How to Reset Windows 7/Vista/XP Logon Password?

Before you begin the process of password resetting, you’ll first need a different computer with internet access to start your work. You also need a USB stick or a blank CD to make a password reset Live disc that would be used on your locked computer.

Step 1: Make a Password Reset Live Disc

Download the self-extracting archive of Reset Windows Password utility on to your alternate computer. Once downloaded, extract the ISO file (ResetWindowsPwd.iso) from the ZIP file. Feel free to do this using the integrated tool in Windows or a dedicated program like WinZip.

Now you need to burn the ISO image file (ResetWindowsPwd.iso) to a CD or USB stick. There are many free burning programs which can do it easily, such as BurnCDCC, ImgBurn, ISO2Dic, etc.

Step 2: Boot Locked Computer from the Live Disc

Insert the password reset Live disc into the computer that you’re trying to gain access to. Restart the computer and press the appropriate key (also called “BIOS Key”) at the start of the boot-up process – often when the manufacturer’s logo appears on screen – and you’ll be taken to the BIOS Setup screen. Change the boot order in BIOS to set the USB or CD as your first option for boot device and boot the computer from it.

Step 3: Reset Windows Logon Password

Once the locked computer boots from the Live disc, it will load the Windows PE operating system inside the Live disc and open up the Reset Windows Password program. The program automatically finds the Windows installations on your hard drive, and analyzes the SAM (Security Accounts Manager) database and displays all Windows user accounts existing in your system.

Just choose the user account which you want to do a password reset, and click on “Reset Password” button. It will reset your forgotten logon password quickly!

Conclusion

This should be the easiest method to reset Windows logon password in case your password is lost or forgotten. It works for all recent versions of Windows including Windows 8, 7, 2000, XP, Vista as well as Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012.

I have forgotten my Windows logon password. I am afraid to cut my computer off for fear I won’t be able to get back into it. Please help me recover my password or bypass it, either one. I need a baby steps tutorial since I am not too computer savvy as you can see. Please help. I’ll stay online until I get a response.

The Windows logon password is one of the most important passwords we have memorized and if you’ve lost or forgotten this password, the entire world can seem just out of reach. People are constantly locking themselves out of their personal laptops and home computers by forgetting the logon password. Luckily there is an easy way to reset forgotten Windows logon password so you can then log on to your computer in minutes.

How to Reset Windows Logon Password?

1. Download the .zip archive of Reset Windows Password utility. Unzip the download file, you’ll get a bootable ISO image: ResetWindowsPwd.iso, which can run from CD, DVD or USB flash drive.
2. In my case, I’m going to reset Windows logon password on a netbook without CD/DVD drive, so I choose to burn the ISO image to USB flash drive with ISO2Disc utility.
3. Once the burning process is complete, we need to make some changes to the computer with a forgotten Windows logon password: Get into computer BIOS and set USB or Removable Device as the first boot device.
4. Plugin the USB flash drive into your locked computer. Restart the computer, it will then boot from the USB flash drive.
5. When the Reset Windows Password program is launched, you’ll see the Windows SAM registry hive and user accounts on the boot screen.
6. Choose a user account and then click Reset Password button, it will reset your forgotten Windows logon password immediately.

Restart the computer and unplug the USB flash drive, you’ll find you can log on to your computer without being asked to enter a password. As you can see, the dread of forgetting your Windows logon password can typically be put behind you. It’s the simplest option to reset forgotten Windows 8/7/Vista/XP logon password.