Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org.
QUESTION: I have an older Windows XP computer and when I went to turn it on I realized that I had forgotten the user password. Is there a way to recover the password?
PC CLUB: It’s too late for you but it’s always a good idea to write down your password and store it in a safe place. Also, you can create a Windows Password Reset disk but it’s not straightforward, especially if you don’t have a floppy drive. But read on for more solutions.
For forgotten passwords there are tools that can help you as follows:
1. Recover the password. This method can tell what the original password was so you can write it down and use it to gain access to your PC. Very few programs have this capability. You only need this if you have encrypted files on your PC. If you change the password you will no longer have access to them.
2. Reset the password. This method allows you to change the password so you can write it down and access your PC with the new password. Several Microsoft tools offer this capability but are not generally available to the public. One tool is called the ERD or Emergency Recovery Disk.
3. Clear the password. This removes the password allowing you to log on to your PC without a password. Most tools available online, either as free or commercial versions, are of this type.
Here are several tools:
· PCWin Recovery, available at http://www.windows-password-reset.com/, starting at $15.99.
· Windows Password Breaker, available at http://www.recoverwindowspassword.com/, starting at $19.95.
· Offline Password Recovery, available for free at http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
I have tried both Offline Password Recovery and Windows Password Breaker and they work on Windows XP and Windows 7. All but the free program have the ability to create a bootable USB flash drive. I have not tried them on Vista but they both claim that they support it.
Another way to reset a password is to go to any Microsoft store and ask them to help you. They can do this provided you are running Vista or Windows 7. I tried it and it worked.
Ed Schwartz is a member of the North Orange County Computer Club. To send in a question, go to edwardns.com and click the Contact Me menu. Archives of previous columns are also on the website.