How to Change a Windows XP NT 2000 Password Without Knowing the Original Password

Here are instructions for changing the Windows XP/NT/2k password, Administrator or any other user, without knowing the original password.

Steps

Method 1

1. Get the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor boot CD
2. Burn the .iso to a CD
3. Restart the computer and boot to the CD (if it does not already boot to CD then you need to change the boot order in the BIOS or use a boot menu)
4. Follow the instructions on screen

Method 2

1. Make sure that the computer is shut down.
2. Start the computer.
3. Continuously press 'F8' until a new screen shows up
4. Select anything that has the words "command prompt" or "DOS" in it. Do not use safe mode unless every choice that says "command prompt" or "DOS" involves starting up safe mode. (See Tips)
5. Choose the username that you'd like to change the password.
6. Type net user (here type the username that you want to change) * Example: net user BOB *
7. Type the new password.
8. Retype the password.
9. Restart the computer normally. You can do this by typing "shutdown -r" (no quotations.) Your new password should be active.

Method 3

1. Windows XP and further versions also provide another method to recover forgotten password by using "Reset Disk". If you created a Password Reset Disk in past, you can use that disk to reset the password. If you logged on to the computer by using an administrator account, follow these steps to create a password reset disk for a user account:
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
4. In the User Accounts pane, click the account that you want to work with.
5. Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password to start the #Forgotten Password Wizard, and then click Next.
6. Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and then click Next.
7. In the Current user account password box, type the password for the user account that you chose in step 3, and then click Next.
8. The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.
9. When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete, click Next, and then click finish.
10. Remove and then label the password reset disk. Store the disk in a safe place.