How do I recover my password, or set a new one?

I have forgotten my login password for windows xp. How do I recover it, or set a new one? Thanks, Whitney Blanchette

This question was answered on October 28, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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If you cannot log on to Windows by using a particular user account (including the Administrator or Computer Administrator accounts), but you can log on to another account that has administrative credentials (including the Administrator or Computer Administrator accounts), follow these steps:

1 Log on to Windows by using the administrator account that has a password that you remember.

Note: You cannot log on as usual by using the Administrator or Computer Administrator account to a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer or to a Windows XP Professional-based computer in a workgroup To log on as the Administrator or Computer Administrator, you must start Windows XP in safe mode

2 Click Start, and then click Run

3 In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK:

Control userpasswords2

4 Click the user account that you forgot the password for, and then click Reset Password

5 Type a new password in both the New password and the Confirm new password boxes, and then click OK.

Warning: If you reset the password for a user account in this manner in Windows XP Professional, the following kinds of information for that user will be no longer available:

�E-mail messages that are encrypted with the user's public key

�Internet passwords that are saved on or remembered by the computer

�Any files that the user has encrypted.

You should now be able to log on to Windows with the user account and the new password The following sections provide step-by-step instructions to reset the password for a typical user account in Safe Mode by using the Administrator (or Computer Administrator account.

Use a computer administrator account

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:

1 Click Start, and then click Control Panel

2 In Control Panel, click User Accounts

3 In the User Accounts pane, click the account that you want to work with

4 Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password to start the Forgotten Password Wizard, and then click Next

5 Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and then click Next

6 In the Current user account password box, type the password for the user account that you chose in step 3, and then click Next.

Note: If the user account does not have a password, do not type a password in the Current user account password box.

The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk

7 When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete, click next, and then click Finish.

8.Remove and then label the password-reset disk Store the disk in a safe place.

Use a limited account

If you logged on to the computer by using a limited account, follow these steps to create a password-reset disk for your user account:

1 Click Start, and then click Control Panel

2 Under Pick a category, click User Accounts

3 Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password to start the Forgotten Password Wizard

4 Click Next

5 Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A, and then click Next

6 In the Current user account password box, type your password, and then click Next.

Note: If your user account does not have a password, do not type a password in the Current user account password box.

The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk

7 When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete, click Next, and then click Finish

8.Remove and then label the password reset disk Store the disk in a safe place.

How to log on to the computer by using a password reset disk

If you forget your password, you can log on to the computer by using a new password that you create by using the Password Reset Wizard and your password reset disk To do this, follow these steps: 1 On the Windows XP logon screen, click the user name that you want to use The Type your password box appears Press ENTER or click the right-arrow button You receive the following error message:

Did you forget your password?

You can click the "?" button to see your password hint.

Or you can use your password-reset disk.

Please type your password again.

Be sure to use the correct uppercase and lowercase letters

2 Click use your password-reset disk The Password Reset Wizard starts The Password Reset Wizard permits you to create a new password for your user account

3 Click Next

4 Insert the password reset disk into drive A, and then click Next

5 Type a new password in the Type a new password box

6 Type the same password in the Type the password again to confirm box

7 In the Type a new password hint box, type a hint to remind you of your password if you forget the new password.

Note: This hint is visible to anyone who tries to log on to the computer by using your user account

8 Click next, and then click Finish The Password Reset Wizard quits, and you return to the Windows XP logon screen.

Note: The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information You do not have to create a new password reset disk

9 Type your new password in the Type your password box, and then click the right-arrow button to log on to the computer.

Good Luck!

About the author

Posted by julie of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on October 28, 2004

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