Although Microsoft no longer supports the Windows XP operating system, it still works on many computers around the world. What if you have forgotten your system password? You cannot recover it, but you can set a new password (even for the administrator account).
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Using an Administrator Account
Step 1. Log in as an administrator
In this case, you can change the password of any user. Enter your administrator username and password to log in and gain administrative rights.
Step 2. Open the Start menu and click Run
A text box will appear.
Step 3. Enter
cmd
(in the text box) and click ↵ Enter.
A command prompt window will open.
Step 4. Enter
net user [username] *
.
For example, enter
net user Wiki *
(if "Wiki" is an account that needs a new password). Between the username and
*
put a space. Then press ↵ Enter.
Step 5. Enter a new password and press ↵ Enter
Then enter this password again. Now you can use the new password to log into your account.
Method 2 of 5: Using the Windows XP CD
Step 1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your optical drive
Use this method if you have a bootable Windows XP CD. If it is an original Windows XP CD, it will be bootable; otherwise it may or may not be bootable, so try booting from it.
Step 2. Restart your computer
The message “Press any key to boot from disk” will appear on the screen. Press any key on the keyboard.
- If this message does not appear, the Windows XP CD is not bootable.
- The system disc can be borrowed from someone or asked to burn a bootable disc. In this method, you can use any boot disk, not just the one from which you installed the system.
Step 3. Press the R key to "repair" the system
Step 4. Press ⇧ Shift + F10 when the “Installing Devices” message appears on the screen
A command prompt will open.
Step 5. Enter
NUSRMGR. CPL
and press ↵ Enter.
The User Account Control Panel will open, where you can select a user, reset their password, and set a new one.
Method 3 of 5: Using Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Step 1. Find out the username of the administrator
By default, the administrative account does not have a password, so this method may work (unless someone has set the administrative password).
Step 2. To set a password for any account, boot the computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt
To do this, restart your computer and press a specific key to open the boot menu. When the computer goes to restart, press one of the following keys several times: Esc, F2, F8 or F10; the boot menu should appear on a black background. (You can also turn off a running computer from the outlet, wait about 10 seconds, and then turn it on - a boot menu should appear on the screen.)
Step 3. Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" from the menu
Do this using the ↑ or ↓ keys. There is a limited time available to select this option and press ↵ Enter, so hurry (otherwise the system will boot normally).
Step 4. Open the list of all users registered on the computer
Enter
net user
at the command prompt and press ↵ Enter..
Step 5. Specify the user who needs a new password
For example, enter
net user Wiki 12345678
where "Wiki" is the username and "12345678" is the new password. Now press ↵ Enter.
In order not to enter the command again, press F3 - the screen will display the previous command, which can be edited using the ←, →, Delete and ← Backspace keys. When you change the command, press ↵ Enter
Step 6. Enter
shutdown -r
to restart your computer.
The system will boot normally, and the user whose password you changed can log in with the new password.
Method 4 of 5: Using a Linux CD
Step 1. Boot Linux from CD
We recommend downloading the live version of the Ubuntu system. This version of Linux allows you to work with this system without installing it on your computer. Insert the Linux disc into your optical drive and restart your computer. When the message “Press any key to boot from CD” appears on the screen, press any key.
Step 2. Open your Linux desktop
Depending on your Linux version, you will be prompted to select one of the options - select "Run without installation" or "Boot from Live Disk", or a similar option to open the Linux desktop.
Step 3. Press Ctrl + L
The address bar will open.
Step 4. Enter
computer: /
and press ↵ Enter.
Make sure you enter three "/" characters. A list of connected hard drives will open.
Step 5. Mount the Windows disk
Right click on the Windows hard drive and select Mount from the menu. If your computer has only one hard drive, select a drive with a name other than “System Reserved”.
Step 6. Double click on the Windows drive
Now look at the top of the screen where you entered
computer: /
- write down (or copy) the address that appears there.
Step 7. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open Terminal (Command Prompt)
In the terminal, you need to enter several commands, and they are case sensitive.
Step 8. Enter the address of the Windows drive in the terminal
Enter
cd address / drive / s / windows
, where instead of "address / drive / s / Windows" enter (or paste) the address that you wrote down or copied. Now press ↵ Enter.
Step 9. Enter
cd Windows / System32
and press ↵ Enter.
Do not type / before the word "Windows". Here directory / folder names are case sensitive.
Step 10. Install and run the "chntpw" utility
Enter
sudo apt-get install chntpw
and press ↵ Enter. When you return to the command line, enter
sudo chntpw -u SAM username
… Replace username with the name of the Windows user whose password you want to remove (remember that the commands you enter are case sensitive). Press ↵ Enter to display a list of options.
Step 11. Press 1 to remove the user password
Press ↵ Enter and then press y to confirm that you want to remove the password.
Step 12. Boot Windows
Click the Power button in the upper right corner of the screen to restart your computer. Remove the Linux CD. When the Windows logon screen appears, log in to the appropriate account without a password.
Method 5 of 5: Using a hard drive and another computer
Step 1. Understand the process
Use this method if you cannot get the user's password by other means. This method does not imply a password reset, but will allow access to the user's files. To do this, you will need administrative access to another Windows computer.
- You must remove (temporarily) the hard drive from your Windows XP computer and install it on another Windows computer. To do this, you need to have an understanding of how to remove the internal hard drive and how to assemble the external hard drive.
- If you don't have an external hard drive pocket, install your hard drive inside another computer case.
- If you don’t know the password for your laptop (and not your desktop computer), the instructions are similar, but you will definitely need an external hard drive pocket to connect it to your desktop computer (and vice versa).
Step 2. Remove the hard drive from the chassis of your Windows XP computer
To do this, turn off your computer, unplug the power cord, open the case, and remove the hard drive.
Step 3. Insert the hard drive into the external pocket and connect it to another Windows computer
You can also open the case of a second computer and install a hard drive in it.
Step 4. Turn on the second computer and log in as an administrator
In this case, you will have access to all files on the hard drive that you have connected.
Step 5. Copy the required files from your Windows XP hard drive to the second computer
Press ⊞ Win + E to open File Explorer.
- The second hard drive appears under Computer or This PC (depending on the version of Windows you are using). Double-click this drive and navigate to the files located in the C: \ Windows \ Documents and Settings \ User folder, where User is the name of the corresponding user.
- Press ⊞ Win + E again to open a second Explorer window and drag files from one hard drive to another hard drive or USB drive.
Step 6. Return the Windows XP disc to the first computer
You haven't reset or changed your password, but you've copied the files you need so as not to lose them.
Advice
- Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP, meaning you most likely won't get help if something goes wrong. Therefore, update Windows to the latest version to get support if needed.
- There are many programs that allow you to guess (crack) the password. Such programs should be downloaded from trusted and trusted sites.