Easy Way to Reset Your Windows Admin or User Password
You ever forget your login password? Probably not, because it's 1234. (LOL -- just kidding. I know you use strong passwords.) Nearly two years ago, I told you how to find it (see Find Old E-Mail Messages Quickly and scroll to "I forgot the password"). Unfortunately, that fix would have cost you $70, about a fill-up for your car.
I have terrific news. PC Login Now is a freebie that gives you a fairly straightforward way to reset Windows Administrator or user password. The strategy is to take their ISO, burn it onto a CD, and boot from it. The wizard talks you through the steps. The tool works in Windows Server 2008, 2003, Vista and XP.
One more thing before you leave: If you need to find the Product Key for any office product, read how to do it in Five Smart Fixes for Dumb PC Annoyances.
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Thanks for finding this program!! It will come in handy if (when) a relative forgets their password. It also shows why it is so important to prevent physical access to mission critical systems.
Has this been confirmed to be virus / trojan free? I would hate to reset my admin password only to discover that it was sent to someone who wanted to hack my PC for whatever nefarious reason that people feel the need to hack someone else's computer.
Norton is ok with it. Too bad VirusTotal.com won't let me upload the file. You could always pull the Ethernet plug while resetting the password, and use Autoruns from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx to check that nothing is running in the background transmitting your passwords. In addition, use an outbound firewall to prevent unsolicited communications.