How to Reset Forgotten Windows Account Password

Summary

The video script outlines a step-by-step process for recovering a forgotten Windows account password without reinstalling the operating system. It instructs viewers to download Hn Boot CD, use Rufus to write the ISO file onto a USB flash drive, and then boot from the USB to access the NT password editor. By changing the password of the locked account, users can regain access to their computer and log in with the new password.

Takeaways

• 💻 To recover a Windows account without reinstalling, use Hn Boot CD.
• 🌐 Download Hn Boot CD from hnbootcd.org and follow the instructions.
• 📥 Use Rufus to write the ISO file onto a USB flash drive.
• 🔄 Ensure the USB is set to Dual UI Bios mode and the partition scheme is MBR with a FAT32 file system.
• 🖲 Press the appropriate function key during boot to access the boot menu, which varies by computer model.
• 🚀 Boot from the USB flash drive to start the Hn Boot CD process.
• 📁 Access the start menu and navigate to 'All Programs' > 'Security' > 'Passwords' > 'NT Password Editor'.
• 🔓 Select the account you want to unlock and change the password.
• 🆕 Enter a new password, confirm, and save the changes.
• ⏻️ Exit the NT Password Editor and reboot the computer to exit Hn Boot CD.
• 🔓 Log into the computer with the new password created during the recovery process.

Q & A

What is the first step to recover a forgotten Windows password without reinstalling?

The first step is to download Hn Boot CD from hnbootcd.org.

How do you write the ISO file onto a USB flash drive?

You use a tool like Rufus to write the ISO file onto the USB flash drive following the instructions provided on the Hn Boot CD website.

What is the significance of selecting 'Dual UI Bios mode enabled' in Rufus?

Selecting 'Dual UI Bios mode enabled' ensures that the USB drive can boot in both UEFI and legacy BIOS modes, which increases compatibility with different computers.

What partition scheme and file system are required for the USB drive?

The partition scheme should be MBR (Master Boot Record) and the file system should be FAT32.

How do you boot from the USB flash drive?

The method to boot from a USB flash drive varies by computer model. You typically need to access the boot menu during startup, often by pressing a specific function key.

Once the computer boots using Hn Boot CD, what program do you use to reset the password?

You use the 'NT Password Editor' program found under 'All Programs' and then 'Security'.

How do you identify the account you want to unlock?

The program lists all the accounts. You select the account you want to unlock, for example, the 'secretary' account in the given script.

What action do you take to change the password of the selected account?

You click on the 'Change password' option, enter a new password, confirm it, and then save the changes.

After changing the password, what is the next step to exit the Hn Boot CD environment?

You save the changes and exit the NT Password Editor, then reboot the computer to restart without the Hn Boot CD.

How do you log into the computer after resetting the password?

You use the newly created password to log into the computer as you normally would.

Why is it important to match the cluster size when writing the ISO to the USB?

Matching the cluster size is not critical in this context, but it ensures that the USB drive is set up as closely as possible to the instructions, which can help avoid potential issues.

What is the purpose of using a bootable USB with Hn Boot CD in password recovery?

The purpose is to bypass the operating system's password protection and access the tools necessary to reset or recover the account password without needing to reinstall Windows.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Recovering a Forgotten Laptop Password

This paragraph outlines a step-by-step process for recovering a forgotten laptop password without reinstalling Windows. The first step involves downloading Hyn Boot CD from its official website and following the instructions to write the ISO file onto a USB flash drive using Rufus. The process continues with enabling dual UI Bios mode, selecting the correct partition scheme (MBR) and file system (FAT 32), and matching the cluster size as per the provided screenshot. The final steps include booting from the created USB flash drive, using Hyn's Boot CD to access the 'NT password editor' from the start menu, selecting the locked account (in this case, 'secretary'), changing the password, saving the changes, and rebooting the computer to log in with the new password.

Keywords

💡password recovery

The process of regaining access to an account when the password is forgotten. In the video, this is the main objective, as the user aims to recover the account without reinstalling Windows by using a specific tool and method.

💡Hn Boot CD

A bootable CD that can be used to bypass or reset a forgotten Windows password. In the context of the video, it is the primary tool used to recover the account, with instructions provided on how to download and use it.

💡Rufus

A free and open-source portable application for Microsoft Windows that can be used to format and create bootable USB flash drives or Live USBs. In the video, Rufus is used to write the Hn Boot CD ISO file onto a USB flash drive.

💡USB flash drive

A type of storage device that can be easily plugged into a computer's USB port to store and transfer data. In the video, a USB flash drive is used as a medium to carry the Hn Boot CD ISO file for booting the computer.

💡booting

The process of starting up a computer and loading the operating system. In the video, booting from a USB flash drive is necessary to access the Hn Boot CD environment for password recovery.

💡partition scheme

A method of dividing a hard drive or storage device into separate sections, each of which can be used or managed separately. In the video, the partition scheme is specified as MBR (Master Boot Record) for creating the bootable USB drive.

💡file system

The method and data structure that an operating system uses to control how files are stored and retrieved. FAT 32 is mentioned as the required file system for the USB drive in the video.

💡cluster size

A measure of the size of the smallest addressable block of data in a file system. In the video, the cluster size is mentioned as an adjustable setting when preparing the bootable USB drive, although it is not critical for the password recovery process.

💡NT password editor

A utility within the Hn Boot CD environment that allows users to edit or change the passwords for Windows NT user accounts. In the video, this tool is used to reset the password for the forgotten account.

💡account recovery

The process of regaining access to a user account that has been locked or inaccessible, typically due to forgotten credentials. In the video, account recovery is achieved by changing the password of the locked account using Hn Boot CD.

💡reboot

The action of restarting a computer, often done to apply changes or to exit a particular mode or environment. In the video, rebooting is necessary to exit the Hn Boot CD environment and to log in with the newly created password.

Highlights

Recovering a forgotten Windows account without reinstalling the OS.

Downloading Hn Boot CD from hnbootcd.org to aid in account recovery.

Instructions for writing the ISO file onto a USB flash drive are provided on the website.

Using Rufus to create a bootable USB with the Hn Boot CD ISO file.

Pressing Alt+E in Rufus to prepare the USB for the ISO file.

Selecting the ISO file and ensuring the partition scheme is MBR and file system is FAT 32.

Adjusting the cluster size to match the reference screenshot for consistency.

Writing the Hn's Boot CD onto the USB flash drive to prepare for the next steps.

Booting the computer from the created USB flash drive.

Accessing the boot menu by searching for the computer's model number or using a function key.

Using Hn's Boot CD to access the 'Security Passwords NT Password Editor'.

Listing all accounts to identify the one needing a password reset.

Changing the password for the selected account within the NT Password Editor.

Saving changes and exiting the password editor to apply the new password.

Rebooting the computer to exit Hn's Boot CD and test the new password.

Successfully logging into the computer with the newly created password.

Transcripts

the user of this laptop forgot their

password I'm going to show you what we

can do to recover the account without

reinstalling Windows so the first thing

we need to do is download hyn boot CD so

you can go to hn boot cd. org click on

download and then scroll to the bottom

and click right here once the file's

downloaded you're going to go to the USB

booting tab here and this is going to

give you instructions for how to write

that ISO file onto a USB flash drive

it's pretty simple you're going to

download Rufus I've already done that so

I'm going to skip it but you'd want to

go ahead and download Rufus and then

once we've got Rufus open here it tells

you to press alt e so we're going to

press alt e and you'll see down at the

bottom dual UI Bios mode enabled that's

what we want we want to select the ISO

file so we're going to click on select

and select that ISO file that we just

downloaded and it tells us down here

that we want the partition scheme to be

MBR file system to be fat 32 which is

right here file system is fat

32 and we can compare what we've got to

the screenshot here we got MBR we got

fat 32 everything here is matching what

they

have except for cluster size which we

can change it's not going to matter in

this case but we'll we'll put it to the

same one as them and we'll click on

start and we'll say okay and now it is

writing hen's boot CD onto my USB flash

drive so the next thing is to boot from

the USB flash drive that we just created

how to do that depends on your computer

you may just need to Google your model

number and how to get into the boot menu

it's usually a matter of pressing one of

the function keys while the devices is

booting so here I'm going to boot onto

that USB flash drive so once we're

booted into hns boot CD we want to click

on the start menu we want to go into all

programs uh

security passwords NT password Ed it we

click on open sorry if that's not

focusing very well for you there click

on

open that's going to list all of the

accounts and the one in this case that

we want to unlock is the secretary

account so I'm going to click on that

one there I'm going to say change

password and I'm just going to type in a

password and I will say

okay and I'll say save

changes and exit and now I'm just going

to reboot the computer to get out of

hen's boot CD and that's it I can just

log into the computer with the new

password I created and I'm good to go