Reset / change Windows 7 / Vista / XP password using a Ubuntu CD

So you forgot your Windows password, and want to reset it? No problem. All you need is a Ubuntu CD (download ISO file here, instructions on how to burn the image to a CD here).

Step 1: Boot from Ubuntu CD

Insert the Ubuntu CD, restart your computer. At the boot screen, select the language and then the first option, “Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer.”

Step 2: install chntpw

chntpw is a Linux utility to (re)set the password of any user that has a valid (local) account

Go to Administration / Software Sources, and make sure the “Community maintained Open Source software (universe)” option is checked. Press “Close”.


You will be prompted to reload the package information. Press “Reload”

Open a terminal (Applications / Accessories / Terminal):

Once the terminal is opened, type the following command in it and press enter:

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sudo apt-get install chntpw

Step 3: Reset password

Once chntpw is installed, you have to mount the Windows partition. The easiest way to do this is to click the Windows drive in the Places menu (usually the first HDD in the list):

When the Windows drive is opened, make sure to copy the location where the drive was mounted from the address bar, and paste it in the following command:

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cd /media/A854C956382E2B62/WINDOWS/system32/config/

Now you have the following options:

Reset / change the Administrator password:

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sudo chntpw SAM

Reset / change another user’s password:

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sudo chntpw -u your_username SAM

Whichever you type, you will be presented with a list of options:

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2
3
4
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- - - - User Edit Menu:
 1 - Clear (blank) user password
 2 - Edit (set new) user password (careful with this on XP or Vista)
 3 - Promote user (make user an administrator)
(4 - Unlock and enable user account) [seems unlocked already]
 q - Quit editing user, back to user select
Select: [q] >

Pressing 1, enter, y and another enter will remove the user’s password, and allow you to restart the computer and logon to Windows.

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November 16, 2009 | Filed Under Linux 

Comments

4 Responses to “Reset / change Windows 7 / Vista / XP password using a Ubuntu CD”

  1. catalin lupu
    on March 15th, 2010 19:37

    Desi am conexiunea la internet-wireless cica nu poate sa-mi faca downloadul de pe internet
    Daca ignor si trec de acest pas nu-mi gaseste cica chntpw sa-l instaleze , evident dupa ce dau comanda cin cmd prompt sudo apt-get install chntpw
    Unde anm gresit?
    Mersi mult

  2. Victor Stanciu
    on June 16th, 2010 22:35

    But does your internet connection work? Can you access any websites? Because if not, you will have to download the chntpw package and install it.

  3. How to recover a login password for windows 7,Windows XP | hulosoft.com
    on June 24th, 2010 22:06

    [...] View [...]

  4. Larry
    on July 14th, 2010 05:29

    Good software! Thanks. At one time I forgot windows password. I created a windows password reset disk with a program from http://www.windowsloginrecovery.com/ and I successfully reset the forgotten password with the disk.

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