3 Methods to Recover or Reset Windows XP password

Windows XP system still maintains many fans users worldwide although the latest coming out Windows 7 comes with distinguished features, so that how to get Windows XP password recovery efficiently while forgot Windows XP password still troubles many PC users, for any of the users get chance to lost Windows XP password in all kinds of reasons that they cannot avoid of. Then, how to bypass Windows XP password to login the locked system again?

Above all, in order to recover Windows XP password powerfully without any data lose or file damage, you need to calm down yourself firstly, and then by take use of the professional Windows XP password cracker we mentioned below, you can reset Windows XP password in minutes by create Windows XP password reset disk. In short, there's always an appropriate methods for you to get Windows XP password recovery swiftly as long as you take minutes to read through the below 3 methods.

Method 1: Try Reliable Windows XP Password Recovery Software

Anmosoft Windows password reset software is designed to reset Windows XP password with a bootable CD/DVD or USB flash drive when your Windows password is lost or forgotten. You could find all kinds of Windows password reset software on market, including free Windows password recovery tools and commercial ones.

For the free one, I recommend you to try Ophcrack though it will cost you much time to do Windows XP password recovery. For a commercial one, I suggest you to try Windows Password Reset as it once helped me reset Windows XP password successfully. It is very easy to use and you can finish Windows XP password reset with ease following the below steps:

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Step 1. Create a CD/DVD or USB password reset disk

1st. Download and install Windows password reset

2nd. Follow the step-by-step guide to create a CD/DVD or USB password reset disk.

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Step 2: Set BIOS to boot from CD/DVD or USB drive on the locked computer

Insert the created CD/DVD or USB drive in the locked computer, and then set the BIOS to boot from the password reset disk.

Please follow how to set bios to boot from CD or USB drive for details.

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Step 3: Reset the Windows XP password on your locked computer

1st. Select the Windows system you want to reset password for on the start page, click Next.

2nd. Select the user account(s) you want to reset password for, click Next to reset the target user account password.

3rd. The password is reset successfully now. Take out the password reset CD/DVD or USB drive, firstly click Reboot, then click Yes to quit and restart your computer to log on your Windows XP system without password.

Note: You can not only use this program to reset forgotten Windows XP password, but also can use it to crack any unknown Windows XP password in seconds. This is very useful especially when you use a second hand computer but are locked out by the unknown Windows password.

Method 2: Use Windows XP Password Reset Disk

Users can create a password reset disk in Windows XP, which helps users regain access to computer. If you forget your computer password, you can use the password reset disk to reset Windows XP password as follows:

Step 1: Click your user name when you get to the Windows XP logon screen. And then the password box will appear.

Step 2: Press Enter, and you will receive the following error message:

Did you forget your password?
You can click the "?" button to see your password hint.
Or you can use your password reset disk.

Please type your password again.
Be sure to use the correct uppercase and lowercase letters.

Step 3: Click use your password reset disk. The Password Reset Wizard starts.

Step 4: Follow the wizard's instructions and you will be able to set a new password.
Note: The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information so you don't need to create a new password reset disk.

This method is considered to be the easiest way to reset Windows XP password, but the presupposition is that you've created a password reset disk following the below steps:

Step 1: Click 'Start' > 'Control Panel' > 'User Accounts', and then select your account name .

Step 2: Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.

Step 3: Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.

Method 3: Reset Windows XP password with a Windows XP Setup Disc

If you forget to create a password reset disk in advance, you can still reset your Windows XP password with a Windows XP setup disc.

Step 1: Boot up your Windows XP computer with the Windows XP Setup CD in the computer's optical drive.

Step 2: When it asks to repair your existing Windows installation, accept it and press "R" to run the repair.

Step 3: Allow the computer to start repairing itself by copying files to the hard drive.

Step 4: Wait for the computer to reboot, and then come to a screen that reads "Press any key to continue." Do not press any keys.

Step 5: Allow the computer to restart the installation process and look at the details on the bottom of the screen.

Step 6: Press Shift +F10 key together when you see "Installing Devices" at the bottom of the screen.

Step 7: Type nusrmgr.cpl and press Enter when it opens a Command Prompt window.

Step 8: It'll open the same "User Accounts" window which you see in Control Panel.

Step 9: Click "Administrator" and change the password in the field as you see fit.

Easiest Way to recover Windows XP, Vista, 7, Passwords using USB Pendrive or CD

:( The bad thing is you forgot your windows password. And the worse thing is you didn’t have a CD drive for some reason. But the good news is that there are still some programs that can help you!

Before using windows password recovery softwares, you should know the following basic things of windows password recovery:

1. Password Hash:

When you type in password in Windows XP, NT, 2000 login windows, windows operating system converts (encrypts) these passwords in something like this: 7524248b4d2c9a9eadd3b435c51404ee

This is called password hash and this encryption is done using high level encryption schemes.

2. SAM Files:

In windows Operating system, these password hashes of every user account are stored in SAM Files. When user types in password on login screen, windows compares this SAM file contents with typed password and allows access (if matched). So, it is necessary to get these SAM files, if you want to recover your password.

3. Problems with SAM Files: 

There are two problems with recovering passwords from SAM files:

This SAM File is locked during active windows session and hence cannot be accessed without booting. Thus, you have to boot system from another Operating System (NTFSDOS or Linux usually) and then copy SAM File to floppy drive or convenient external device like USB flash drive. Even if you copy this SAM file, since the SAM File is in encrypted format, you can’t see passwords in plain text form and so you have to recover (actually crack) passwords. For this purpose, either Dictionary or Brute force attack is implemented. But it still take a very long time if you password have many characters. The most convenient windows password recovery way is to use some programs to change the corresponding position in SAM file. Then you can log in again with no password.

Nowadays, most of windows password recovery tool is to boot up with CD. Fortunately, there are still a few windows password recovery tool support USB flash drive recovery. But you have to pay for some.

Enjoy these windows password recovery tool!

1. Kon-Boot

HOMEPAGE: http://www.piotrbania.com/all/kon-boot/
Price: FREE

Difficulty: A little Difficulty.

But I had some problems with it doing an infinity loop when I tried to use Kon-Boot from a USB flash drive (worked fine on the same box from a CD). Then I find an article guide you to use it correctly.Read on Using Kon-Boot from a USB Flash Drive: Bypass those pesky Windows and Linux login passwords completely 



2.USB ophcrack

Price：FREE

Difficulty：Easy。

If you think this is the normal ophcrack. You must be wrong.

This is the ophcrack update by some computer-lover.

Download USBophcrack. USB Ophcrack flash drive creation essentials:

•Windows Computer (Windows XP or Vista)

•1GB or larger flash drive (fat32 formatted)

•USBOphcrack.exe

How to Create a bootable Ophcrack flash drive:

1. Downloadand launch USBOphcrack.exe , extracting to your PC (contents are extracted to a directory called USBOphcrack)

2. Click USBOphcrack.bat from the USBOphcrack folder on your computer, and follow the onscreen instructions. Note that the ISO downloads, USB conversion and installation to your flash drive will take some time.

3. Reboot your PC and set your system to boot from the USB device

If all goes well, you should be booting from the USB stick into a mini Linux environment. Ophcrack is launched automatically after the system has booted. You should now be able to recover both Windows XP and Windows Vista login Passwords using this single USB tool.

3. Windows Password Reset 7.0 Pro

HOMEPAGE：http://www.resetwindowspassword.com/

Price：$29.95

Difficulty：Easy.

Windows Password Reset 7.0

Windows Password Reset 7.0is professional Windows password recovery software to reset lost Windows administrator and user passwords for you to log into Windows instantly without reinstalling the OS. It supports to reset passwords of all Windows versions, like Windows Vista, XP, 2008, 2003 and 2000, etc. You can burn this Windows password recovery software onto a bootable CD/DVD, USB drive or a floppy drive to use it to recover the password either in a household, business or a government environment. With this windows password recovery tool, instead of locked out of your computer, you are able to login Windows with a blank password (no password). It also supports windows 7 password reset .