1. Using Password Reset Disk
Using a password reset disk is one of the easiest methods to follow to reset your forgotten Windows password. The only downside of this procedure is that you need to have the password reset disk created beforehand. Miguel already wrote a great tutorial on how to create a password reset disk and how to use it reset your Windows password. So, do follow the guide. That being said, if you are using Windows 10 then you need to be using the local account in order to create a password reset disk. If you are using Microsoft account to manage your Windows system, then you cannot create a password reset disk. Instead, follow the prompts on this official page to reset your password. Note: the password reset disk created on one Windows system will not work on another system.
2. By Hacking Ease of Access Button
The Hacking Ease of Access button on the Windows login screen to reset a Windows password is yet another popular method. This method is particularly useful if you don’t want to use third party software and/or didn’t have the password reset disk. To reset the password using this method, insert your Windows installation disk and boot from it. Once you are in the setup screen, press the keyboard shortcut “Shift + F10” to launch the Command Prompt. Once the Command Prompt has been opened, copy the below commands and execute them one after the other. All we are doing is replacing “utilman.exe” with “cmd.exe.”
After doing this, restart your Windows machine by exiting the installation screen. Once you are at the Windows login screen, click on the “Ease of access” button appearing on the bottom corner. This action will launch the Command Prompt. In the command prompt, use the below commands one after the other while replacing with a new user name. In my case I’m using “krishna” as my new username.
The above action will create a new user account with the new username. Just restart your system, select the new account from the login screen and log in to your Windows system.
Once logged in, you can reset the other account’s password from the Local Users and Groups window. You can access it by entering “lusrmgr.msc” in the run dialog box (Win + R).
3. Using ntpasswd
If you don’t have the password reset disk and/or don’t want to mess with your own system files, then using software like “ntpasswd” is the way to go.
4. Using Trinity Rescue Kit
Alternatively, you can also use live Linux distributions like Trinity Rescue Kit which is specifically designed to recover and repair data. To use Trinity Rescue Kit, download the ISO from the official website, burn it to a disc or create a bootable thumb drive and boot into it.
If you think I’ve missed any of your favorite ways to reset a Windows password, then do share them in the comments form below.
