š§ Method 1: Using Hiren’s BootCD PE (Recommended)
Hiren’s BootCD PE includes a tool called NT Password Edit that allows you to reset user account passwords on Windows.
- Download Hiren's BootCD PE.
- Download Rufus or Ventoy.
- Insert an 8GB+ USB and create a bootable drive using Rufus (choose MBR for BIOS or GPT for UEFI).
- Boot from the USB using the correct key (see below).
- Go to Start > Utilities > Security > NT Password Edit.
- Select the Windows partition and load the user accounts.
- Choose the account and click Change Password.
- Leave it blank to remove the password and click Save.
- Reboot and login without password.
š Boot Menu Keys by Brand
- Acer – F12
- Asus – ESC or F8
- Dell – F12
- HP – ESC then F9
- Lenovo – F12 or Novo Button
- MSI – F11
- Sony – F11
- Toshiba – F12
š ️ Method 2: Command Prompt via Recovery
If you can access the recovery environment, you can replace utilman.exe with cmd.exe.
- Boot from a Windows installation USB.
- Press
Shift + F10to open Command Prompt. - Run the following:
copy c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\ copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe - Reboot and press Win + U at login screen.
- Type:
net user YourUsername newpassword
⚠️ Note: Replace YourUsername with your account name.
š» Method 3: Local Account Password Reset Disk
If you previously created a password reset disk, insert it and follow the on-screen prompts.
š¤ Method 4: Safe Mode with Hidden Administrator
Sometimes Windows has a hidden admin account.
- Boot in Safe Mode (press F8 or hold Shift while clicking Restart).
- Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
- If "Administrator" shows up, login and type:
net user yourusername newpasswordš Method 5: Microsoft Account Reset (Online)
- Go to Microsoft Reset Page.
- Follow the steps to reset your Microsoft account password.
- Use new credentials to log in to Windows.
š¦ Extra Tools (For Advanced Users)
- Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
- PassFab 4WinKey (Commercial)