If you suddenly forgot your Windows password: Break the password! Through "User Accounts".
How to remove or reset password when logging into Windows 7/8/10
To remove or reset your password when logging into Windows, you will have to arm yourself with certain knowledge.
This article will discuss the solution to this frequently occurring problem using the latest versions of the Windows operating system as an example.
Removing a password in Windows 7
First of all, let's decide how to remove the password when logging in to Windows 7.
Every time you log in, a password entry window appears., where you need to enter a previously invented combination of letters and numbers.
But if you enter it, and the system writes that the password is incorrect, this means only one thing - your memory could not store this important amount of information.
However, to recover the password in the “seven” you need, at a minimum, a flash drive with special data for resetting the password. What to do if you simply don’t have such a flash drive?
For these purposes, you will have to use the boot disk from which you installed the operating system on your personal computer.
Entering the computer BIOS
The next step is to reboot the computer in order to be able to enter its BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which is nothing more than the basic input and output system.
In order to enter this very BIOS, you need to press a certain key combination in the first seconds of starting the operating system.
In most cases, this combination is the combination of the Del and F2 keys.
If you do everything correctly, a blue BIOS window will open in front of you.
Remember that you cannot navigate through the tabs available in the BIOS using a computer mouse. In this case, you will have to use the keyboard arrow buttons.
Use the arrow key to navigate to the Boot tab, which contains a list of all boot devices available on your computer.
It is worth noting that in some BIOS versions the Boot tab may be called Boot Sequence.
By going to the Boot menu window, you will see a list of available devices from which you will need to select a CD-Rom Drive.
In this case, you will indicate to the system that the CD-rom is a priority during startup and that it will be performed from the disk.
After this, press the F10 button, after which the changes made will be saved, exit the BIOS and reboot the computer.
During the reboot process, the installation disk will launch, during which the Windows 7 installer window will open.
From the list presented, select the item with system recovery and wait until the search for Windows systems installed on the computer is completed.
On the page of the found operating system, select the lowest item - “ Command line", after which the Administrator window will open.
In it you need to specify the path to the registry editor:
- C:\Windows>regedit
- C:\Windows
After the Registry Editor window opens, select the item from the list on the left side of the window « HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE» .
After that, at the top of the window, click on the menu “ File" and indicate in the drop-down list - " Load bush».
This way you will create a new section, during which you will be required to enter its name - this is not so important, so enter whatever you like (for example - 000) and click to confirm on the " OK».
After the section with the name you specified is created, it will appear in the list HKEY_LOKAL_MACHINE in the form of a familiar folder.
By clicking on this folder, you will expand its contents, in which you will need to select the item Setup.
When you select this item, a list of files will be displayed on the right side of the Registry Editor window, among which will be CmdLine.
Right-click on it and select “ Change" Then - in the window that opens, change the string parameter in the line " Meaning"Register cmd.exe and confirm it using the button " OK».
After this, you also need to change the value of the SetupType parameter in the same way as CmdLine, but with only one difference - in the “ Values» enter a number 2 and press " OK».
After making changes, go back to the menu " File" and select the item " Unload bush».
In the window that opens to confirm the unloading of the bush, click on the button “ Yes" and close all windows on the screen - giving the command to restart the computer.
When the operating system starts loading, the cmd.exe administrator window will appear with a command line in which you must enter a new username and password.
The line will look like this:
C:\Windows|system32>net user Admin pass
If you did everything correctly, a message will appear under this line stating that the command was completed successfully.
After this, in the next line you need to give a command to exit.
This is what the procedure will look like:
C:\Windows|system32> exit
After this, you can close the administrator window, and enter its new value in the password entry field when logging into Windows 7.
Resetting your password in Windows 8
After you install the Windows 8 operating system on your computer, you will be faced with an annoying requirement to enter a password every time you log in.
Not everyone likes constantly entering a password for their account, which is why quite often a quite reasonable question arises - how to remove the Windows 8 password when logging in, because it is much more pleasant to log into the system without any delay.
For these purposes, you will need to perform a number of specific actions:
First you need to start your computer and log in with your account.
After this, move the mouse cursor to the far right of the screen so that the standard sidebar appears.
On it you will need to select the search icon, which is located at the very top of the panel.
In the search window that opens, enter the search phrase “ Computer settings", during which two menus are immediately displayed - " Computer settings" And " Control Panel».
Your task will be to go to the settings item, after which you will be taken to the Windows 8 window of the same name.
On the left side of this window - under the computer settings inscription - there is a list of all available parameters, among which is the one you need - “ Accounts».
Going to the accounts window, you will need to select the line - “ Login Options».
All existing parameters will be displayed on the right side of the window - namely:
- Login required;
- password;
- pin;
- graphic password.
To completely remove the password requirement, you will need to click on the " Change", located under the item " Password».
When you click this button, an informational pop-up window will appear warning you that the setting you change affects all accounts on your computer.
If you are not at all concerned that anyone can log into your computer due to the lack of a password, feel free to press the button "Change".
By following this procedure, you will save yourself from having to enter a password every time you log into the system.
Reset a lost password in Windows 8
The following option allows you to reset a forgotten or lost password in Windows 8.
Let's imagine that you forgot your password and can't log into the system. Then you need to go to the menu " Start" and go to selecting an action, the list of which contains functions " Continue», « Diagnostics" And " Turning off the computer».
In this case, you will need to select the “ Diagnostics».
In the diagnostic window that opens, you will see three new items:
- restore - when selected, all your files will remain intact;
- return to its original state - this item implies deleting your files;
- Extra options.
To reset your password, you need to refer to the “ Return to original state", during which all your personal files and applications will be deleted.
This procedure will return all computer settings to their default values.
At this point, you will be asked to insert a boot disk or other media into the drive tray that allows you to restore the system.
In the next window to reset the computer to its original state, you will need to select the “ Just delete my files" and wait for the process to complete.
Finally, you will need to accept the terms of the license agreement that Windows offers and go through personalization.
Resetting your password in Windows 10
Reset by answering questions
After update 1809, a very interesting thing appeared in the top ten. When you set a password during Windows installation, you are asked three security questions. They are needed so that if an unusual situation arises, you can reset the password.
We just have to remember the answers to these questions, since the first method is based precisely on them. In principle, if you know the answers well, then there will be no problems with resetting.
Here's what you need to do:
1. Start the computer and wait for the screen to load to enter the password. When it appears, you need to click on the link "Reset the password"(or "I forgot my password" in the English edition of the OS).
Final actions
This will take you to your desktop and your password will be reset. This is the simplest and most reliable way. But it also happens that the user does not remember the answer to the questions. What to do in this case? There is a way out in this situation too.
Command line and bootable USB flash drive
This method is quite complicated. And it will require a bootable USB flash drive with the Windows 10 distribution. Only then will our efforts be crowned with success. If you suddenly don’t have a flash drive at hand, then a disk with a distribution kit will do.
The main thing here is not to confuse anything. Working with the console requires concentration and some free time. Be that as it may, if you follow everything according to the instructions, then nothing bad will happen.
And here are the instructions themselves:
1. Insert the USB flash drive into the port and boot from it. When selecting a language and region, press on the keyboard "Shift+F10". This command will boot the console. Then enter the commands in the console "diskpart" (1) And "list volume" (2). After each of them click "Enter". In the list of disks, you need to remember the one on which Windows is installed. In our case it is "C" (3). After that we type the command "exit" (4) and click "Enter" on keyboard.
2. Now enter the commands sequentially "move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe" (1) And “copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe” (2). Don't forget to click after each "Enter". Please note that your command may have a completely different drive letter. Be extremely careful with this.
After this, all that remains is to reboot the machine and boot from the system disk.
Your account login password will be reset. It is worth noting that this method only works for local accounts. It won't work with Microsoft accounts.
Using the DISM++ utility
DISM++ is a special utility that can reset a local account password in Windows 10. But for this you need to use it before loading the OS. This means that after downloading the utility you just need to unpack it onto a flash drive.
You can download the program from the official website of the developer. It's completely free. But keep in mind that you only need to unpack the utility onto a flash drive with “ten” on board. Otherwise the program will not start.
And to reset your password you need to do the following:
1. Insert the flash drive with the program and Windows into the port and boot from it. Then, at the stage of selecting a language and region, click "Shift+F10" and we find ourselves in the already familiar console. Enter the command "C:\dism\dism++x64.exe" ("WITH"- this is the name of the flash drive, it may be different for you) and click "Enter" (1). A window with the license agreement will open. Click "Accept" (2).
After this, you can safely restart your computer
The login password will definitely be reset. In general, the program can work under Windows, but its results there are not impressive. She somehow does better in MS-DOS.
Reset a lost password in Windows 10
In order to reset a lost password in Windows 10, you will need to go to the password reset menu, which is located under the password entry window.
After pressing the button Reset the password"A password reset wizard will become available to you, in which the system will ask you to insert the disk or flash drive necessary to recover it.
If you have not created such a disk or flash drive, then you will not be able to use this item directly.
You will need to schedule a reboot for your computer and at that moment, as in previous versions, enter the BIOS.
In the Boot Manager section, specify priority boot from the drive and, by inserting the installation disk into it, exit and save.
After the next reboot, the Windows operating system installer window will open, in which you will need to select the language, time format and keyboard layout, and continue the installation process by clicking on the " Further».
In the next installer window, click on the line at the bottom that offers to restore the system.
After this, an action selection window will open where you will need to go to the diagnostics tab.
To do this, enter the following command:
X:\Sources> dir
and the letter of the drive being checked (C, D, E, and so on).
Ultimately, in the contents of one of the drives you will see the Windows folder
After this, you will need to make a backup copy of the file that is responsible for the special features of the installed Windows operating system and replace it with cmd.
To do this, enter the following code:
X:|Sources>copy e:\Windows\system32\utilman.exe e:\
Files copied:
X:\Sources>copy e:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe e:\Windows\system32\utilman.exe
You agree to the replacement of files:
Replace e:\windows\system32\utilman.exe : yes
After carrying out such manipulations, reboot your computer and launch Windows.
A password request window will appear again, but you will need to click on the “ Special abilities" located at the bottom of the screen.
After clicking this button, a command line window will open where you will need to enter your username and new password. To do this, enter the following:
C:\Windows|system32>net user test 1111
Where " net user" is the username, and " test 1111" - password.
After confirming that the command completed successfully, you can restart your computer.
Log in to the system again, but using the newly created password and go to the accounts tab, where you uncheck the item responsible for entering the username and password.
You reboot your computer again and forget about annoying requests forever.
To remove or reset your password when logging in, you will have to arm yourself with certain knowledge. This article will discuss the solution to this frequently occurring problem using the latest versions of the operating system as an example.
Removing a password in Windows 7
Read also: How to set a password for a Windows folder? | 7 Best Encryption Methods and Programs | 2019
First of all, let's decide how to remove the password when logging in to Windows 7.
Every time you log in, a password entry window appears., where you need to enter a previously invented combination of letters and numbers.
But if you enter it, and the system writes that the password is incorrect, this means only one thing - your memory could not store this important amount of information.
However, to recover the password in the “seven” you need, at a minimum, a flash drive with special data for resetting the password. What to do if you simply don’t have such a flash drive?
For these purposes, you will have to use the boot disk from which you installed the operating system on your personal computer.
Entering the computer BIOS
Read also: How to enter BIOS? All possible login methods on a PC and laptop running Windows
The next step is to reboot the computer in order to be able to enter its (Basic Input/Output System), which is nothing more than a basic input and output system.
In order to enter this very BIOS, you need to press a certain key combination in the first seconds of starting the operating system.
In most cases, this combination is the key combination Del and F2.
If you do everything correctly, a blue BIOS window will open in front of you.
Remember that you cannot navigate through the tabs available in the BIOS using a computer. In this case, you will have to use the keyboard arrow buttons.
Use the arrow key to navigate to the Boot tab, which contains a list of all boot devices available on your computer.
It is worth noting that in some BIOS versions the Boot tab may be called Boot Sequence.
By going to the Boot menu window, you will see a list of available devices from which you will need to select a CD-Rom Drive.
In this case, you will indicate to the system that the CD-rom is a priority during startup and that it will be performed from the disk.
After this, press the F10 button, after which the changes made will be saved, exit the BIOS and reboot the computer.
During the reboot process, the installation disk will launch, during which the Windows 7 installer window will open.
From the list presented, select the item with system recovery and wait until the search for Windows systems installed on the computer is completed.
On the page of the found operating system, select the lowest item - “ Command line", after which the Administrator window will open.
In it you need to specify the path to the registry editor:
- C:\Windows>regedit
- C:\Windows
After the Registry Editor window opens, select the item from the list on the left side of the window « HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE» .
After that, at the top of the window, click on the menu “ File" and indicate in the drop-down list - " Load bush».
This way you will create a new section, during which you will be required to enter its name - this is not so important, so enter whatever you like (for example - 000) and click to confirm on the " OK».
After the section with the name you specified is created, it will appear in the list HKEY_LOKAL_MACHINE in the form of a familiar folder.
By clicking on this folder, you will expand its contents, in which you will need to select the item Setup.
When you select this item, a list of files will be displayed on the right side of the Registry Editor window, among which will be CmdLine.
Right-click on it and select “ Change" Then - in the window that opens, change the string parameter in the line " Meaning"Register cmd.exe and confirm it using the button " OK».
After this, you also need to change the value of the SetupType parameter in the same way as CmdLine, but with only one difference - in the “ Values» enter a number 2 and press " OK».
After making changes, go back to the menu " File" and select the item " Unload bush».
In the window that opens to confirm the unloading of the bush, click on the button “ Yes" and close all windows on the screen - giving the command to restart the computer.
When the operating system starts loading, the cmd.exe administrator window will appear, in which you must enter a new user name and.
The line will look like this:
C:\Windows|system32>net user Admin pass
If you did everything correctly, a message will appear under this line stating that the command was completed successfully.
After this, in the next line you need to give a command to exit.
This is what the procedure will look like:
C:\Windows|system32> exit
After this, you can close the administrator window, and enter its new value in the password entry field when logging into Windows 7.
Resetting your password in Windows 8
Read also: [Instructions] What to do if a folder on a Windows computer is not deleted? | 3 Solution options
After you install the Windows 8 operating system on your computer, you will be faced with an annoying requirement to enter a password every time you log in.
Not everyone likes constantly entering their password, which is why quite often a very reasonable question arises - how to remove the Windows 8 password when logging in, because it is much more pleasant to log into the system without any delay.
For these purposes, you will need to perform a number of specific actions:
First you need to start your computer and log in with your account.
After this, move the mouse cursor to the far right of the screen so that the standard sidebar appears.
On it you will need to select the search icon, which is located at the very top of the panel.
In the search window that opens, enter the search phrase “ Computer settings", during which two menus are immediately displayed - " Computer settings" And " Control Panel».
Your task will be to go to the settings item, after which you will be taken to the Windows 8 window of the same name.
On the left side of this window - under the computer settings inscription - there is a list of all available parameters, among which is the one you need - “ Accounts».
Going to the accounts window, you will need to select the line - “ Login Options».
All existing parameters will be displayed on the right side of the window - namely:
- Login required;
- password;
- pin;
- graphic password.
To completely remove the password requirement, you will need to click on the " Change", located under the item " Password».
When you click this button, an informational pop-up window will appear warning you that the setting you change affects all accounts on your computer.
If you are not at all concerned that anyone can log into your computer due to the lack of a password, feel free to press the button "Change".
By following this procedure, you will save yourself from having to enter a password every time you log into the system.
Reset a lost password in Windows 8
Read also: [Instructions] How to create an ISO image: TOP 3 best programs for Windows 7/10
The following option allows you to reset a forgotten or lost password in Windows 8.
Let's imagine that you forgot your password and can't log into the system. Then you need to go to the menu " Start" and go to selecting an action, the list of which contains functions " Continue», « Diagnostics" And " Turning off the computer».
In this case, you will need to select the “ Diagnostics».
In the diagnostic window that opens, you will see three new items:
- restore - when selected, all your files will remain intact;
- return to its original state - this item implies deleting your files;
- Extra options.
To reset your password, you need to refer to the “ Return to original state", during which all your personal files and applications will be deleted.
This procedure will return all computer settings to their default values.
After update 1809, a very interesting thing appeared in the top ten. When you set a password during Windows installation, you are asked three security questions. They are needed so that if an unusual situation arises, you can reset the password.
We just have to remember the answers to these questions, since the first method is based precisely on them. In principle, if you know the answers well, then there will be no problems with resetting.
Here's what you need to do:
We start the computer and wait for the screen to load to enter the password. When it appears, you need to click on the link "Reset the password"(or "I forgot my password" in the English edition of the OS).
This will take you to your desktop and your password will be reset. This is the simplest and most reliable way. But it also happens that the user does not remember the answer to the questions. What to do in this case? There is a way out in this situation too.
Command line and bootable USB flash drive
Read also: [Instructions] Installing Windows 10 from a flash drive: description of the process from creating a boot image to completing the OS installation
This method is quite complicated. And it will require a bootable USB flash drive with the Windows 10 distribution. Only then will our efforts be crowned with success. If you suddenly don’t have a flash drive at hand, then a disk with a distribution kit will do.
The main thing here is not to confuse anything. Working with the console requires concentration and some free time. Be that as it may, if you follow everything according to the instructions, then nothing bad will happen.
And here are the instructions themselves:
We insert the flash drive into the port and boot from it. When selecting a language and region, press on the keyboard "Shift+F10". This command will boot the console. Then enter the commands in the console "diskpart" (1) And "list volume" (2). After each of them click "Enter". In the list of disks, you need to remember the one on which Windows is installed. In our case it is "C" (3). After that we type the command "exit" (4) and click "Enter" on keyboard.
Now enter the commands sequentially "move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe" (1) And “copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe” (2). Don't forget to click after each "Enter". Please note that your command may have a completely different drive letter. Be extremely careful with this.
After this, all that remains is to reboot the machine and boot from the system disk.
Your account login password will be reset. It is worth noting that this method only works for local accounts. It won't work with Microsoft accounts.
Removing the password when logging into Windows 7 is quite simple. This will require a minimum amount of time and knowledge. This kind of operation usually takes no more than a couple of minutes.
This can be done in various ways: through a special console, command line, or by resetting key data from SAM. Each method has both its advantages and disadvantages.
Why set a password
It often happens that some important and confidential data is stored on the PC, access to which should be limited. Microsoft Windows makes it possible to easily limit the circle of people who have access to files on your computer by installing a special key. Each person can have his own if there are several users.
An access code is also required to protect information on the PC to different owners from each other. For example, this is often necessary for parents so that curious children are not able to get acquainted with some information that they are not entitled to.
Removing the password through the “Run” console
One of the easiest ways to disable entering an access key on the OS is by using the “Run” item. Accessing it is quite simple - just click on the “Start” button. Most often, the item in question is present on the right side of the window that opens.
Entering a command
To disable the function in question, you must enter a specific command. It will open a special applet that allows you to do this.
The process of entering the command is as follows:
- open the Start button menu;
- click on the “Run” item;
- In the field that opens, write “control userpassword2”.
After completing these operations, a window called “User Accounts” will open.
It contains two tabs:
- "Users";
- "Additionally".
You need to focus your attention on the first tab. Since this is where all account settings are made, including changing the login, access key and other attributes. In addition, if desired, you can easily add new accounts or delete old ones.
Disabling the password
To disable Password, just open the corresponding window (“accounts” -> “users”). In it, you need to uncheck the box called “Require username and...”. In this simple way you can disable the need to enter Password.
Confirming the user
You can also completely disable the Microsoft Windows login window.
To do this, you need to do the following:
- in the window called “Accounts”, double-click on the desired line (admin, user or something else);
- click “OK”.
A window will open containing three fields. Only the top one should be filled in; login is written there. The rest remain empty. After that, click on “OK” again. After performing these operations, when starting Microsoft Windows, there will be no need for Password. Which is quite convenient if only one person has physical access to the PC.
video: Password reset
Removing the password when starting Windows without programs
Also, Password in the operating system in question can be unstuck without using the “Run” item, as well as various third-party applications. To do this, just use a special command line. In this way, you can avoid having to enter Password when you turn on the computer, as well as when it comes out of sleep mode.
Command line setup
In order to configure the command line, you need to use the Windows distribution disk. This method of setting up and resetting the access code is suitable if it is forgotten and it is not possible to start the OS otherwise.
First of all, you need to install it through the BIOS to boot from a CD or other device containing the distribution. After this, you should reboot and start the installation.
After this, the following actions are performed:
- CmdLine – enter cmd.exe;
- SetupType – replace parameter 0 with 2;
- select section 999 and click “Unload hive”;
- extract the distribution package and reboot the PC.
Resetting your password and login
After loading the operating system, the user will immediately see the command line window. To reset the password, you must enter the following command: net user username
Photo: Net user username_new_password
If for some reason User has forgotten the account name, then you can simply write net user without parameters. This will allow you to display all available items and select the one you need.
If the new Password is not intended to be used, then it is sufficient to leave the field blank.
If you need to enter a new one, the command will look like this: disk name:\Windows\system32\net user user_name new-key.
It is also often necessary to create a new account without an access key.
To do this, you need to run the following commands in strict order:
These commands perform the following operations in strict order:
- creating a new User;
- adding it to the Administrator workgroup;
- removal from the Users group.
The reset method in question is quite complicated, but quite feasible even for not very experienced PC owners.
Method for resetting key data from SAM file
There are a huge number of different ways to reset your login code. But all of them only change in various ways the information stored in a special file called SAM. It is used by the OS to store data related to both User and Password. This abbreviation name stands for Security Account Manager.
The file in question does not have an extension, since it simply does not require one. It is a direct part of the registry, located in the directory systemroot\system32\config. Also, a copy of the file in question is available on the emergency recovery disk, if for some reason this function was not disabled earlier.
Editing this file to change the operating system login parameters is the most difficult way. To work with SAM, you need specialized software from third-party developers. All operations with SAM must be performed with the utmost care and precision.
How it works
The most popular application for changing data in the SAM file is active password changer. Before you start, you need to copy the application to some media or other FAT32 hard drive.
After performing this operation you must:
- run the password file from the folder "BootableDiskCreator";
- in the window that opens, select "Add USB...";
- activate the button "Start".
After completing all the above steps, a bootable USB flash drive will be created.
The process of changing data using the application in question is as follows:
This method of working with accounts and their attributes is as secure as possible. Since it allows you to avoid editing the registry and other manual operations. This can sometimes be difficult for not very experienced users who started working with their PC relatively recently. The likelihood of harming the operating system in this case is practically zero.
Another important advantage of this program is the ability to set a schedule for PC use by individual accounts.
The disadvantages include the fact that some older motherboard models do not support launching from a USB drive. In such a situation, you have to look for some alternative options: a floppy disk, a CD, or something else.
Quite often, especially with beginners, situations arise when the combination of characters required to enter the OS is forgotten or lost for other reasons. There are many ways out of such a difficult situation; reinstalling the system is not always required. Moreover, any computer owner who has minimal skills in interacting with this type of equipment can cope with resetting the OS access code.
The Windows 7 operating system can be protected with a password that must be entered on the computer before booting. If the user has forgotten the treasured combination, then he will not be able to log into the OS. We will figure out how to reset a password on Windows 7 (Home, Professional, Ultimate) if it is forgotten or lost, and the given hint does not help. Let's consider two options: when you have access to the OS and you just want to remove the authorization protection, and when it is impossible to log into your account.
Don’t rush to reinstall the system or send your PC for repairs! You can fix this problem yourself! Each instruction meets security requirements: your data, names and passwords will not be shared with third parties.
If you have access to the system
So, the first scenario: you remember perfectly well: the password for your account and you can gain access to Windows. In this case, you can use standard means to remove the login security and use an open system. If you use an administrator account, you can change passwords and data for any accounts on this Windows.
Via command line
To remove or change your password via the command line, use the following guide:
- In the “Start” menu, enter the query “cmd” in the search bar, then right-click on the application and run it as administrator.
- A black screen with an input line will appear in front of you. If you don't remember the account name, enter the command.
- A list of all profiles created in this system will appear. Remember the name and enter the command net user homepc ‘’’’, where homepc is the name of the account, as shown in the screenshot.
- Now you can close the command line and check if you were able to unlock your account password.
To, on the contrary, set a password and protect the system, use the command net user administrator password.
Through "User Accounts"
The second universal method works through the Windows interface. Changing security combinations is carried out through the “User Accounts” window. You can do it like this:
- First you need to open the Start menu and click on the profile icon at the top.
- A settings wizard will open where you can create, disable a profile, or cancel protection. Click on the marked button.
- Now you need to enter the current combination in the appropriate field with circles or stars. Click on "Remove Password".
- Ready! The password has been removed, which can be verified by turning off the account and logging in again.
Password Reset Wizard
Separately, it is worth noting the option of creating an auxiliary floppy disk or flash drive. It stores all authorization data. If you lose your password, you can automatically cancel it using this medium:
- You need to open the account settings window again.
- Here, select “Create a password reset disk” in the left column.
- On the first screen, click Next.
- Next, you need to select a password storage.
- Now enter your current password and click Next.
- The creation procedure will take 1-2 minutes.
- Click "Done" to finish.
- Now you need to log out. When you see the password activation splash screen, click on the marked button. The flash drive or floppy disk must be connected to the PC!
- A familiar master will appear. Click “Next”.
- Now you need to find which external drive is a recovery flash drive.
- At the next step, you can enter new passwords or leave the default fields blank if you do not want to make a password-protected profile again.
- At the last stage, the program accepts the data change after clicking the “Finish” button.
If you used the utility to remove protection, then in the future you will be authorized in Windows by simply pressing the login button.
Third party program
There is software called Ophcrack, which allows you to hack an account or change the administrator password from under a working OS, but with network access. You can also restore shared access to your computer without starting the OS. To do this, you need to create a bootable USB flash drive with the Ophcrack utility.
You can download and install the program for free using the official link. Unlocking occurs according to the following algorithm:
- Run the application as administrator.
- In the “Load” menu, click on the marked item.
- All found accounts will appear in the table - administrator, guest, profiles from the home group, and so on. The “NT Pwd” column displays passwords.
- To start the hacking procedure, select an account and click on “Crack”.
- The password for the desired profile will appear in the “NT Pwd” column. The hacking procedure can take from 1 minute to several hours, depending on the complexity of the combination.
The same procedure can be performed via Ophcrack's LiveCD if you do not have access to Windows 7 itself.
If you don't have access to the system
The second option is sadder: the user cannot remove the password because he does not remember it. As a result, it is impossible to enter the “Seven,” which immediately limits our capabilities.
Boot disk
Let's try to remove the protection using a flash drive or installation disk with the operating system. Along with the installer, the Windows image contains a special recovery utility. This includes the command line, breakpoint return, and more. Instead of the installer, you can use a flash drive or disk with the LiveCD utility.
First you need to connect your devices to the USB port and restart your computer. On the first screen when you turn it on, you need to press the F2 key or the one that is intended for your motherboard. The BIOS menu will then appear. The appearance of the BIOS may differ slightly from that shown in the screenshots. However, the "Boot" menu is everywhere.
Using the arrows on the keyboard, move to the “Boot” tab:
Here we go to the “Hard Drive” section and use the key to set the port with the connected flash drive to first place. To save changes and exit, press F10.
As a result, after loading, the LiveCD or installation disk menu will appear. In the case of the second, you need to click on “System Restore”. The next menu contains tools for restoring access to the OS and the performance of the PC as a whole. We are interested in the last item - this is “Command Line”.
The essence of the method is to open the account using the command line on the initial screen saver (when Windows is locked at startup).
- Enter the command to launch the registry.
- Now you need to select the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” branch and select “Load hive” from the “File” menu.
- A folder manager will appear in which you need to navigate to the “SYSTEM” file. It is located on the system partition of the local disk in Windows/system32/config. If you choose the wrong location, nothing will work.
If you can’t log into Windows 7 because you forgot or lost your account password, then this article will help you. It contains all effective ways to delete, reset or replace the password of any account(even the administrator) in the “seven” and recommendations are given on how to protect yourself in case the password is lost in the future. All the described methods to unlock a user account are absolutely safe if you follow the instructions and do everything carefully.
How to reset a forgotten password using Ophcrack
Ophcrack- a unique utility that allows you to restore access to any account in Windows 7 in just a few minutes. Moreover, it works in any edition of the OS, starting with XP, and can function from a bootable USB flash drive. The program’s operating mechanism is somewhat different from the password selection algorithms of similar applications and includes several components:
- LM hash algorithm- passwords are stored in this format in Windows 7, the number of characters of which does not exceed 15;
- rainbow tables- the mechanism is designed to recover encrypted passwords through the use of hashes with a complex process of reverse decryption.
The program can also unlock complex passwords by extracting them from registry files and then decrypting them using completely new methods of data processing, due to which the load on hardware resources is small, and the selection speed increases by orders of magnitude.
Using a bootable flash drive with Ophcrack
The algorithm below is relevant for computers that cannot be accessed using the following methods: reasons:
- the password for one account is lost, but there are no other accounts;
- It is not possible to access any user profile on this computer.
If you encounter such a case, you will have to follow instructions, which boils down to the following: creating a bootable USB drive based on a special version of Ophcrack and booting from this media to restore access to the account. In more detail, these instructions look like this:
For inexperienced users, it is recommended to select the first (graphical) operating mode of OphCrack: Ophcrack Graphic mode. But it should be taken into account that in graphical mode the program may not start, but in text mode it works flawlessly, although it requires certain skills in handling console programs.
If we consider working in a program with an interface in more detail in the next section, then we will dwell in more detail on using its console version. Although the only peculiarity here is the absence of windows and buttons. After launching the console version of the utility, it will automatically detect passwords for all accounts and display them in the “ Results».
Removing a password from Windows
What to do if you forgot administrator account password? The program will also help here Ophcrack, But if there is a network connection to download it. Let's consider the sequence of actions:
After a few seconds or minutes, depending on the complexity of the combination of characters in the password, it will be displayed in the “ NT Pwd».
Using system recovery tools
What to do, if no access to the Internet or another computer, do I need to log in to my account? Will help solve the problem Bootable USB drive or disk, containing a distribution of the Windows 7 operating system used on the computer.
In this case, resetting the Windows 7 administrator password is carried out as follows.
- We connect the boot drive of the same edition of the “seven” as installed on the PC.
- Reboot the PC.
- Call up the boot menu of the computer/laptop. This can be done using the F2, F9, F11 or other keys specified in the motherboard manual or on the BIOS boot screen.
- In the list of available devices, select the target USB drive to start the computer from.
- Press any key to boot from the selected media.
- Select the language of the system installed on the computer, and then click the Next button.
- Click the link «
»
in the window with the Install button to launch the Windows 7 OS recovery tools.
- In the parameters, select the command line to call the tool for executing system commands.
- In the window that appears, enter the command regedit and execute it using the Enter key. As a result, the classic registry editor window will open.
- In this window, as in the file manager with the display of directories in the form of a tree, go to the HKLM section.
- Through the main menu, call the command "", located in the menu " File».
- Select the file " config» - « SYSTEM", which has no extension.
- Set any file name without using Cyrillic characters and confirm it by pressing the enter button.
- Let's go to the bush " HKLM" - "entered_hive_name" - Setup.
- Double-click to open the key editing menu “ CmdLine».
- For the parameter value, enter “ cmd.exe" to launch Command Prompt before booting Windows 7.
- In the same way we set the value “ Setup Type"equal" 2 ».
- Select a new bush in HKLM.
- Call the command " Unload bush", located in the menu item " File».
- We restart the computer, as a result of which the command line will appear.
- At the command line, enter a command like net user username password and execute it with the Enter key. After this, the command line can be closed.
Thus, it is easy to recover a forgotten password as many times as you like, but using the proposed method on other people’s computers will not work due to the fact that changing the password is required when gaining access to any of the accounts.
Creating a flash drive to instantly reset a password for a specific account
If you don’t want to repeat the situation with a forgotten password, it’s better to make a floppy disk to reset it. By floppy disk we mean a flash drive, because the use of floppy disks and disks has not been relevant in recent years.
As a result, the wizard will generate a boot disk necessary to unlock the account for which the password has been lost.
Now, if for some reason you cannot log into Windows 7, click the Reset password button, insert the created disk or flash drive and follow the instructions. which boil down to clicking the Next button.
After reinstalling the system, changing the password, or creating a new account, the password reset disk will have to be created again.
Knowing how to reset the Windows 7 administrator password and having a flash drive with the key file, a forgotten password will no longer be a problem.
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