How to unlock my password protected Windows XP user account?

[gracie123]

Hello,

I have my Windows XP account password protected but now I can't remember the password. I just set it up today but I forgot the password I chose. Can someone tell me how to unlock this password or take it off so I can use my computer?

Thanks,

Gracie

[iceni60]

hi, you can use this -
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

here are some more links if you need them.
http://alieneyes.wordpress.com/2006/...or-password-2/

if you are interested irongeek has a video showing how to crack the password.
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=v...amdump2auditor
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=s...ide-bkhive-etc

there's this too that i've come across a few times.
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=305

here are ways to make a password reset disk after you make a new password so you can use that if it happens again
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...eramidas1.mspx
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305478/

[bigc73542]

Just boot into safe mode and and sign in as admin not the one you created but the other admin option and from there you can change anything you want, including the password. I have done it dozens of times on clients machines where they have forgotten the password

[gracie123]

Hello all,

Thank you iceni60 for the instructions.

Bigc, Thank you! That worked perfectly.

Thank you both ,

Gracie

[pugmug]

Never had much use for passwords on an o/s as they are so easy to break or bypass.A bios password my be a bit harder but can be end rounded as well.

[ErikAlbert]

My password is easy to remember : "thqckbrwnfxjmpsvrthlzdg" =
"the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" (without vowels).
Oops ...