Creating a password for account administrator in Windows OS - reliable way protect personal data stored on your computer from other users. However, passwords are often lost or forgotten. To restore or reset them, you can either reinstall the operating system or try to restore access to your account using special tools.
Attention! In Windows OS, the Security Account Manager (SAM), which is highly reliable and resilient, is responsible for protecting personal data from unwanted attacks. Therefore, it is almost impossible to crack a password, especially if it is complex.
Ways to recover your Windows 7 login password
You can recover the administrator password in Windows 7 using:
- boot DVD disc or flash drives with Windows 7 OS;
- ERD Commander programs.
- Offline NT utilities Password and Registry editor.
Restoring access to your account using a boot disk
To reset the administrator password using this method, you will need an installation disk (flash drive) with Windows 7. In this case, the system assembly must be exactly the same as on the computer.
The resuscitation process will look like this:
- The first step is to ensure that during OS startup, information is first read from installation disk and then from hard. To do this, press Del while restarting the computer. BIOS entry button different manufacturers motherboards may differ (F2, F12, etc.).
- Once on the main window of the basic input/output system, go to the Advanced BIOS Features section and, opposite First Boot Device, select the drive installed on the PC (CDROM). After this, save the changes made.
- We install a boot disk with Windows into the DVD-ROM and restart the computer.
- There is no need to change anything in the initial installation window, since these settings are applied when installing Windows.
- In the next window, select “System Restore”.
- After scanning the storage medium for installed systems The corresponding window with the search results will appear. If the old OS is found, click “Next”; if not, it means you are using a disk with the wrong Windows build option.
- In the recovery options window, select “Command Prompt”.
- After entering the command, regedit opens Windows registry. The SAM database is located in the HKEY_LOGICAL_MACHINE registry directory. We find this branch and use the drop-down menu to “load the hive”.
- Following on specified path, looking for system file and open it.
- The program will ask you to specify a name for the partition being created. You can choose any name.
- In the created directory, find the CmdLine file and assign it the value cmd.exe, and the SetupType file – 2.
- After making changes, the created hive can be unloaded.
- After the system reboots, a command line will appear in which you should enter net users “Administrator name” “ New Password».
Resetting your password using ERD Commander
ERD Commander – free program, which allows you to resuscitate the Windows OS in many cases (the computer is blocked by viruses, the password for the administrator account is lost, important data is accidentally erased, etc.).
Before you start the password reset (recovery) operation, you need to download this utility and mount a bootable USB flash drive or disk from it. You should also change the order in which information is read in the BIOS. How this is done is described above.
Having completed presets, you can proceed directly to recovering the administrator password:
Using the Offline NT Password and Registry editor utility
This program has a reduced graphical interface, but this does not in any way affect its functioning and efficiency. The procedure for resetting the administrator password will be as follows:
- Download the utility, make a bootable USB flash drive from it, and set the BIOS to prioritize reading information from the USB flash.
- Insert the flash drive into the appropriate slot and restart the PC.
- After loading the program, we do not change anything in the first window. Press Enter.
- In the second window, select the Windows OS system partition (1, 2, etc.). Here you should focus on the volume of media.
- Specify the path to the SAM folder. The standard path is written automatically, so just press Enter.
- Then press “1”, thereby selecting the password reset procedure.
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 remove, 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: creation Bootable USB drive based on a special version of Ophcrack and downloading from this media to restore access to your 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 available 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 the distribution operating system Windows 7 used on the computer.
In this case, reset your password Windows administrator 7 is maximally implemented as follows.
- Connecting boot drive 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 file manager with directories displayed 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 the command line before loading 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.
Video on the topic
Resetting a forgotten Windows password is not that difficult. There are several ways. The two least complex ones will be described here.
First way
You will need a Windows 7 operating system installation disc.
You need to boot from disk. (When booting the computer, immediately after turning it on, you need to go to the boot menu. To do this, press F8 or F12).
Once the Windows installation screen has loaded, click next in the language selection menu, then the system recovery button located at the bottom left of the screen with the Windows logo. In the window that appears, select Use recovery tools and click next. Will be offered various means recovery, you need to select “command line”.
You need to replace the Sticky Keys utility with the command line.
To do this, enter the following one by one on the command line:
1) copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\
(this is you creating a backup copy of the utility)
2) copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe
(replace the utility with the command line)
A confirmation request will be issued, write Y and press enter.
Restart your computer, boot from your hard drive.
At the user selection screen, press the shift key five times. A command line will open in which you need to enter the following:
net user password
Where user is the name of your user (if it is an administrator, then write admin. If the user name is in Russian letters, then write it that way. If it consists of two words, then you need to put them in quotes)
Password - select your new password. (don't forget the main thing :))
After you have entered everything, press enter and reboot.
Now you need to return the utility file to its place.
Boot from the installation disk, launch the command line and enter:
(return the executable file to its place)
To confirm, enter Y, press enter again.
Reboot.
That's all, enter a new password and you are in the system.
Second way
This method assumes that you have another computer from which you can create a bootable USB flash drive with a password reset utility.
Creation bootable flash drive with the utility:
Download the utility called (version for flash card). 
Unpack the utility archive you downloaded into the root of the flash drive. Launch the command prompt with administrator rights using the Win+R key combination and enter cmd, or find the command line in the start menu and click on it right click and select run with administrator rights.
Type the following at the command line:
E is the letter of your flash card; if it is different, replace it with the one you need.
(if it gives an error, remove the letters -ma from the command)
Password reset:
Boot the computer from the flash drive (F8 or F12 at boot - select the media from which to boot).
The utility will start; it does not have a graphical interface, all information is displayed in text form.
Press enter to launch it.
Next, you need to select the partition in which your operating system is located. Enter the appropriate number and press enter (usually 1). Then the program will find the path to the system Windows folder, confirm your selection by pressing enter. (should be Windows/System32/Config)
Among the options offered by the utility, select password reset - enter the number 1 and press enter.
Next, select number 1 and enter. 
The utility will display a list of all users. Find the user for whom you want to reset the password. If the username is in Russian, it will be displayed with strange characters.
You need to enter the username (if it is in English) or the RID of this user (if the name is in Russian).
The user RID is displayed next to each user, in a separate column located to the left of the name.
Example:
Username - admin
RID - 0x03e8
(the administrator account, in the Russian version of Windows, has the name 4<8=8AB@0B>@ ; >ABL is a guest)
It would be better to enter the RID, since this eliminates errors.
Enter what you need and press enter.
The utility will give you 4 options:
1) reset user password.
2) changing the user password (does not work on Win7).
3) elevate the user's rights to administrator.
4) unblock the user.
need the first one - clear user password.
Again, enter the number 1 and press enter.
The program will display the message password cleared, which means the password has been reset.
Now type on your keyboard exclamation mark! and press enter.
Next, to exit the program, you need to enter the letter q
enter again
Save changes by entering the letter Y
Enter again.
And finally, enter the letter N
Then enter
Restart your computer using the keys ctrl+alt+del.
Your account password has been reset.
Many users find themselves forgetting set password authorization to log into the Windows operating system. In some cases, the problem becomes more complicated because Computer BIOS can be password protected.
In this article, we will look at the right ways to solve these problems and tell you how to reset the BIOS and Windows password.
How to "hack" the BIOS password?
Protecting the BIOS with a password is one of the most common and oldest ways to protect your computer from unauthorized use. But we note that this method will make sense if outsiders do not have access to system unit computer. Otherwise, it is equivalent to the fact that the door of the house is locked with several locks, but the window is wide open.
By default, manufacturers do not provide built-in passwords for motherboards. Therefore, in order to remove the password, it is enough to reset the configuration settings to standard. This action will also destroy all settings that have been set by the user.
There are two ways to reset BIOS settings.
The first is the use of a special jumper, which is designed to clear CMOS memory. Most often this button is located on motherboard next to the battery. On some motherboard models, instead of a jumper, there are 2 contacts; to reset the BIOS settings, they need to be briefly closed. In any case, in order to be sure of the correctness of your actions, it is best to first read the instructions for the motherboard.
If there is a jumper on the motherboard, then to reset the password and BIOS settings, you need to turn off the computer, then close the jumper contacts and start the computer. The system will not start, but the BIOS settings will be reset.
After restarting the PC, the screen will most likely ask you to press the F1 key to make the necessary settings. After setting all the necessary parameters, click “Save and exit”.
If the jumper cannot be found, then you need to remove the CMOS power supply. Typically, this is a small coin-cell battery located on the motherboard. First, you need to turn off the power to the computer by unplugging the power plug from the outlet. Then the battery is removed and after 5-10 minutes it returns to its original position. Next, you configure the BIOS parameters, as in the above paragraph. Such methods can be easily performed on a personal computer.
If you have forgotten the BIOS password on your laptop, then most likely you will need the help of specialists, since getting to the battery or jumper in it will not be easy.
Now let's talk about resetting your Windows account password.
How to reset your password on Windows
There are several ways to solve this problem.
Resetting the password from the administrator account in safe mode
The first most common way to reset a password in the operating room is Windows system, is to log in to the administrator account using safe mode.
When loading the operating system, you must press F8. In the menu you need to select “Safe Mode”. Then, when loading, you need to select the “Administrator” account. It is usually not password protected.
After the system boots, in the notification window that appears that the PC is running in safe mode, click “YES”.
Then go to Control Panel (Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts). Select the icon for the account for which you want to reset the password. In the menu that appears on the left, fill in the items “Account_name” and password. If there is no need for a new password, leave the field blank.
To confirm, click “Change password”. After completing this procedure, restart your PC.
Resetting your password using Net User
The second way to start your computer if you can’t remember your Windows password is to change the password using the Net User command.
When loading the operating system, press F8. In the menu that appears, select “Safe Mode with support” command line" Select the Administrator account. In the Interpreter window, enter:
net user
user_name
new_password
After that, enter the command exit and enter. The password has been successfully changed, you can restart the computer.
Changing your password using the Windows Command Shell
For this method, you need to log in safe mode under an administrator account by pressing the F8 button at boot.
Then follow these steps:
Click Start, then click “Run”, enter the command “cmd” in the window and confirm by clicking “OK”. In the window that appears with a dark background, type “control userpasswords” and then enter.
A window will open with a list of all accounts installed in the system. Having selected the required entry, uncheck the box next to the “Require username and password” item, and below in the “Password” item, select “Change password.” In the window that appears, enter a new password; if it is not necessary, then leave these fields empty. Confirm your actions by clicking the "OK" button. The changes are saved - you can restart the computer.
Another common method that will help if you have forgotten your Windows password is to use the program line.
To do this, you need to run safe mode with command line support. This is done by pressing F8 at boot. Next, you need to write the command CD WINDOWS and confirm it by pressing Enter. Then enter the command rename *.pwl *.abc or rename *.pwd *.abc. Press the Enter key and restart the PC.
To remove forgotten password with account Windows entries you can use software.
Use Windows program Admin Password Hack. It can be used to reset the password in Windows 2000/XP. To do this, select the item in the BIOS settings - boot the PC from a CD. A disk with a program image is inserted into the drive. Next, the mini version of the operating system starts Linux systems, with the help of which the necessary changes are made in account settings.
Let's look at how to restore Windows password, if you forgot it. You can reset your Windows password in all versions of the OS, regardless of the complexity of the code word and the type of system build.
Resetting your password in Windows 10
Modification new version Windows touched not only the OS interface, but also security and storage services. Now all passwords and accounts are stored on a Microsoft cloud server. This allows you to protect users' computers from unauthorized account hacking.
The accounts themselves are now created not on a computer, but using email. Each account has its own email and password. The easiest way to recover your Windows 10 password is to use a service from Microsoft. The PC must be connected to the Internet. To connect to global network Just tap the Wi-Fi icon at the bottom of the lock screen. You do not need to enter a password to perform this action.
Before you reset your Windows 10 password, make sure you enter the password in the correct language layout and CAPS LOCK is disabled on the keyboard.
Once connected to the Internet, follow these steps:
- In the password entry window, find a link to the recovery page. Go to the Account Live service using any other device;
- Select the reason for changing the password (forgotten code word, computer hacking) click “Next”;
- In the window that opens, enter the email address to which your Windows account is linked;
- Enter the captcha (symbols from the picture) to confirm the action;
- The user attaches an additional email address or phone number to each email. You did this at the stage of registering your email page. The Microsoft service will send a secret digital code to your phone or trusted email;
- Enter the received code into the recovery window on your computer. Then set a new password.
The old password will be automatically reset and you will be able to log in with the new password using your old Windows account.
Notice! Microsoft has strict rules on password creation. It needs to be changed once a year. Also, the code word must contain upper and lower case letters and special characters. If you changed your email password using another device and are trying to log into Windows with the old password, it will be possible if the PC is not connected to the Internet. The last used password is stored in the computer's cache memory and until the online server updates the data, the PC user will use the old password.
Removing and recovering a password in Windows 8
In Windows 8, users can set up two types of accounts:
- Local;
- Accounting Microsoft entry ID.
The first type of account is created in the same way as in earlier versions of Windows - the PC administrator creates a username and assigns a password to it. As a result, each entry has access to a personal desktop and shared folders V file system. If necessary, only the PC administrator can make changes to the user page.
Microsoft ID allows you to link an existing account to your account. email. It helps you manage your account and reset passwords.
Follow these steps to recover your Windows 8 local account password:
- Turn on the computer and in the password entry window open system utility"Run." It runs without the need to log in. You only need to enter a short digital password for the Windows administrator. It was created during the first startup of the system and is necessary to prevent other users without authority from changing system parameters. After entering the administrator's PIN code (usually 11111111), press the Win+R key combination;
- In the text field of the Run window, enter the command shown in the figure;
- Click “OK” and in the window that opens, uncheck the “Require password entry” box.
- Save your settings.
After you restart your computer, the password for the specified account will disappear. If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, just click on your profile photo to go to the desktop window.
To restore access to an account that is linked to a Microsoft ID, you will need to use a smartphone or other computer with Internet access. Go to http://account.live.com/password/reset.
After the site loads, you will see a recovery field. Enter the email address to which your account is linked. This address is indicated on the lock screen under your photo.
Then choose a recovery method. This could be sending a letter to the specified email address or a code that will be sent to your phone number. It is also possible to select a voice call to your phone.
The resulting secret numbers for recovery should be entered in the text field that appears on the site. Next, a window for creating a new password will open. To sign in to your account with a new password, connect your computer to Wi-Fi router. Data about the change of code word will be synchronized between the server and the client PC.
OS backup
Another option for password recovery is to use an OS backup. This method should be used if someone has hacked the email associated with your profile or when you do not have access to your mobile number.
A backup copy allows you to roll back all settings and changes in the OS that were created after saving the archive with a copy. By default, Windows 8, 10 automatically create backups every week, deleting all previous archives.
If your account was hacked and your password was changed, using a backup you can log in with the old password. Follow the instructions:
- Restart your PC and after the Windows logo appears, click on F5 to launch the “Advanced Settings” window;
- Click on the “OS Image Restore” tile;
- In the new window, select the copy archive. The date it was created must coincide with the period of time during which you could log in with your old password.
Before starting the recovery, turn off the Internet on your computer and do not turn it on until the desktop window opens.
How to recover Windows 7 password
Let's look at how to recover a Windows 7 password. In this version of the OS, the password for logging into your account is created locally. This means that it is not associated with a Microsoft.com portal account. To restore, you will need a bootable disk or flash drive with a version of Windows installed on your computer.
A boot disk is a regular drive that stores only an ISO image of the operating system. You can create it using the following programs:
- Ultra ISO;
- Alcohol;
- Daemon Tools.
The principle of creating a boot drive:
- Using another computer, download a Windows image, the version of which matches the assembly installed on the computer;
- Connect a USB flash drive to the computer or insert the disk into the drive;
- Format the drive;
- Open one of the above programs and select the create function from the main menu boot disk. Follow all instructions that appear in the utility window.
When the boot drive is ready, connect it to the computer on which you want to reset the password. Don't forget to change the device boot queue in the BIOS, putting the disk or USB drive first.
Now follow the instructions to reset your Windows 7 password:
- Connect your boot drive to your computer and turn on the device;
- Wait for the “ Windows installation", at the bottom of which you need to click on "Recovery";
- In the list of parameters that opens, click on “Command Line”;
- A console window will open. You can only recover your Windows account password using system administrator commands. Write the command shown in the figure in the console and press Enter to execute it. This command creates a copy of a file in which all cases of button sticking are recorded. The document is saved in the root storage of drive C;
- Now enter another command which is given in the image below. It will change the previously created file to a document with empty content.
Now restart your computer. In BIOS, put boot first hard drive and wait for the OS to turn on. After the password entry window appears, click on the Shift button five times. As a result, the system will not open the Sticky Keys Remover, but the Command Prompt.
Now to reset your password, enter the following command:
net user USERNAME NEWPASSWORD
Where, USERNAME is the name of the existing user account, and NEWPASSWORD is the new password. After running the command, close the console window and enter new login information. All settings, personal user files and installed applications are saved.
Now you know everything possible ways, how to reset your Windows password if it has been forgotten or your profile has been hacked. Share your recovery methods in the comments and ask any questions you have.
