Most passwords aren’t that difficult to reset, particularly those online. There is one that can give you trouble, however – your Windows login password. If you forget this you will be locked out of your account and unable to access all of the files and software specifically tied to that account.
Unlocking your computer won’t be easy, but it is possible. Let’s take a look at how you can access your system even if the login has been forgotten.
Windows has a built-in password reset feature. It would be rather pointless if anyone could reset it, so you have to do the preparation before you forget your login if you want to be able to use this feature. This consists of creating a password recovery disk, which can be any removable USB drive or even a floppy disk. Please note the instructions here apply to Windows Vista/7.
To begin, do a Windows Search for Password Reset Disk. You should see “Create a password reset disk” as your first option. Select it.
This will open the Forgotten Password Wizard. The introductory screen explains the basics, and once you’ve read it, click next. Here you can select the disk that you want to use for password recovery. Since only removable drives can be used, only they will appear as an option. Select a drive and click next.
On the next screen you will have to enter your current password. Do this and click next to begin creation of the password recovery disk. This will likely be a fast progress – it literally took five seconds on my PC. And you’re done.
Resetting your Windows login is now easy as pie. Just click the “reset password” link below the login screen and follow the on-screen steps. You’ll have to select the appropriate disk and then enter a new password. Presto! Your computer is unlocked.
