Reset Forgotten Windows Password
Created by Cheli
Step-by-step guide to recover access to a Windows PC when the password is forgotten.
Please sign in before starting payment and download.
Checklist Items (23)
Prepare recovery media
Boot to recovery environment
Insert bootable USB and restart PC
Plug the USB into the computer and power on or restart.
Enter BIOS/UEFI firmware settings
Press the appropriate key (often F2, Del, Esc, or F10) during startup to open firmware settings.
Set USB as first boot device
In the Boot menu, move the USB drive to the top of the boot order, save changes and exit.
Launch Windows Recovery Environment
On the Windows Setup screen, click 'Repair your computer' to access recovery options.
Utilman hack method
Backup Utilman.exe
Rename the original Utility Manager executable to preserve it.
Replace Utilman.exe with CMD.exe
Copy cmd.exe over utilman.exe so that clicking Ease of Access opens a command prompt.
Continue to Windows login screen
Close the command prompt and let the system finish booting to the login screen.
Reset password via net user in CMD
Open Command Prompt via Ease of Access
At the login screen, click the Ease of Access icon (now launches CMD).
Run net user to reset password
Execute `net user <username> <newpassword>` replacing <username> with your account name and <newpassword> with a new password.
Confirm and log in
You should see 'The command completed successfully.' Close CMD and log in with the new password.
Safe Mode with Command Prompt method
Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, press F6 to enable Safe Mode with CMD.
Log in as Administrator
At the login screen, select the Administrator account (if enabled) or any admin account.
Reset password and restart
Run `net user <username> <newpassword>` to change the password, then restart the computer normally.
Offline chntpw method
Boot from USB and select Windows partition
Start the PC from the USB, choose the Windows installation, then pick the password reset option.
Clear or set new password and write changes
Follow the on‑screen prompts to blank or set a new password, then confirm to write changes to the registry.
Verify login and secure account
Log in with the new password
Enter the password you just set to access your desktop.
Optional: Change password again via Settings
Open Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options > Password > Change to set a preferred password.
Create a password reset disk for future
Use Control Panel > User Accounts > Create a password reset disk to prepare a recovery USB.