Forgetting your password is never any fun, but luckily there’s a really easy way to reset the password. All you need is a copy of the Windows installation disk and one simple command line trick.
Basically, the plan is to temporarily replace the Sticky Keys utility with a command shell which we can launch from the login screen.
- Boot from your Windows install disk and choose the “Repair your computer” option.
- Choose “Command Prompt”
- Move to the System32 directory:
cd c:\windows\system32 - Backup the Sticky Keys file:
copy sethc.exe sethc.old - Copy our shell to replace Sticky Keys:
copy cmd.exe sethc.exeand confirm the file being overwritten - Reboot
- On the login screen, repeatedly press the [Shift] key until the command window appears.
- Change the password as desired:
net user YOURUSERNAME YOURPASSWORD
Substituting the caps for your username and new password - Login with your new password.
>Once you successfully login, remember to replace the Sticky Keys file!
Let us know what you think in the comments here or on Facebook and remember to share this post with your networks.