Be Prepared For The Day You Forget Your Windows Password

If you plan for the time that you somehow forgot your Windows password and have tried all attempts to obtain the password, there is always the Windows  built in feature that creates a floppy diskette to reset your password. This feature is accessible from the Control Panel under the User Accounts section.  You will need one blank formatted floppy disk to complete the task.  To create a password reset disk,click on the user account and click “prevent a forgotten password”.  Store the disk in a safe place for when you have  a sudden case of amnesia.

Another option is possible if the hidden administrator account can be accessed.  Most computers running Windows XP do not have a password set for the hidden administrator account that is accessible only in safe mode. You can access safe mode by pressing the F8 key just after the first screen(sometimes know as the BIOS screen).. Choose the “Safe Mode” option in the list of options after the F8 key is pressed and press Enter. Log on the account called “administrator” and open control panel. Navigate to the user account applet and click on the user account with the forgotten password. Click “remove password” and the account will be password free. This only works when there is no password set on the hidden administrator account. This method works only in Windows XP. The hidden administrator account is not accessible via safe mode in Windows Vista.

Third party tools have been developed that help you reset your Windows password.  The one that I find most useful is from Winternals.com, this and many other useful windows utilities can be found there.  This and other tools are by far the simplest way to remove a forgotten password and there is no fear of losing data.