Recently, I got a question on email,”I forgot my windows password and I am not able to login to my account. I don’t have access to my laptop/PC and I don’t have a password reset disk. I can’t format my drive as it contains necessary documents and data. Is there any way I reset my forgotten password? Please help!”. So today in this HowTo Guide, I will show you how easily one can recover or reset his or her Windows 10, 8 or 7 Laptop or PC. I will discuss different ways and will also mention the safest and the easiest method to recover Lost Windows password.
Reset or Recover Lost Windows 10, 8 and 7 Password:
METHOD 1. Use the Password Reset Tool for Microsoft Live Accounts
This should be your first attempt to reset or recover your lost Windows 10 or 8 Account. But this requires your system to connected to the Internet. If you have Windows 7, use below methods. So what you need to do is,
- Visit Microsoft’s password reset website.
- There you’ll find three options. Choose “I Forgot My Password” selection.
- Now you need to verify that you really are who you say you are. Follow the next steps and enter your Email ID associated with your Windows 10 or 8 account or a cell phone number associated with your account. You will receive a code which will pop your account open without any extra hassle.
- You will receive a code which will pop your account open without any extra hassle.
There are other ways to do it but are complicated and uses paid software. But i will not discuss those methods. I have listed two more methods below which uses free linux distros. Method 3 has the highest success rate, equal to 99.99%.
METHOD 2. BY USING OPHCRACK:
Ophcrack is a free Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. A rainbow table is a precomputed table for reversing cryptographic hash functions, usually for cracking password hashes. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a Graphical User Interface and runs on multiple platforms.
#Step1: Go to ophcrack.sourceforge.net
#Step2: Download the CD image (about 650MB)
#Step3: Burn the CD image to an empty CD or a USB Drive using apps like Rufus or Unetbootin. Turn on your computer and access the BIOS Setup. Change the boot sequence to set your PC to boot from CD/USB Drive.
#Step 4: On the next screen, select the “Ophcrack Graphic mode – automatic” option.
#Step 5: Once Ophcrack boots completely, your computer begins to mount your hard drive and automatically launch Ophcrack to start a brute-force attack.
#Step 6: Now depending on the complexity of your passwords, it can take a couple of minutes or hours to recover your password. When your password is found, it will be displayed under the “NT Pwd” column.
If you need to gain access to your computer urgently, or Ophcrack couldn’t find your password, you can next method. It can instantly overwrite your current password of Windows 10, 8 and 7 which you forgot.
METHOD 3. USING LINUX DISTRO
So to reset Windows 10, 8 or 7 password, we can also use a Linux distro like Ubuntu, Kali or even any light weight Linux distro like Puppy Linux. First all you have to do is download any Linux distro.
- Next, create a bootable CD or USB drive using same tools i.e. Rufus or Unetbootin.
- Restart your PC and Insert the live CD/USB and boot from it. You may need to turn off Secure Boot feature for UEFI BIOS. Then select USB disk as
- Then select USB disk as a bootable drive by pressing F12.
- Now Hit enter to run Linux Distro as Live CD. Do not hit install.
- Now open File Explorer and Go to the Hard drive where Windows OS is installed.
- Open Windows folder and Then go to the System32 directory.
- Here you need to search CMD.exe and rename it to CMD1.exe
- Next, search for sethc.exe, It is a program for windows sticky keys. Rename it CMD.exe
- Now search cmd1 & rename CMD1.exe as sethc.exe
- Finally Shutdown PC and boot into Windows.
- When the log-in screen appears, press shift key five or six times.This will open up a command prompt window. Now Type Net users and hit enter.
- This will open up a command prompt window. Now Type Net users and hit enter.You will see a list of active accounts User Names in the PC.
- You will see a list of active accounts User Names in the PC. Choose your username and then Type this command net users <space><Selected Username><space>NewPassword
- Choose your username and then Type this command net users <space><Selected Username><space>NewPassword
and hit enter.for example, Net users
For example, Net users Techposts Ravisingh
This command will change the login password of Account Techposts to Ravi Singh and now I will be able to login to my windows account with this password. So it was as simple as that. This is an old method, and it is based on a windows feature [Sticky Keys] found in all versions of Windows OS from the Old Windows XP to the latest Windows 10. It is quite easy and simple.
Watch this Video Explaining Linux Distro Method
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-E7yn5aW8
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