If you lose your user account password on Windows 7, you can use the password recovery disc you created to access your account within minutes. If you haven't created a password recovery disc, don't give up hope. Look for a Windows installation disc or a system repair disc. You can also create a bootable NTPassword disc on another computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Use a system repair disc

Step 1. Insert a system repair disc into the DVD drive
Booting from a system repair disc allows you to create a temporary backdoor to reset your password.
If you don't have a System Repair Disc, you can create one on another Windows 7 computer

Step 2. Restart your computer
When prompted, press any key on your keyboard to complete startup.
If the computer opens to the login screen, you will need to change the boot order in BIOS before continuing with this method

Step 3. Select Windows 7 under Operating System
When you have selected it, the text will turn blue.

Step 4. Note the drive letter under Location
For example, if you see (D:) Local Disk, the drive letter you should write down is "D:"

Step 5. Click Next

Step 6. Click the Command Prompt link
A black screen with white text will appear.

Step 7. Type the drive letter in the command prompt
For example, if the drive letter was D:, type D:

Step 8. Press Enter

Step 9. Create a backdoor
You will do this in a command prompt with enhanced rights. Type the following commands in order:
- type cd windows \ system32 and hit enter
- type ren utilman.exe utilhold.exe and press Enter
- type copy cmd.exe utilman.exe and press enter
- type exit and press enter

Step 10. Eject the system repair disc

Step 11. Restart your computer
Your computer will open to the login screen.

Step 12. Click on the Ease of Access icon
It sits in the left corner of the screen and is blue with a white compass. This will open the Command Prompt instead of the Ease of Access Center, but don't worry!

Step 13. Type net user username newpassword
Replace "username" with the username of the account you want to open and "newpassword" with the password you want to use.

Step 14. Press Enter

Step 15. Close the Command Prompt

Step 16. Log on to Windows
You are now logged into your computer with your usual account.

Step 17. Open Command Prompt as administrator
Here is how to do it:
- click on the menu To start up
- type cmd in the search box
- right click on "Command Prompt" in the search results and select Execute as administrator
- if prompted, confirm that you really want to run the program as administrator
- the command prompt will appear

Step 18. Close the backdoor
Enter the commands below to close the backdoor you created earlier.
- Type the drive letter you wrote down earlier. For example, D:.
- Hit enter.
- Type cd \ windows \ system32 \ then press Enter.
- Type copy utilhold.exe utilman.exe then press Enter.
Method 2 of 4: Use the Windows installation DVD

Step 1. Insert the Windows 7 installation DVD into the DVD drive
You can access an administrator account by booting from the DVD and making some changes in the registry.
You don't have to insert the same DVD you used to install Windows. You can borrow one if needed

Step 2. Restart your computer
It should open with a screen that asks you to choose a language.
If your computer opens to the login screen, you will first need to change the boot order in BIOS

Step 3. Select your language
Then click on Next.

Step 4. Click Repair on Computer

Step 5. Select your Windows installation
- Choose Windows 7 installation from the list. Unless there are other operating systems installed, that should be the only option.
- Click on Next.

Step 6. Click the Command Prompt link
This is the last option at the bottom of the System Recovery Options screen. The command prompt will appear (this is a black window with white text).

Step 7. Type regedit and press Enter
The registry editor will appear.

Step 8. Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
This line is on the left of the screen.

Step 9. Click File

Step 10. Select Load Hive

Step 11. Type% windir% \ system32 \ config \ sam
This must be typed in the field File name. Be sure to type it as shown.

Step 12. Click Open
Now you will see a screen asking you to enter a name for a "new hive".

Step 13. Type temporary
You can type whatever you want, but this name can be used in the meantime.

Step 14. Click OK
Now you will be redirected to the main registry editor.

Step 15. Navigate to the user registry key
Here's how to access HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> temporary> SAM> Domains> Account> Users> 000001F4:
- click on the + next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left panel
- click on the + next to temporary
- click on the + next to SAM
- click on the + next to Domains
- click on the + next to Account
- click on the + next to Users
- click on the + next to 000001F4 (you should see an entry for F in the right panel)

Step 16. Double-click on F in the right panel
A new window containing hexadecimal numbers will appear.

Step 17. Look for the line that begins with 0038
You will see 11 immediately next to 0038.

Step 18. Change 11 to 10
- Drag the mouse over 11 so that only this number is highlighted (no space on both sides).
- Type 10.

Step 19. Click OK
The hardest part is over!

Step 20. Eject the Windows DVD

Step 21. Restart the computer

Step 22. Click on the administrator account
This will give you full administrator rights to Windows.
Now you can reset the password for your administrator account
Method 3 of 4: Use NTPassword

Step 1. Go to another computer
If you have access to another computer connected to the Internet, you can download a utility called NTPassword which will help you reset your Windows 7 password. You will either need to burn a bootable copy of this utility or use it to create a USB drive. bootable.

Step 2. Open NTPassword in your browser

Step 3. Choose a version of NTPassword
Click one of the buttons below to download the NTPassword files.
- Click Download USB Version if you want to create a bootable USB drive. The key you will use must be empty.
- Click Download Disk Version to download the image file (cd140201.iso) to your computer. Once the image is downloaded, you can use it to burn a bootable CD.

Step 4. Create a bootable USB drive
If you chose Download USB version:
- unzip the downloaded file (usb140201.zip) to your USB key (the files must be located directly on the key and not in another directory)
- click on the menu To start up and type cmd in the search box
- right click on Command Prompt in the search results and select Execute as administrator
- type cd x: (replace "x:" with the letter corresponding to your USB key) then press Enter
- type X: syslinux.exe -ma X: (replace the 2 X: with the letter corresponding to your USB key) and press Enter
- eject the USB drive from the second computer

Step 5. Create a bootable CD
If you chose Download Disk Version:
- insert a blank CD-R or DVD-R
- right click on the downloaded file (cd140201.iso) and select Burn to disc
- follow the onscreen instructions to create the disc
- Eject the disc from the second computer after burning is complete

Step 6. Insert the USB drive or CD into the problem computer

Step 7. Restart the computer
The computer should open to a black screen with white text that begins with "Reset Windows Password".
If the computer opens to the login screen, you will need to change the boot order in BIOS before proceeding further

Step 8. Press Enter

Step 9. Select the hard drive partition that contains Windows
At the bottom of the screen you will see a text that says "STEP ONE: Select disk where the Windows partition is".
- Look for the partitions under "Candidate Windows partitions found".
- Press the number (on the keyboard) next to the largest partition that does not say "Boot."
- Hit enter.

Step 10. Press Enter to confirm the registry path
Now you will see “Select which part of registry to load, use predefined choices or list the files with space delimiter”.

Step 11. Press Enter
The default setting “Edit user data and passwords” will be accepted.

Step 12. Press Enter to accept the following default setting

Step 13. Select a user
Choose the account whose password you want to reset.
- Look for your username under "Username" at the bottom of the screen.
- Look for the corresponding "RID" number in the left column.
- Type the RID number and press Enter.

Step 14. Press Enter

Step 15. Press
Step 1. then on Entrance.
The password for the specified user account will be deleted.

Step 16. Press q then on Entrance.
You will now be asked to save your changes.

Step 17. Press y then on Entrance.
This will confirm your decision to save the changes.

Step 18. Eject the USB drive or CD

Step 19. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete
Your computer will restart and open to the login screen where you can click on your username and set a new password.
Method 4 of 4: Use a password recovery disk

Step 1. Try to log into Windows
If you created a password recovery disc at an earlier date, you can use it to reconnect to Windows.
If you haven't created a password recovery disc, try another method

Step 2. Click OK on the password error message

Step 3. Insert the recovery disc into the computer

Step 4. Select Reset Password
It is located under the field dedicated to the password and allows you to launch the password reset wizard.

Step 5. Click Next

Step 6. Select your USB drive from the drop-down menu
Usually, its name looks something like "Removable Disk".

Step 7. Click Next

Step 8. Type a new password
Enter your new password in the first empty field under the text "Enter new password".

Step 9. Enter the password again
This time, type it in the second empty field under "Retype new password".

Step 10. Enter a password hint
The password hint will be entered in the third and last field on the screen. Type something that will remind you of the new password in case you forget it.

Step 11. Click Next
If you see an error that says "An error occurred while the wizard was trying to reset the password", you are using the wrong password recovery disk

Step 12. Select Finish
This will close the Reset Password Wizard.

Step 13. Log on to Windows
You should now be able to log into Windows with your new account password.