Information Addicts

Its a fact that on average people have to remember four passwords, and some, including myself have up to 40, and this doesn’t include pin numbers for cash machines, the house alarm etc.
If you forget any of your passwords then at the very least they can be time consuming to replace, or at worst you can kiss goodbye to your precious data.
But what if you forgot your Windows logon password? There are ways to get around this, but it is not easy, can be very time consuming, and success is not guaranteed.
If you are unsuccessful, then you will need to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows, which means you could loose all your valuable information, program settings and any updates that you painstakingly downloaded and installed.

Prevention is better than cure, or so the saying goes, and in the IT world it is very true.
Did you know that you can actually backup your Windows XP or Vista password? A lot of users are not aware of this little know feature, which can turn out to be a life saver. Windows named it the Password reset disk and it can be created in both XP and Vista, which I will show you how to do, starting with XP first, then Vista,it literally takes minutes.

Note: To create a password reset disk you will need either a flash drive or a floppy disk. Also the password reset disk must be created while you still remember the original password, and you are the Administrator of the PC. When created it should then be kept in a safe place just in case it’s needed in the future.
You only need to do this once, even if you change your windows password at a later date and forget it.

You could also ask your family and friends to create one, or even better, do it for them.

For Windows XP:

1. Click on Start > Control Panel.

2. Click on User Accounts, Note: If you’re viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, double-click on the User Accounts icon.

3. In the pick an account to change area of the User Accounts window, click on your Windows XP user name.

4. Make sure you have a USB Flash drive or Floppy disk inserted, and in the Related Tasks area on the left, click on Prevent a forgotten password.

5. When the Forgotten Password Wizard window appears, click Next

6. On the next screen, if you are using a USB drive Windows will show you a designated drive, if more than one usable device is listed, just click on the arrow to open the drop down list and choose the right one, if you are using a floppy disk, you will be asked to insert a blank disk into the drive. Click Next to continue.

7. With the disk still in the drive, (or the USB flash memory inserted) enter your current account password in the text box and click Next.

8. Windows XP will now create the password reset disk.When the progress indicator shows 100% complete, click Next and then click Finish in the next window.

9. You can now remove the floppy disk or USB flash drive from your computer. Label the media “Windows Password Reset” and store it in a safe place.

Now go to the bottom of the article to find out how to use it :).

To create a Password reset disk in Vista:

1. Click on Start > Control Panel.

2. On the task panel under Control Panel Home click Classic View, then double-click on the User Accounts icon.

3. In the task pane on the left, click on Create a password reset disk.

4. When the Forgotten Password Wizard window appears, click Next

Note: You will need some kind of portable media before being able to create a password reset disk. This means that you will need a USB flash drive or a floppy disk drive and blank floppy disk.

5. In the I want to create a password key disk in the following drive: drop down box, choose the portable media drive to create a password reset disk on.

6. Click Next to continue.

7. With the disk or other media still in the drive, enter your current account password in the text box and click Next.

8. Windows Vista will now create the password reset disk on your chosen media.

9. When the progress indicator shows 100% complete, click Next and then click Finish in the next window.

10. You can now remove the floppy disk or USB flash drive from your computer. Label the media “Windows Password Reset” and store it in a safe place.

If you ever need to use the Password reset disk because you have forgotten your password, then make sure the media you used to create the disk is plugged in or inserted. To the right of the Logon box is a green and white arrow button, click on it, when the little hint box pops up, select ‘use your password reset disk’ and enter a new password.

Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments box.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 1:00 pm and is filed under PC Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.