Jul112012

How do I recover or reset the administrator password for Windows XP?

Tony Yarbrough asks:

Our volunteer organization’s PCs were set up and networked by another volunteer who is no longer available to help, and unwilling to pass any information to anyone in the organization. Some of the simplest actions need to be confirmed or allowed via admin rights. We are a hostage in this situation.

If we had the original XP install disks we could start over, but even this is not possible. What do you recommend we do? Can we reset the password?



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14 Answers -

6 votes

Bruce Epper

July 11, 2012

Download a copy of Hiren’s Boot CD (http://www.hirensbootcd.org/files/Hirens.BootCD.15.1.zip), extract it and burn the ISO to a CD. Boot the affected computers with the CD and use the Offline Password Changer to clear the Administrator password. Reboot the machine normally and you will be able to log in with the Administrator account with a blank password. You should assign another password once you log in.

Matt Cruz

Bruce has got it right here..Highly recommend using Hiren’s Boot CD. Very easy to use.

July 17, 2012
0 votes

ha14

July 11, 2012
0 votes

Irshaad Abdool

July 11, 2012

OphCrack may help . its a bootable CD application to crack passwords. Else, boot form a Linux LIVE CD and retreive all your data to a removable storage device and then format the hardisk and install Windows anew

0 votes

Vipul Jain

July 11, 2012

if all fails, open CPU cover.
look for a mercury cell (a button kind of small battery). plug it out using a clipper or a pin.
then just plug it back again, it should reset all BIOS, OS passwords.

-2 votes

Abe

July 12, 2012

hat’ nothing serious.I have came accross such trouble few days ago, and I searched the internet to solve the problem.Here I share how I do that.

I found a tool called Windows Password Reset Deluxe have a high appraisal.I downloaded it from its’ websideand install it, then burn Windows Password Reset ISO file to USB. At last,put in newly created USB Flash and remove my forgotten windows password. So easy and safe.

Hope this method can help you too.

0 votes

Pawan Arora

July 13, 2012

There are three ways -

The first and the simplest – Download ERD Commander for Windows XP, Boot Your System and It DONE!
The Second – if you have access to any other Administrator Account, log in to that account then goto Computer Management – Local Users and Groups – Users – Right Click on Administrator and there you will find an option to set the password.
Third and Last – Remove the jumber or CMOS.

12 votes

Oron

July 13, 2012

You can use Peter Nordahl’s password resetter ( http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/ ). The interface is very basic, but it’s small, fast and effective!

Alex

Yes. It’s work.

July 21, 2012
-2 votes

Hassan raza

July 15, 2012

I wants to deleat my id

0 votes

Gian Singh

July 17, 2012

at the login screen hit ctrl+alt+delete 2x and then login as administrator and you can remove the password.

6 votes

Jayesh Ramchandani

July 17, 2012

Something I use often is the ‘Offline Windows Password & Registry Editor’ (http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/).

If you need help using this let me know. It’s simple to use, just boot the system with those files (burn on a CD for example, and then boot the CD).
After that it’s pretty straightforward, usually I just select the ‘Blank Password’, so the program simply sets no password on the account. After that you can login and set a new password if you wish.

-2 votes

Simranjeet Singh

July 26, 2012

Simply download KonBoot, Run KonBoot Usb And boot through that usb and it will bypass windows xp password

0 votes

FIDELIS

August 27, 2012

Hello, there are several ways of accomplishing this. I would start with opening the case and resetting the BIOS jumper pins?

0 votes

Amit Sinha

September 3, 2012

while installing xp its ask for user name 1st to 5th if you entered a single name then there is two administrator account. To open default administrator account just hit twice ctrl+alt+del key twice on log on screen and you wiil see a box will appear asking username and password, type in user name “Administrator” (capital A and small all letters) and left the password blank and hit enter hit enter. Then you can delete your account of which you won’t remember password by keeping the files and create a new user with same name.
Alternatively boot your computer in safe mode you will see another admin account

-2 votes

julien croy

September 7, 2012

You can use a password cracker, such cain and able or orphcrack. dont know how they are but have heard they are good. or you could boot of a live cd and change it