Recover from forgotten Windows password
Let us see how you can recover from a lost or forgotten password in Windows OS.
1] Password Hint
Your Password Hint appears below the password entry box after you make an incorrect entry and then click OK. You can create a hint when you set a password with User Accounts. Read: What to do if I forgot my computer password?
2] Password Reset Disk
A Password Reset Disk, allows you to change your password, without needing to know your old password. You can make a password reset disk only for your local user account. This disk contains a single file named Userkey.psw, which is an encrypted backup version of your password. You can create a password reset disk as follows : You’ll need to have removable media available viz. USB, floppy, CD, external hard drive, or a memory card. To use the password reset disk when you forget your password: Well, you could also always have an administrator log on and change or remove your password for you, but you’ll lose access to your encrypted files, e-mail messages, and your stored credentials. You can also use some 3rd-party free Password Recovery Tools. You don’t need to access to Windows to be able to recover your lost passwords. Download the free ISO image, burn it to a CD, and boot it to the CD. It then locates the Windows user accounts. Read: Microsoft policy on lost or forgotten Windows passwords. Also see this post on Windows Password Recovery for more suggestions.
