Tips to recover Windows XP (or lower) password

"Password Incorrect"...f**k, we all know that feeling lol. What can you do when you forget the password to login to Windows system? Ask an administrator to reset the log on password for you! If you yourself are administrator, and you can’t remember the administrator password, the problem can get a little tricky, and probably near impossible to recover the ‘forgotten password’ again. Microsoft does not screw around when it comes to security. Before you search for your recovery CD or Windows DVD to format and reinstall Windows onto the computer (while screaming and swearing your PC), here a few ways you can try to unlock your Windows OS to gain access to the system again, at least by resetting the password.

Method 1: Take a rest, and try hard to remember the forgotten password
We're all human. Most of us at-least. You never remember the thing that you urgently need (car keys, PASSWORDS, peoples name urgh). So have a coffee, take a snap or even come back after a few days, you may found that you suddenly ‘remember’ your Windows password.

Method 2: Try No Password Administrator Login Backdoor
In Windows XP (not Windows Vista/7 as Administrator account is not enabled by default, as I stated Microsoft don't screw around), there is built-in Administrator user account, that has administrative credentials, enabled by default, and without any password to protect the account from been accessed. If you didn’t change this Administrator’s password, then try to sign in to Windows XP without password.

Method 3: Reset password from another user account with administrator credentials
If you cannot log on to Windows by using a particular user account, but you can log on to another account that has administrative credentials, follow these steps on how to do the trick:

1. Log on to Windows by using an administrator account that has a password that you remember. You may need to start WinXP in safe mode.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type “control userpasswords2″, and then click OK.
4. Click the user account that you forgot the password for, and then click Reset Password.
5. Type a new password in both the New password and the Confirm new password boxes, and then click OK.

Method 4: LOGON.SCR password reset trick
LOGON.SCR changing administrator or domain admin password hack works on Windows NT 4.0 and some versions of Windows 2000. The simple trick uses Cmd.exe as screen saver that triggered by system when idle, allowing users to access to command prompt to change password.

Method 5: Do-It-Yourself (DIY) third party recovery tool
There are a lot of tools and utilities that can be downloaded and used to recover, reset, retrieve or reveal existing password, drivers and software that will read the registry and rewrite the password hashes, or can brute force crack the password for any user account including the Administrators. The advantage is that there is no fear of leaking your password to outsiders, while the process requires physical access to the console and a floppy or CD drive, depending on which tool you choose. Its not easy, but always works.

But honestly the best thing to do is write it down somewhere that only YOU have access to, because passwords are like bubblegum...if its used and left for others to find it creates a lot of mess lol. Cheers, Sam