Windows 7 Reset Administrator Password

A friend forgot her admin password for windows 7 and is asking for help. Googling the problem I see the passwords can be reset using a "reset disk". I am not clear that this will reset the admin password. The MS info on creating the disk says to contact your system administrator.

Rather than weed through all the garbage sites, I thought I would ask the experts here.

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Rick
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rickman
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Den torsdag den 16. juli 2015 kl. 00.14.11 UTC+2 skrev rickman:

if you can make a ubuntu disk, or maybe just temporarily move the hard drive to another computer

formatting link

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 18:14:03 -0400, rickman Gave us:

You can boot a Linux disk and change the name of a file and then boot the windows install disc in repair mode to a command prompt and run cmd, and it allows you to reset it, but I do not know the exact procedure or the file name which you must rename, but it worked perfectly for me about 1.5 years ago.

I think you relocate a file and then rename cmd,.exe itself and use a "net" command to perform the task, but I cannot remember exactly what all gets done. It does work 100% though.

Googling file rename password reset procedure on web...

first item in the list "Forgot administrator password?"

formatting link

Looks like no Linux boot disc needed.

halfway down the page, titled:

To reset a forgotten administrator password, follow these steps:

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

Probably the safest hack

I've also used PCLogin in the past that lets youlook at the passwords ( the first couple of characters anyway)

cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

I use this: Works on everything from NT 3.5 to Windzoe 8.1. Basically, it's a Linux bood CD with a Windoze registry editor program. If the computah has a UEFI boot, turn off the UEFI boot in the registry before booting from the CD.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

I read this and I'm a little unclear. It talks about clobbering the password file, then rebooting the computer and by hitting the shift key five times you reach an administrator command prompt where you can change a user password. Will this also work to change the admin password?

That might be good enough to remind her. We'll see about using this. Thanks a lot.

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Rick
Reply to
rickman

I knew you would have a solution. I have a raspberry pi and may try using that if the other approaches don't work. How do you use the registry editor to reset the password? I thought they were stored in a file? Or is the registry editor just incidental to this whole thing?

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Rick
Reply to
rickman

The registry is a collection of "hives" under: C:\Windows\System32\config\

I guess before you attack, you should probably make a backup of the registry: and create a restore point: If you can't get to these due to the lack of the admin password, run an image backup using Acronis True Image ($50), Clonezilla (free), or whatever. In other words, cover you ass just in case something goes wrong.

The NTpasswd registry editor is scripted to ask all the right questions. The defaults are usually the right choice. This what it looks like on the screen: You don't need to deal with all the menu choices shown. I think there are only 4 questions before you get to where it asks if you want to clear the admin password.

Good luck.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
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Jeff Liebermann

If you're more familiar with Linux than Windoze, you can load the registry editor (chntpw) from the above site onto a Linux install, and edit the registry of your friends drive from there. Here's how: The program is also available on a variety of rescue CD's. More: I've only done it this way twice so far. I was successful, but very nervous as I was working without an image backup. The scripted version is much easier and safer.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 22:25:40 -0400, rickman Gave us:

The one I gave is the safest. I t uses Windows "net" command to perform a standard password setting function.

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 23:20:40 -0400, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno Gave us:

Pasted from...

because its Recovery Console will ask for a password for the offline installation. However, you can use a Vista or Windows 7 DVD to reset a forgotten Windows administrator password on Windows XP. This works because Windows RE, which is based on Vista or Windows 7, will let you launch a command prompt with access to an offline installation without requiring a password.

To reset a forgotten administrator password, follow these steps: 1) Boot from Windows PE or Windows RE and access the command prompt. 2) Find the drive letter of the partition where Windows is installed. In Vista and Windows XP, it is usually C:, in Windows 7, it is D: in most cases because the first partition contains Startup Repair. To find the drive letter, type C: (or D:, respectively) and search for the Windows folder. Note that Windows PE (RE) usually resides on X:.

letter if Windows is not located on C:): copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\ This creates a copy of sethc.exe to restore later. 4) Type this command to replace sethc.exe with cmd.exe: copy /y c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe Reboot your computer and start the Windows installation where you forgot the administrator password. 5) After you see the logon screen, press the SHIFT key five times. 6) You should see a command prompt where you can enter the following command to reset the Windows password (see screenshot above): net user your_user_name new_password

available user names. 7) You can now log on with the new password.

8) I recommend that you replace sethc.exe with the copy you stored in the root folder of your system drive in step 3. For this, you have to

files while the Windows installation is online. Then you have to enter this command: copy /y c:\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 19:50:24 -0700, Jeff Liebermann Gave us:

The hacking of which is the WRONG way to do this task.

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 22:25:40 -0400, rickman Gave us:

My m.ethod does not "clobber" ANY file, much less the password registry file.

Stupid to even consider it.

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

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