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NOTICE: This guide has become depreciated as an updated guide has been created. The updated guide can be found here: The old guide will continue to exist below: If you think anything is missing from the guide let me know and I'll update it. DISCLAIMER: These instructions are only to be used for your personal computers. Misuse of this guide could get you in trouble and I won't be held responsible. DISCLAIMER: These instructions will only work on local accounts. They will not change domain accounts. In the event you've forgotten your Windows login password you can reset it relatively easily. This method will work with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, & 10. For the method I'm using you'll need four things: A thumb drive at least 1GB in size. Hiren's BootCD which can be downloaded here: Hiren's BootCD (current version is 15.2, the download is labeled as "Hirens.BootCD.15.2.zip") Rufus which can be downloaded here: Rufus (current version is 2.15, the download link is labeled as "Rufus 2.15") 7ZIP which can be downloaded here: 7ZIP (current version is 16.04, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available) First, install 7ZIP. Using 7ZIP unzip Hirens.BootCD.15.2.zip and extract only the Hiren's.BootCD.15.2.iso file to the desktop. (The file can be unzipped by right-clicking the file, then going to 7ZIP > Open archive Next plug your thumb drive into your computer and open Rufus. In Rufus look down the menu options until you see "Create a bootable disk using [ISO Image]" To the right of that is a button with the logo of a CD drive with a disk over top of it: Click this and browse to your desktop where you dropped the "Hiren's.BootCD.15.2.iso" file. Click on the file, then click Open at the bottom of the window. Now make sure the menu settings are set as follows: Device: (your thumb drive) Partition scheme and target system type: MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI File system: FAT32 (Default) Cluster size: 8192 bytes (Default) New volume label: (Name this what you like) Format Options: [No Check] Check device for bad blocks [1 Pass] [Check] Quick Format [Check] Create a bootable disk using [ISO Image] [Check] Create extended label and icon files After you verify all these settings click "Start" at the bottom of the screen. The installation is finished when it says "READY" at the bottom: Remove the thumb drive and plug it into the computer that you're locked out of. Things become more complicated here and there's a few methods on how you can go about it. You need to boot the computer to the thumb drive which can be achieved a few ways. When you first start your computer mash either F10 or F11. From my experience one of these will take you to the Boot Menu. From their select the thumb drive you're using and hit ENTER. If this works and you're greeted by a black screen with grey text move onto the next step. If not greeted and you boot into Windows then try the following: Restart the computer if necessary and mash delete to enter your BIOS and locate the Boot Menu. Make sure in the Boot Order than booting to the USB comes before booting to the HDD/SSHD/SSD/NVMe (M.2 or PCI_e) drive. After that save settings and reboot. You should then get the same results as above. Next Step: From the black and grey menu that you are presented with using the arrow keys select "Mini Windows Xp" and hit ENTER You'll be ready to begin once you're greeted by a desktop. On the desktop click on "HBCD Menu". Now click on Programs in the window that pops up and follow the path "Programs > Passwords / Keys > Windows Login > NTPWEdit (Reset XP/Vista/7 User Password)" (Despite what it says it will work with versions of Windows later than 7 ie. 8, 8.1, & 10) Next you'll be shown this menu: Where it says "Path to SAM file" you need to click on the to the right and browse to the following directory and open the file SAM: "D:\Windows\System32\config\SAM" (D may not be your Windows drive if not choose the one that is.) When you open the SAM file you'll be shown something along the lines of this: For this example I created an account named User but yours will undoubtedly be named something else. If there are multiple accounts on one computer they should all show up here. Select the account you're locked out of and click "Change password". A small window will pop up where you will chose and confirm your new password. After this press "OK" and then then press "Save Changes" After this power down the computer and remove the thumb drive. Power on the computer, get to the Windows Login screen and input your new password. It should let you in. RECOMMENDATION: If the thumb drive isn't needed for anything else I'd recommend keeping Hiren's BootCD installed in case this occurs again. Hiren's BootCD also has a plethora of other tools and functions to modify or repair your system.

Resetting the login password on a Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 local account isn't a overly cumbersome process and there are a number of methods available for each. This tutorial will go over three including the CMD method, the Hiren's BootCD PE method, & the MediCat method. 1. The CMD Method 2. The Hiren's BootCD PE Method 3. The MediCat Method There are a number of other ways to accomplish this and get the same result but these are among the easiest methods. There are also ways to recover Online Microsoft accounts but they will not be gone over at this time. Hope this helps.