How to recover a lost xp password
These techniques to recover a lost xp password are among the more advanced
Windows XP Tips and Tricks. In some cases, recovering from a lost password can
be very easy though.
For completeness' sake we start with the simplest tips that can help you
regain access to a locked account. But even if you find yourself in a more
complex situation, please read on. You'll find out what to do.
Warning : Be extra careful if you are using Encrypting File
System (EFS) in Windows XP Professional. If you don't know what EFS is, you
probably shouldn't worry about it. It's a feature in Windows XP Professional
that deals with file security on a local level. If you do use it, please
always make sure to export your private and public keys before
attempting to reset your password.
If you can login with another user account
If you share your computer with other users it's fairly simple to regain
access to your account. You could ask one of the other users to log on to
Windows with their password and perform the following steps :
- Click the Start button
- Click "Run"
- In the "Open" field, type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes)
- Click ok
Windows opens a user accounts dialog. Select the user with the lost password
and click the "Reset Password" button. Enter a new password (and a second time
in the confirmation box) and click ok. Click ok once again and you are ready.
Now you can log on to your account using the new password.
More advanced password recovery
If there are no other users on your machine to unlock your account, you need
to reset your password "offline". Offline means that you boot your pc from
outside your usual Windows XP environment using a boot disk or a bootable cdrom.
This offline technique to recover a lost xp password isn't for the faint of
heart; the procedure isn't presented in a nice graphical interface and there
even is a small risk involved ...
Sometimes the password reset fails and as a consequence you cannot log on
with the locked user account afterwards. This doesn't happen often though, and
if you are reading this because you need to recover a lost xp password ...
you weren't able to log on after all ...
Of course you will need access to another pc to create a boot disk or
bootable cd.
Is your boot sequence right ?
Your computer's boot sequence is set in the BIOS and determines if the pc can
boot from a floppy or cdrom. To get into the BIOS, you typically need to press a
certain key or key combination during startup. Depending on the brand of your
computer this can be :
- The F1 key
- The F2 key
- The F10 key
- The del key
- Ctrl+Alt+Enter
- Ctrl+Alt+Esc
- ...
If you have made your way into the BIOS, now would the time to choose either
your floppy drive or your cdrom as primary startup device.
Below is a BIOS boot sequence screenshot where the floppy drive has top
priority.
Creating the boot disk
You can download an offline password and registry editor to create the
bootable disk at http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ or if this url has
become invalid over time, you can request your copy with the small form below.
You will receive a mail with a valid download link shortly afterwards.
Don't worry, we will use your email address only to send you the download
link, not for anything else. We hate spammers as much as you do.
After you have downloaded the Offline Password and Registry editor you have a
.zip file on your hard drive that could use some unzipping. Depending on the
choice that you have made in your BIOS, you either need to carry out the steps
to create a bootable floppy, or the steps to create a bootable cdrom.
Instructions for the boot disk (floppy)
Once unzipped, you'll have 3 files : rawrite2.exe, install.bat and a .bin
file. Put a blank, formatted floppy in your floppy drive and launch install.bat.
That will create a bootable floppy from which you need to boot your pc (the one
with the lost xp password).
The bootable cdrom
The unzipped file delivers a .iso file that you need to burn to a cd with
your cd burner software. That creates a bootable cd to boot your pc (again, the
one with the lost xp password).
Time to fix that lost xp password
Shortly after you boot your computer from the floppy or cd you'll have an
intimidating screen filled with text staring you in the face.
Like this :
There's no need to feel overwhelmed. In order to reset your lost xp password
you need to go through some questions in a number of steps. In each step the
program offers a default answer. Usually these defaults are ok and you just need
to press ENTER.
Step 1 : Select the disk where the Windows XP installation
is.
Step 2 : Select PATH and registry files. For most Windows
installations you can safely accept the defaults.
Step 3 : Password or registry edit. Select "Edit user data and
passwords" - the default. After that you need to choose the user account. The
program defaults to "Administrator", so you need to type the name of the user
with the lost xp password if it's not the administrator account that you're
trying to unlock. Once you've made clear which user account's lost xp password
you want to reset, you need to supply the new password. To finish it off confirm
the password change and type "!" to quit the user selection menu. Now type "q"
(for quit) to continue with ...
Step 4 : Writing back changes. This step requires one more
confirmation and then wants to know if you want another run. Answer with the
defaults, remove the bootable floppy or cdrom and reboot your pc.
You should now be able to log on with your account and the new password.
