Lost Windows Passwords

I've spent hours trying to find a solution for lost windows passwords for a consulting client. The one and ONLY solution I've found that works on new PCs with Vista is PCLoginNow, which can be downloaded from SourceForge.

There are no instructions, but these instructions are from here.

After burning and creating PCLoginNow bootable live CD, insert the CD into optical drive disc tray, and boot up computer from the CD to start and run PCLoginNow autmatically. Normally, user is required to press any key on BIOS boot screen to boot from CD. If you don’t see this message, or cannot boot from CD, change the boot device priority or sequence list in BIOS to make cd/DVD drive comes on top.

On PC Login Now wizard, select the system with the user account to recover and reset the password. Each system detected is listed with its ID, System Name, path to SAM files and filesystem to help user recognize the correct system.

Then, user able to select the administrator accounts or user accounts, complete with UID, User Name, User Type and comment, to apply any of the five characteristics listed below.

1. is Administrator: if the account has the administrator privilege and rights.
2. password is empty: if the password of the account is empty or blank.
3. is disable: if the account has been disable due to the operation of administrator or the system rules.
4. is lockout: if the account has been locked due security breach such as too many unsuccessful login attempt.
5. password never expire: if the account has to set password on a specific expiry date or the password will expire after a set period.

Note that if the Windows account has already contained no password and is of administrator type, the two special properties are grayed out and disabled. User cannot downgrade administrator account to normal user account or create a password to an account in PCLoginNow. Existing states for the account are automatically checked.

******* the important part!!! ********

Change any of the properties to the selected user account by ticking or unticking the check boxes, then click on Next button to apply the new settings. To reset the password, select the check boxes for password is empty and password never expire to make the account no longer has password, and can log on by leaving password field blank.

PC Login Now is a freeware and supports all Windows operating system including Windows Server 2008, 2003, Vista, XP. PCLoginNow can support dual boot systems too. Download size is just 55 MB.