Vista Tutorial - Password Reset Disk

**Brink**

How to Create a Password Reset Disk in Vista

Information

This will show you how to create a Password Reset Disk that will allow you to reset the password for the user account it was created in if you were to forget the password for the user account. This would be a good to create when you create or change a password for your user account.

NOTE

To create a password reset disk, you will need removable media such as a USB flash drive or floppy disk. Sorry, using a CD or DVD is not an option. No matter how many times you change the password for the user account, you will only need to create a Password Reset Disk once for the user account.

WARNING

When you create a password reset disk, any previously created password reset disk will automatically be invalidated and will no longer work.

RELATED LINKS:

Here's How:

NOTE

For how to reset the password with this Password Reset Disk, see METHOD FOUR here: How to Reset a User Account Password in Vista

1. Login to the user account you want to create the Password Reset Disk for.

2. Insert your floppy disk or USB flash drive and wait for it to initialize and receive a drive letter.

3. Click on the Click to play button in the video below.

That's it,
Shawn

**Bare Foot Kid** · 02-11-2008

Thanks Brink. I been meaning to create one for my Admin acct., pretty easy. If I was smart I would do one for my Standard User acct. too just in case. Have to get another flash drive tho, I only got one 'cause I wasn't sure if I could use it more than once. I guess not. Thanks a bunch, Later

**Brink** · 02-12-2008

Your welcome Bare Foot Kid. To bad we cannot use a DVD to do make it even easier to do.

Shawn

**MilesAhead** · 06-13-2008

Shawn, I have to admit I miss the floppy disk!!! Yet another example where you need read/write media to create a system utility. Even if I burn the password file to CD after I made it on a usb drive the restore in Vista won't let me use it!! And these USB gizmos are even flimsier than floppies!!! Dang!!!

Do you have any suggestions other than buying 1/2 usb keychain flash drives to store the password restore info? Just when floppies were selling real cheap too they stop puttin' the drives in!!!

**Brink** · 06-13-2008

MilesAhead,

You can still get a floppy drive cheap and install it in your computer if you wanted to.

Have you tried it booting straight from the USB key? It will not work copying it from the USB drive to a CD/DVD.

Sorry,

Shawn

**MilesAhead** · 06-14-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

MilesAhead,

You can still get a floppy drive cheap and install it in your computer if you wanted to.

Have you tried it booting straight from the USB key? It will not work copying it from the USB drive to a CD/DVD.

Sorry,

Shawn

I'm reluctant to open the boxes these days.. and it will work. The main concern
is these USB keys don't seem very sturdy(got to be pretty flimsy if a 3 1/2" floppy
seems sturdy by comparison.) I think I may have a memory stick I'm not using and I can try that. I just lament that a lot of those little Dos boot disk floppy utilities would still work if there was a floppy there. Don't know why they couldn't come up with a thin disk that could hold 100 MB or something that would be compatible. Just crying in my beer.

**sidney1st** · 06-14-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by MilesAhead

I just lament that a lot of those little Dos boot disk floppy utilities would still work if there was a floppy there.

You can use those little Dos book "disk" with an USB key drive.

**MilesAhead** · 06-14-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by sidney1st

Quote: Originally Posted by MilesAhead

I just lament that a lot of those little Dos boot disk floppy utilities would still work if there was a floppy there.

You can use those little Dos book "disk" with an USB key drive.

That's a good idea. I ordered another USB key drive. The user reviews talk about how rugged it is. OTOH none of them state the length of ownership. A lot of people write a review when they've used something for less than a week and they think it's great.

arp_243 · 07-07-2008

how to make password disk drive for eg:c drive and d drive how can i put password

**Brink** · 07-07-2008

Hello arp_243,

Sorry, but you can only use a USB flash drive or floppy disk to create this disk. The easiest method would be to write it down and put it somewhere safe just in case you need it.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

02-11-2008
Bare Foot Kid Technophile Wannabe Join Date: Feb 2008 Vista 64-bit Ultimate Win7 64-bit Ultimate XP SP3 32-bit Pro 2,126 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Thanks Brink. I been meaning to create one for my Admin acct., pretty easy. If I was smart I would do one for my Standard User acct. too just in case. Have to get another flash drive tho, I only got one 'cause I wasn't sure if I could use it more than once. I guess not. Thanks a bunch, Later
My System Specs

02-12-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Your welcome Bare Foot Kid. To bad we cannot use a DVD to do make it even easier to do. Shawn
My System Specs

06-13-2008
MilesAhead Aficionado Join Date: Jan 2008 Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP1 669 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Shawn, I have to admit I miss the floppy disk!!! Yet another example where you need read/write media to create a system utility. Even if I burn the password file to CD after I made it on a usb drive the restore in Vista won't let me use it!! And these USB gizmos are even flimsier than floppies!!! Dang!!! Do you have any suggestions other than buying 1/2 usb keychain flash drives to store the password restore info? Just when floppies were selling real cheap too they stop puttin' the drives in!!!
My System Specs

06-13-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk MilesAhead, You can still get a floppy drive cheap and install it in your computer if you wanted to. Have you tried it booting straight from the USB key? It will not work copying it from the USB drive to a CD/DVD. Sorry, Shawn
My System Specs

06-14-2008
MilesAhead Aficionado Join Date: Jan 2008 Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP1 669 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Quote: Originally Posted by Brink MilesAhead, You can still get a floppy drive cheap and install it in your computer if you wanted to. Have you tried it booting straight from the USB key? It will not work copying it from the USB drive to a CD/DVD. Sorry, Shawn I'm reluctant to open the boxes these days.. and it will work. The main concern is these USB keys don't seem very sturdy(got to be pretty flimsy if a 3 1/2" floppy seems sturdy by comparison.) I think I may have a memory stick I'm not using and I can try that. I just lament that a lot of those little Dos boot disk floppy utilities would still work if there was a floppy there. Don't know why they couldn't come up with a thin disk that could hold 100 MB or something that would be compatible. Just crying in my beer.
My System Specs

06-14-2008
sidney1st Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Ultimate SP1 x64 & x86 971 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Quote: Originally Posted by MilesAhead I just lament that a lot of those little Dos boot disk floppy utilities would still work if there was a floppy there. You can use those little Dos book "disk" with an USB key drive.
My System Specs

07-07-2008
arp_243 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2008 VISTA BUSSINESS 1 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk how to make password disk drive for eg:c drive and d drive how can i put password
My System Specs

07-07-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Password Reset Disk Hello arp_243, Sorry, but you can only use a USB flash drive or floppy disk to create this disk. The easiest method would be to write it down and put it somewhere safe just in case you need it. Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

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