Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Forgot my administrator password. How can I reset?

Dec 1, 2014 12:58AM PST

Running Windows 7. Trying to download Mozilla. Administrator PW is required

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
Titles I use.
Dec 1, 2014 1:06AM PST

NTPASSWD
OPHCRACK

Both are free, widely discussed, documented and YouTubed.
Bob

- Collapse -
ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD
Dec 1, 2014 4:09AM PST

Neither one works

- Collapse -
(NT) Then boot from Linux, save data, restore to factory settings
Dec 1, 2014 4:19AM PST
- Collapse -
Tell more.
Dec 1, 2014 4:34AM PST

The only time I couldn't use this was on a machine that had full disk encryption. Your post never told about that.

Most folk fail to boot the bootable NTPASSWD CD, can't create that CD or are put off by the old school pick a number menu.

Here's a video on using Katana: 21 minutes in at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC6wmmgp20M


When you write "it doesn't work" keep writing.
Bob

- Collapse -
Administrator Password change
Dec 1, 2014 11:15PM PST

Surely there is an easier way to do this without all this techno-babble.

- Collapse -
Re: forgot administrator password
Dec 1, 2014 11:26PM PST

If it was too easy to break a password, having a password wouldn't make much sense.

So your options are:
1. Use one of the programs Bob recommended.
2. Buy a shareware program with a more easy GUI. We don't recommend any in particular, and will delete any ad. But they are easy to find with Google.
3. Pay a shop to do it.

Kees

- Collapse -
Do you know someone with the same OS?
Dec 1, 2014 11:29PM PST
- Collapse -
Sure.
Dec 2, 2014 12:00AM PST

There's http://www.lostpasword.com which isn't that much and has support.

That's along the lines of what Kees listed. I guess you could just restore the machine to it's factory condition and lose what you didn't backup. Many folk do that today.
Bob