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How to reset your Windows password?
To reset your Windows password is very easy, as easy as resetting your Ubuntu password. What you need is bootable Ubuntu system (ie. USB, CD or anything) and software called chntpw.
This is step-by-step to reset your Windows password:
- Boot from your bootable device (Ubuntu Live Session)
- Set your repository
- Install CHNTPW
- Resetting Windows password
- Mount your “Windows installed” device
It’s depending on your system, example:
sudo mkdir /media/WINDOWS sudo mount /dev/sda1 /media/WINDOWS
On my system Windows installed on
/dev/sda1and I want to mount it to/media/WINDOWSthat I’ve created before. - Goto your Windows system configuration folder
- Cracking the SAM file
Shutdown your computer and boot up using your bootable system. So you run Ubuntu on Live Session that means you run your system without install it!
Goto Synaptic Package Manager -> Settings -> Repositories -> Ubuntu Software and check the “Software restricted by copyright or legal issues” checkbox. And don’t forget to reload synaptic.
Install from Synaptic Package Manager or use this command on shell:
sudo apt-get install chntpw
Located at [WINDOWS_DEVICE]/WINDOWS/system32/config/:
cd /media/WINDOWS/WINDOWS/system32/config/
There a SAM file on Windows system configuration folder. That’s the file we’re looking for. Let’s crack it 
(sounds cool)
chntpw SAM
And if you see the output similar with image below, it’s mean you can crack the SAM file.
As you see, there is 5 choices. Just type “1″ and press “ENTER” to reset your password.
Note: I’ve try this on my system and work well! But I’ve never try another choices (2-4) yet, you can try yourself.
DONE!!! It’s easy, right? But if you’ve more easy step to reset Windows password, you can share here
Taken from panoet’s blog
But this method requires internet connection, isn’t it?
Hi Rahul, yes this method requires internet connection. But you can anticipate that by using USB (flash/hard) disk as your bootable device. Run the Live Session on another PC that connected to internet and install the
chntpwso it’ll installed on your USB. After that, you can do step-by-step aboveOr you could just use this Bootdisk: http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
Thanks M1au, but we’re talking about Ubuntu here.
Btw, useful information
If you have lost windows login password,i think the best way for you is using a third party tool
it won’t cost you so much.And many people tend to usewindiws password key,with this tool you can
easily remove your lost windows password.
Usually,when one realize they have lost their password,they like to reintall the system,it is
not the best way.You can try to login to sate mode.On start up (before Windows loads) keep
tapping either F5 or F8 (be aware that some manufacturers use F8 for system recovery!) then use
arrow keys to highlight ‘Safe Mode’ and hit Enter/Return, click on a user account, enter the
Administrator password (if you don’t know it, there probably isn’t one so leave it blank)
and hit Enter/Return.I think this won’t works for you as you have lost login password not user password.
So the best way is using windows password key which is considered as the best tool to
reset local administrator and user passwords on any Windows system.
It’s ok about your “opinion”. There are many ways to reset Windows password. And this is the one. Work on NT systems, and can be used to reset ALL of user password or just set the privileges as you can see at the image above.
Anyway, please keep in mind we’re talking about Ubuntu here. We’re not talking about another OS including their tools or anything else.
You said “be aware that some manufacturers use F8 for system recovery!”, maybe you need to correct that. Most of computer manufacturers use F8 as the default not F5 so it’s not aware about it
Once more, you CAN’T login to safe mode without Administrator password! If you know the Administrator password and want to change other user, it’s no need to login in safe mode! Just press “CTRL-ALT-DEL” twice at login screen. More simple!
I think now you know why this post made…
Panoet: You’re right, we’re talking about Ubuntu here. I have to admit that I also find this information useful. I actually didn’t know that one can change Windows passwords from within Ubuntu.
Nevertheless, the Bootdisk I posted above basically uses the same program ‘chntpw’ which one needs to installer manually on the Ubuntu live system. But as always, one can accomplish the same thing with dozens of different options.
another way to recover Windows password:
1 > Get a program called Ophcrack(very large. 496Mb)
2 >> Download the liveCD (ISO)
3 >> Burn the ISO to a CD using an ISO burner
4 >> The Live CD’s come with the free rainbow tables, so you might need to download other tables (cost money)
4 >> Bootup from the CD
5 >> Crack the SAM and System file
Or try Windows password reset Standard to remove Windows password in one second!
Did you know? Bootdisk that you’ve been posted before, based on same thing with
chntpwthat I’ve postedBut it’s more easy if you’ve Linux Live CD, because it’s just “little” application. Not full bootable CD
Nice another tips
I prefer this method to reset passwords, and it only really requires file system access, so any ISO that can read NTFS will work, and doesn’t require extra software.
1. Boot Linux, mount hard drive.
2. Open the hard drive and browse to \Windows\System32
3. find sethc.exe and rename it to sethc.exe.bak
4. make a copy of cmd.exe and rename the copy to sethc.exe
5. Reboot into windows
6. Press shift 5 times
7. net user Administrator *
8. Profit.