Reset User Account Password

Information

If you forgot the password for a user account, this will show you how to reset or change the password to gain access to the user account again.

NOTE

The password used in Vista is case sensitive. You might double check to make sure that you do not have the Caps Lock key on by mistake when typing it in. If you do not have a password for the user account, then clicking or pressing Enter with a blank field will usually work. METHOD THREE below should only be used a last resort to reset a Administrator account when it is the only account created, but it should do the job for you. Your only other option is to reinstall Vista. If you are using BitLocker Drive Encryption, then this will most likely not work. If all of these methods fail, then you will need to reinstall Vista.

Tip

For a CMOS or BIOS Password: You can usually reset this password by unplugging the computer and removing the battery on the motherboard for just a bit and/or temporarily crossing the CMOS jumper pin on the motherboard, then change or turn off the password in the BIOS at the next start. See your motherboard's documentation for these locations on it. You can usually find documentation at the motherboard's manufacturer's website.

WARNING

To avoid not be able to logon, be sure to write down you user account's username and password and store it in a safe place for future reference if you need it. Another great option is to create a Password Reset Disk. See: See: How to Create a Password Reset Disk in Vista

• How to Enable or Disable Secure Logon in Vista
• How to Make Vista Require a Username and Password at Logon
• How to Display Information About Previous Logons During User Logon in Vista
• How to Create a New User Account in Vista
• How to Change or Stop Password Expiration in Vista
• How to Remove or Change a Password for a User Account in Vista
• How to Logon Automatically at Startup in Vista
• How to Create a Password Reset Disk in Vista
• How to Create a Password for a User Account in Vista
• How to Start Vista in Safe Mode
• How to Add or Remove Change Password from the Vista Ctrl+Alt+Delete Screen
• How to Prevent or Allow a User to Change their Password in Vista

NOTE

This is if you have a administrator account that you can logon with to change or reset the password for a Standard or another administrator account.

WARNING

If you use an Administrator account to remove the password for any other user account, the user account with the removed password will lose access to its encrypted files, e‑mail messages that are encrypted, and stored passwords for websites or network resources. If the user account doesn't have any of these things, or the user doesn't mind losing them, then using an Administrator account to remove the password is a fast and easy way to recover from a forgotten password.

1. Logon to the Administrator account.
NOTE: If you forgot the Administrator account password, then logon to another Administrator account.

2. Reset or Change the forgotten password for the user account.
NOTE: For how, see: How to Remove a Password from a User Account in Vista

NOTE

A password reset disk will allow you to reset the password for the user account it was created in. You had to of created one first though. See: How to Create a Password Reset Disk in Vista

1. Start the computer up into the Logon Welcome Screen.
2. Click on the Click to Play button in the video below.

NOTE

This should only be used on a Administrator account that you forgot the password for and do not have another Administrator account (METHOD ONE or TWO) or a Password Reset Disk (METHOD FOUR) to use to reset the password. This should only be a last resort to gaining access to an administrative account.

WARNING

If you reset the password using the tool below, the user account will lose access to its encrypted files, encrypted e‑mail messages, and stored passwords for websites or network resources.

1. For how, see this site: Offline NT Password and Registry Editor
NOTE: If you have no access to your computer, then you will need to create this boot CD/DVD on another computer so you can use it to boot into yours with and use.

2. Click the Bootdisk button at the top.
3. Scroll down to the Download section and download the Bootable CD image.
4. Follow the instructions from their website on how to use it.
NOTE: Please direct your questions about this tool to the site providing the tool.

NOTE

This is for the following scenarios. For more information, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB940765 Scenario Description Scenario 1: You recently set a new password for the protected administrator account. However, you do not remember the new password, but do remember the old one. Scenario 2: You type the correct logon password. However, Windows Vista does not accept the password because the system is corrupted. Scenario 3: You deleted a password protected administrator account. Now, you cannot log on to another administrator account. Scenario 4: You changed a protected administrator account to a standard user account. Now, you cannot log on to another administrator account.

1. Do METHOD TWO here: How to Do a System Restore in Vista
NOTE: You will be booting from your Vista installation DVD to perform a System Retore with the method at this link.


2. Next, do these additional steps for the scenario that related to you:

• For Scenario 1
  • After you log on, change the password for the protected administrator account. See: How to Remove or Change a Password for a User Account in Vista
  • After you change the password, restart the computer. Make sure that you can log on by using the new password.
• For scenario 2
  • After you log on, make sure that each user account can log on by using the appropriate credentials.
  • Change the password for the user account that cannot log on. See: How to Remove or Change a Password for a User Account in Vista
• For Scenario 3
  • After you log on, use the User Accounts item in Control Panel to create a new protected administrator account. See: How to Create a New User Account in Vista
  • Log on by using the new protected administrator account. Then, delete the older protected administrator account that was restored. See: How to Delete a User Account in Vista

NOTE: For safety reasons, do not use the restored protected administrator account.

• For Scenario 4
  • After you log on, use the User Accounts item in Control Panel to create a new protected administrator account. See: How to Create a New User Account in Vista
  • Log on by using the new protected administrator account.
  • Change the old protected administrator account to a standard user account. See: How to Change a User Account Type in Vista