A recent change in password may cause your password slipped through your mind. Get tips on how to unlock your computer.
With every computer user, there arises a problem when he/she forgets the computer password. In such cases, it can become really difficult for you to access your account and sometimes you are left with the last resort of reinstalling your Windows which causes you loss of all your data.
Well, not anymore. This post will tell you about the various methods have access to your account, without remembering your password, which have been enlisted below:
1. Windows Password Reset Wizard
If you had already created a Windows password reset disk in advance, you can very easily reset your password in case you lose it. The procedure has been explained below:
- Start your computer. Whenever you enter an incorrect password, you will be informed so. Right then, insert the Windows password recovery disk and click the reset password option.
- Soon, the password reset wizard will be launched. Click OK in order to continue with it.
- When asked to select the target password reset disk and then click NEXT.
- Input the desired new password and confirm it. You can also enter any hint in case you forget it and need help. Once you are done with it, click the NEXT option.
- Click FINISH and your password will now be reset and you can access your account with this new password later as well.
2. Using a shareware application
You also have the option to reset your forgotten password with some highly recommended shareware software that help you in creating a password reset disk, in case you had not made one earlier, and access your account easily.
Here we will recommend the ‘Windows Password Unlocker’ software that works well with all the versions of Windows such as XP, Vista, Server, 7 etc.
The procedure of resetting the password with Windows Password Unlocker is mentioned below:
- First of all install this shareware application on any working PC that you have access to.
- Then using this software on the secondary PC, burn a bootable DVD or CD or USB drive that will help you in resetting the password within a few minutes.
- Now use this disk to boot into your locked Windows and easily reset the forgotten password for your ease of access to the locked account.
3. Use a freeware to reset the Windows password
There are many free of cost utilities available to you over the internet that help you in resetting the locked account’s password within no time and provides you the access to the locked account. These freeware do not even require you to create a password reset disk beforehand. So if you do not have a reset disk with you, do not worry just use these freeware.
One such recommended powerful free password reset application is OPHCRACK.
Ophcrack is completely, open source software (GPL Licensed) that utilizes LM hashes throughout the rainbow tables to reset your forgotten Windows account’s password. This software is also provided with the capabilities to import these hashes from a large variety of formats, including the direct dumps form the Windows’ SAM files.
The developers tend to claim that with the help of these tables, the program is capable of cracking an alphanumeric password worth up to 14 characters within a matter of just a few minutes.
4. Resetting the forgotten password via the safe mode
If the account for which you have forgotten the password is not the administrator account and you still have administrator access to your computer, then you have an option built into the Windows itself to reset the password.
You can make use of the Windows safe mode to reset the forgotten password.
This procedure is explained below:
- Boot into the safe mode by entering the administrator password.
- Enter the Start menu and open local groups and users by typing the following command in the RUN box:
lusrmgr.msc - In the next local users and groups window, select the ‘users’ option on the left by double clicking it.
- Now, right click on the account for which you need to reset the password.
- Select the ‘Set Password’ option.
- Type in and confirm the desired new password.
- Restart your system.
- Now you can access the respective account by using the new password easily.
So, from now on, if you ever lose your password, there is no need of reinstalling the entire Windows OS on your computer. Try out these methods first and there are fair chances that your problem will already be solved without hassles.