2 Options to Change Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP Password without Knowing Old Password

There are times when you may need to change your Windows password but don't know the old one. Maybe you've forgotten it, or it was changed by someone else without your knowledge. Whatever the reason, there are a couple of ways you can change your Windows password without knowing the old one.

1. Use Kon-Boot

Kon-Boot is a program that allows you to log into Windows without knowing the password. It works by temporarily changing the way Windows authenticates your account, so you can log in without entering a password. Once you're logged in, you can change your password to whatever you want.

Kon-Boot is a free program, but it only works with 32-bit versions of Windows. If you're using a 64-bit version of Windows, you'll need to buy the Kon-Boot for Windows 2.0 program, which costs $19.

2. Use a Password Reset Disk

If you've created a password reset disk in the past, you can use it to change your password without knowing the old one. A password reset disk is a physical disk (usually a USB drive) that you can use to reset your password if you forget it.

To use a password reset disk, insert it into your computer and follow the instructions on the screen. You'll be prompted to enter a new password, and then you'll be able to log into Windows with the new password.

If you don't have a password reset disk, you can create one by following the instructions in this article from Microsoft.

3. Use the Command Prompt

If you're comfortable using the command prompt, you can use it to change your password without knowing the old one. To do this, you'll need to be logged into an account with administrator privileges.

Once you're logged in, open the command prompt and type the following command:

net user [username] [new password]

Replace [username] with your username, and [new password] with the new password you want to use. For example, if my username was "User" and I wanted to change my password to "123456", I would type the following command:

net user User 123456

Once you hit Enter, the password for the specified account will be changed to the new password you entered.

4. Use a Third-Party Password Recovery Tool

If you're really stuck and can't remember your password, there are a couple of third-party tools you can use to recover it. These tools work by brute-forcing the password, which means they try every possible combination until they find the correct one.

One of the most popular password recovery tools is Ophcrack. It's a free program that you can download and use to recover your password.

Another popular tool is John the Ripper. It's also a free program, but it's a bit more difficult to use than Ophcrack.

If you're not comfortable using either of these programs, you can also hire a professional to recover your password for you.

5. Use the Safe Mode Boot Option

If you're using Windows 10, 8, 7, or Vista, you can change your password by booting into safe mode. Safe mode is a special mode that starts Windows with only the bare minimum of programs and drivers.

To boot into safe mode, restart your computer and press the F8 key before Windows starts. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode and press Enter.

Once you're in safe mode, you can follow the instructions in this article to change your password.

6. Use the System Restore Feature

If you're using Windows XP, you can use the System Restore feature to roll back your computer to a previous state. This will allow you to change your password without knowing the old one.

To use System Restore, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. This will bring up the System Restore wizard. Select the option to "Restore my computer to an earlier time" and click Next.

On the next screen, select a date that's before you changed your password. This will restore your computer to the state it was in on that date, and you'll be able to log in with the old password.

Once you're logged in, you can change your password to whatever you want.

7. Use a Live CD

If you're really stuck and can't remember your password, you can use a live CD to reset it. A live CD is a bootable CD that contains a operating system. You can use it to boot your computer without loading the operating system that's installed on your hard drive.

One of the most popular live CDs is Ubuntu. It's a free, open-source operating system that you can download and burn to a CD.

Once you've burned the Ubuntu live CD, insert it into your computer and boot from it. This will bring up the Ubuntu desktop.

Click on the "Places" menu and select "Connect to Server". Enter the following information into the "Server Address" field:

smb://[windows_computer_name]/[shared_folder_name]

Replace [windows_computer_name] with the name of the Windows computer, and [shared_folder_name] with the name of the shared folder. For example, if the Windows computer was named "WIN-ABCDEF" and the shared folder was named "share", you would enter the following into the "Server Address" field:

smb://WIN-ABCDEF/share

Click on the "Connect" button. You should now be able to access the shared folder on the Windows computer.

Open the "Control Panel" and double-click on the "User Accounts" icon. Click on the "Change my password" link.

Enter the old password into the "Old password" field and the new password into the "New password" and "Confirm new password" fields. Click on the "Change Password" button.

You should now be able to log into Windows with the new password.

8. Use the Recovery Console

If you're using Windows XP, you can use the Recovery Console to change your password without knowing the old one. The Recovery Console is a special mode that you can boot into to perform various tasks, such as repairing your computer or changing your password.

To use the Recovery Console, you'll need to have the Windows XP installation CD. If you don't have the CD, you can borrow one from a friend or download a copy from the Internet.

Once you have the CD, insert it into your computer and boot from it. This will bring up the "Welcome to Setup" screen. Press the "R" key to enter the Recovery Console.

At the "Select the Windows installation you want to log into" prompt, select your Windows installation and press Enter.

At the "Recovery Console:", type the following command and press Enter:

cd \windows\system32

At the "System32>" prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

ren utilman.exe utilman.bak

This will rename the "utilman.exe" file to "utilman.bak".

At the "System32>" prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

copy cmd.exe utilman.exe

This will copy the "cmd.exe" file to "utilman.exe".

At the "System32>" prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

exit

This will exit the Recovery Console and reboot your computer.

Once your computer has rebooted, click on the "Start" button and then click on the "Shut Down" button. At the "Shut Down Windows" prompt, select the "Restart" option and press Enter.

This will bring up the "Ease of Access" dialog box. Click on the "Command Prompt" option.

At the "Command Prompt", type the following command and press Enter:

net user [username] [new password]

Replace [username] with your username and [new password] with the new password you want to use. For example, if my username was "User" and I wanted to change my password to "123456", I would type the following command:

net user User 123456

Once you hit Enter, the password for the specified account will be changed to the new password you entered.

9. Use the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

If you're really stuck and can't remember your password, you can use the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor to reset it. The Offline NT Password & Registry Editor is a program that you can use to remove the password from your account.

To use the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, you'll need to download it and burn it to a CD. Once you have the CD, insert it into your computer and boot from it.

At the "Welcome to Offline NT Password & Registry Editor" screen, press the "Enter" key.

At the "Select an action to perform:" prompt, type the number "1" and press Enter.

At the "Select a hive to load:" prompt, type the number "2" and press Enter.

At the "Enter the user name whose password you want to change:" prompt, type your username and press Enter.

At the "Enter the new password:" prompt, type the new password you want to use and press Enter.

At the "Retype the new password:" prompt, type the new password again and press