and if it's not, then I ask you to turn away and read no further as I stand strongly against those who would invade the privacy of others for their own personal gain.
To inifinity and beyond!
Okay, the first thing we need to do is restart the PC in safe mode. To do so, you tap away at the F8 key on your keyboard until you see a menu of items on a black screen. The one you are interested in is safe mode, so use your up and down arrow keys to select it then press the enter key.
If all goes well, this should take you into a screen with multiple profile choices. One will be your profile, and there could be others - but the one we are interested in is called Administrator. Click on that one and allow Windows to open up.
Now, if the Administrator profile asks for a password you can try the other profiles on the screen, but if you exhaust your choices here then you are plumb out of luck. (actually, there is a way in beyond what I will tell you here, but the only way an administrator account has a password is if someone really doesn't want you in - and if they don't want you in, then I don't feel it right to go against their wishes).
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!
If you managed to get into Windows, things will look mighty strange. Everything will be larger - and on a black background - yeach! Never fear, as I carried you this far and I intend to carry you the rest of the way.
Once everything loads click start and then click control panel (on some systems you will need to click start then settings and then control panel). We're almost home free, so you can stop sweating now.
What you see before you is a screen of icons. Scroll to the users icon and click (or double-click) the User Accounts icon. This will open up the User Accounts window. Do you feel yourself getting closer to the solution? Well, you're just about done.
Click Change an Account, click the name of your profile then click Change My Password. In the first box type your password, repeat it in the second box then click Change Password.
What's Left?
Click start, click shutdown, then click restart.
That's it! You should be able to login when Windows restarts!
Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?
Windows XP in the News
- Windows 2000, Server 2003, XP All Get PatchesPC Magazine21 hours ago
Microsoft issued six updates to Windows and Office today, fixing fifteen vulnerabilities. Three of the updates are rated Critical, and some are quite serious, especially on Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003. Windows 7, however, is off the hook.
- Windows Vista Rated More Secure Than Windows XPEnterprise Security Today34 hours ago
Even as planning for Windows 7 upgrades proceeds, Microsoft says PCs running Windows Vista were less susceptible to malware infections than with Windows XP. Microsoft also said PCs with the latest service pack were the most protected and browsers continue to be vulnerable, especially Internet Explorer 6. Windows 7 security could be expensive.
- Even God Runs Windows XP [Image Cache]Gizmodo2 days ago
Yes, that's a Windows XP error, floating in the sky. No, it's not a Photoshop. And this is what it looked like after a reboot: Apparently, the fog near a plaza in Ukraine was so utterly intense,...
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Comments
Yep ... and that program (the one I use is the one made by Snadboy) exposes many passwords, but not all. Alas, it will not expose a profile password to get into Windows, even if you can boot the system into Windows. Of course, by then, you are already the administrator and can change it if you want. :)
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earnestshub says:
3 months ago
I use a little freeware program that exposes every password I have.Trouble is it runs under windows, so need to get in first.