How to Reset Windows password

To reset windows password, if your system is dual boot from windows/linux, you can use chntpw from linux directly.

If you don't have linux side by side with windows, you can boot from linux live cd, or download the System Rescue CD from sysresccd.org

After you install chntpw in linux, mount your windows to /mnt/windows
fdisk -l
mount /dev/sda5 /mnt/windows


Then
cd /mnt/windows/Windows/System32/config

Use the –l argument first to list out all the usernames in the SAM file:

$ chntpw -l SAM

chntpw version 0.99.6 110511 , (c) Petter N Hagen

Hive <SAM> name (from header): <\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SAM>

ROOT KEY at offset: 0x001020 * Subkey indexing type is: 666c <lf>

File size 262144 [40000] bytes, containing 5 pages (+ 1 headerpage)

Used for data: 246/19456 blocks/bytes, unused: 8/864 blocks/bytes.




* SAM policy limits:

Failed logins before lockout is: 0

Minimum password length : 0

Password history count : 0

| RID -|---------- Username ------------| Admin? |- Lock? --|

| 01f4 | Administrator | ADMIN | dis/lock |

| 01f5 | Guest | | dis/lock |

| 03e8 | i88ca | ADMIN | dis/lock |

Now use –u argument with username to deal with that user, you then have the choice to clear or reset the password of that user.

       

$ chntpw –u i88ca SAM