i forgot password to my administrator account on my desktop, now i cant get in or make changes, what do i do?

Question

i changed the password on my administrator account on my pc and now i cant get in to make any changes. my desktop is a windows xp. the reason why i need to change this is because i cannot change anything with the system and the startup in selective. i dont want to mess my computer up because certain things dont start up with the computer. i tried everything to remember the password but i cant, and i also tried many ways to change the password or reset it but i have been unsuccessful, please help!

Answer 1

See if this helps

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Free stuff

Instructions
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html
image files
http://ntpass.blaa.net/bd011022.zip (1.4MB - Bootdisk image, date 011022)
http://ntpass.blaa.net/sc011022.zip (~700KB) - SCSI-drivers (011022)
This is a utility to (re)set the password of any user that has a valid (local) account on your NT system, by modifying the crypted password in the registrys SAM file.
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
image writer
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/rawrite2.zip

Another one
Change administrator password on NT/2000, without knowing it!!! Bootdisk...
http://www.thomasmathiesen.com/itak/html/software.html
image file
http://www.thomasmathiesen.com/filez/sw/external/linuxbootimage.zip
image writer
http://www.thomasmathiesen.com/filez/sw/external/imagewriter.zip
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Another one
http://www.pc-pipeline.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=getit&lid=6

Run it to create a boot floppy then follow the instructions. If you choose to do this then you are doing this at your own risk. Just change the admin pw and login then change the account pw's that you desire.

Make sure you have a floppy disk in the floppy drive and let the program create the boot floppy. Now restart the machine a let it boot from the floppy. Now follow what it instructs you to do.

Use it like a bootdisk.

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NTAccess can replace the administrator password of a Windows XP, Windows NT or Windows 2000 system by rebooting the computer with a special set of boot disks or CD-ROM (XP only). This is useful if you forgot the administrator password and cannot access the Windows XP/2000/NT system.
http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/product.cfm?id=265


LC3 - The Password Auditing and Recovery Application

LC3 is the latest version of the award-winning password auditing and recovery application, L0phtCrack. It provides two critical capabilities to Windows® network administrators:
Free 15 day trial
http://www.atstake.com/research/lc3/index.html


L0phtCrack, The integrated password cracker for NT
http://www.securiteam.com/tools/L0phtCrack__The_integrated_password_cracker_for_NT.html
Locksmith
http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/locksmith.asp

Windows XP / 2000 / NT Key is a program to reset Windows XP / 2000 / NT security if Administrator password, secure boot password or key disk is lost.
http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm

Or you could, if you have a FAT32 file system, just boot to a Win98 bootdisk and rename the SAM file (registry Hive) in the C:\WINNT\system32\config folder to something else. Of course this will remove all accounts on the system and you will need to rebuild them. If you are using NTFS then boot to the Win2000 CD and do this from the Recovery console.

For XP
Windows XP Tip: Password Recovery Disk
Take preventive measures against losing user-level passwords
http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/answerstips/story/0,24330,3356093,00.html

Hopes thats enough... :)

Source:
http://www.alieneyes.wordpress.com/2006/07/18/reset-administrator-password-2/

Answer 2

Try restarting the computer. On the start-up screen where you type in your password there should be a help menu highlighting a hint just for an instance like this. I hope you had completed the alternate questions when selecting your password.

Answer 3

Run your windows disc in the drive that it was installed on (or use the drive that you install any other software on if you have a windows back up disk), restart your computer, get into your set up on start up (normally by hitting F2 repeatedly when rebooting), set the drive that has your OS disk in it to run on start up (the first drive to run) and reinstalling your os. This will allow you to reset the password and get back into your desk-top the way that you left it. Any problems, get hold of Microsoft.

I truly hope that this helps as this has happened to myself as well. I spent hours getting help with this problem in the past and know personally that it sucks.

Answer 4

if have another account besides the Administrator account, that's good. Back up personal files, then re-install windows.

If you have a partition, that's Drive C and Drive D, Install windows in drive D and transfer you files from C to D. Format drive C.

I

Answer 5

you might try cap locks if you capital lized you name before you made the password you may need the cap locks on or if you boot in safe mode and you have a user and admin password you my go into the other account save stuff and reinstall the os

Answer 6

Format your hard drive, and make a password disk next time. Thats the only thing I thing will work, Hope you can remember it!

Answer 7

tap f8 when your first turn the computer on and go into safe mode and choose administrator to log on then go into control panel and user accounts and change your password

Answer 8

well under where you sign in to your account, there is supposed to be a button that says "forgot your password/ ID?" that is almost always there when i sign into yahoo. hope it helps!!! oh by the way check your e-mail, they could of e-mailed your temporary password and once you sign in you can change it.

Answer 9

Reinstall windows?

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

Answer 10

Go here:


http://www.loginrecovery.com/