Windows Password Help

Log On To Windows XP Computer if You Forget The Password or the Password Expires

You can gain access to your computer in case you forget your password or the password of your Windows XP computer expires.

Discussed here are a few methods that will enable you to reset the password of your Windows XP computer and enable you to log on to it again. You can use these methods can be used only when:

• There is another user account on your computer, to which you know the password.
• You have created a password reset disk for your Windows XP computer.

If these conditions are not fulfilled, you may be forced to reinstall Windows XP again to be able to use the system again. Although, you may find this troublesome this has been done to ensure the security of your computer and prevent unauthorized access to the system.

Discussed here are some of the methods that you can use to reset the password of your Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional computer.

Method 1: Use password hints on Windows XP Home computer.

When local user accounts are created, you can add password hint to remind you of the password in case you forget. If you had created password hint while creating a new user account on your Windows XP Home computer, you need to perform the following steps to reset your password:

1. To display the password hint, click the question mark (?) icon located on the right of the Type your password box on the login screen.
2. A balloon will display the password hint.

This password hint should help you remember your password that you can use to log on to the system.

Additional Information

To add a password hint, perform the following steps:

1. Open Control Panel , select User Accounts, and then select the user account for which you want to create the password hint.
2. Select the Change my password link.
3. Enter your current password, the new password, and then enter the new password again in the fields provided.
4. Type in the password hint for your new password in the Type a word or phrase to use as a password hint.
5. Restart your system to implement the change.

Note: In order to retain the current password, fill in the same password in the current and new passwords fields.

Method 2: Use a password reset disk

On a standalone Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional computer

1. On logon screen of your Windows XP computer, select the user account with which you want login and press Enter. If the password problem exists, the following error message will display:
   
   Did you forget your password? You can click the “?” button to see your password hint. Or you can use your password reset disk. Please type your password again. Be sure to use the correct uppercase and lowercase letters.
   
   
   
2. Click the Use your password reset disk link to launch the Password Reset Wizard dialog box, and then click Next.
3. Insert the password reset disk you created earlier in the appropriate drive, and then click Next.
4. Enter your new password and then enter it again in the text boxes provided.
5. Type in the password hint in the Type a new password hint box, and then click Next.
6. Finally, click Finish to close the wizard and then retry logging on to your Windows XP computer.

On a Windows XP Professional computer that is part of a domain

1. Restart your computer, and then on the Welcome to Windows dialog box, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination to display the Log On to Windows dialog box, and then click OK.
2. On the Logon Failed dialog box that is displayed, select the Reset option, and then click Next.
3. Insert the password reset disk you created earlier in the drive, and then click Next.
4. Enter your new password and then enter it again to confirm it.
5. Type in the password hint in the Type a new password hint box, and then click Next.
6. Finally, click Finish to close the wizard and then retry logging on to your Windows XP computer.

Method 2: Use the administrator account to log on to the system and then reset the password

On Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional computers

1. To log on to your computer as an administrator, do the following:
   
   
   1. Restart your computer, and then press the CTRL+ALT+DELETE key combination twice and then enter the name of your system’s administrator user account.
   2. Type the administrator user password in the Password field, and then click OK.
      
      
   Note: If you have not specified any password for the administrator user account, leave the Password field blank.
   
   
2. Next, to reset the password of the user account you want to login from, and do the following:
   
   
   1. Open Start menu, select Run, type control userpasswords2, and then click the OK button.
   2. Select the user account for which you need to reset the password and then select the Reset Password button.
   3. Next, in the New password box type your new password and then type it again in the Confirm new password box, and then click the OK button.
   4. Restart your Windows XP computer. You must now be able to log on using the new password.

On Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional computer in a workgroup 

1. To log on to your computer as an administrator, do the following:
   
   
   1. Restart your computer, press F8 at system startup, to display the Windows Advanced Options menu.
   2. Scroll down, select Safe Mode and then press Enter.
      
2. When your computer starts in Safe Mode, on the To begin, click your user name screen, select Administrator, and then enter the password for the administrator user, press Enter and then select Yes.
3. Next, to reset the password, do the following:
   1. Open Control Panel, select User Accounts, and then select the user account for which you need to reset the password.
   2. Select the Change the Password link and then type a new password.
      
      Note: If you don’t want to use the password, select Remove password instead of Change the Password.
      
      
   3. Restart your Windows XP computer and try to log on to the system again.
   
   On a Windows XP Professional computer in a domain

1. To log on to your computer as an administrator, do the following press the CTRL+ALT+DELETE key in the Welcome to Windows dialog box, type the name and password of the administrator user account and then click OK.
   1. Next, to reset the password, open Start menu, select Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click the OK button.
   2. In the Computer Management (Local) dialog box that is displayed, expand Local Users and Groups.
   3. Next, in the Users folder, right-click the user account for which you need to reset the password.
   4. Select the Set Password command, and then select Proceed.
   5. Type the new password in the New password box and the Confirm password files, and then click the OK button twice.
   6. Restart your Windows XP computer, and then attempts to log on using the new password.