A program for scanning passwords on a computer. An easy way to reset your account password for any version of Windows

03.10.2023

If you can’t log into Windows 7 because you forgot or lost your account password, then this article will help you. It contains all effective ways to delete, reset or replace the password of any account(even the administrator) in the “seven” and recommendations are given on how to protect yourself in case the password is lost in the future. All the described methods to unlock a user account are absolutely safe if you follow the instructions and do everything carefully.

How to reset a forgotten password using Ophcrack

Ophcrack- a unique utility that allows you to restore access to any account in Windows 7 in just a few minutes. Moreover, it works in any edition of the OS, starting with XP, and can function from a bootable USB flash drive. The program’s operating mechanism is somewhat different from the password selection algorithms of similar applications and includes several components:

LM hash algorithm- passwords are stored in this format in Windows 7, the number of characters of which does not exceed 15;
rainbow tables- the mechanism is designed to recover encrypted passwords through the use of hashes with a complex process of reverse decryption.

The program can also unlock complex passwords by extracting them from registry files and then decrypting them using completely new methods of data processing, due to which the load on hardware resources is small, and the selection speed increases by orders of magnitude.

Using a bootable flash drive with Ophcrack

The algorithm below is relevant for computers that cannot be accessed using the following methods: reasons:

the password for one account is lost, but there are no other accounts;
It is not possible to access any user profile on this computer.

If you encounter such a case, you will have to follow instructions, which boils down to the following: creating a bootable USB drive based on a special version of Ophcrack and booting from this media to restore access to the account. In more detail, these instructions look like this:

For inexperienced users, it is recommended to select the first (graphical) operating mode of OphCrack: Ophcrack Graphic mode. But it should be taken into account that in graphical mode the program may not start, but in text mode it works flawlessly, although it requires certain skills in handling console programs.

If we consider working in a program with an interface in more detail in the next section, then we will dwell in more detail on using its console version. Although the only peculiarity here is the absence of windows and buttons. After launching the console version of the utility, it will automatically detect passwords for all accounts and display them in the “ Results».

Removing a password from Windows

What to do if you forgot administrator account password? The program will also help here Ophcrack, But if there is a network connection to download it. Let's consider the sequence of actions:

After a few seconds or minutes, depending on the complexity of the combination of characters in the password, it will be displayed in the “ NT Pwd».

Using system recovery tools

What to do, if no access to the Internet or another computer, do I need to log in to my account? Will help solve the problem Bootable USB drive or disk, containing a distribution of the Windows 7 operating system used on the computer.

In this case, resetting the Windows 7 administrator password is carried out as follows.

We connect the boot drive of the same edition of the “seven” as installed on the PC.
Reboot the PC.
Call up the boot menu of the computer/laptop. This can be done using the F2, F9, F11 or other keys specified in the motherboard manual or on the BIOS boot screen.
In the list of available devices, select the target USB drive to start the computer from.
Press any key to boot from the selected media.
Select the language of the system installed on the computer, and then click the Next button.
Click the link « » in the window with the Install button to launch the Windows 7 OS recovery tools.
In the parameters, select the command line to call the tool for executing system commands.
In the window that appears, enter the command regedit and execute it using the Enter key. As a result, the classic registry editor window will open.
In this window, as in the file manager with the display of directories in the form of a tree, go to the HKLM section.
Through the main menu, call the command "", located in the menu " File».
Select the file " config» - « SYSTEM", which has no extension.
Set any file name without using Cyrillic characters and confirm it by pressing the enter button.
Let's go to the bush " HKLM" - "entered_hive_name" - Setup.
Double-click to open the key editing menu “ CmdLine».
For the parameter value, enter “ cmd.exe" to launch Command Prompt before booting Windows 7.
In the same way we set the value “ Setup Type"equal" 2 ».
Select a new bush in HKLM.
Call the command " Unload bush", located in the menu item " File».
We restart the computer, as a result of which the command line will appear.
At the command line, enter a command like net user username password and execute it with the Enter key. After this, the command line can be closed.

Thus, it is easy to recover a forgotten password as many times as you like, but using the proposed method on other people’s computers will not work due to the fact that changing the password is required when gaining access to any of the accounts.

Creating a flash drive to instantly reset a password for a specific account

If you don’t want to repeat the situation with a forgotten password, it’s better to make a floppy disk to reset it. By floppy disk we mean a flash drive, because the use of floppy disks and disks has not been relevant in recent years.

As a result, the wizard will generate a boot disk necessary to unlock the account for which the password has been lost.

Now, if for some reason you cannot log into Windows 7, click the Reset password button, insert the created disk or flash drive and follow the instructions. which boil down to clicking the Next button.

After reinstalling the system, changing the password, or creating a new account, the password reset disk will have to be created again.

Knowing how to reset the Windows 7 administrator password and having a flash drive with the key file, a forgotten password will no longer be a problem.

Video on the topic

Windows 7 password reset program. Quite often it happens that after setting a password for an account, the user forgets the information he needs. It seems that this problem cannot be solved, because how can you work with a computer without having access to it?

As a rule, most people contact service centers or reinstall the operating system. Although the first method of solving the problem incurs financial costs, it is still safer, since as a result of replacing the system, you can lose important information. However, you can do without these drastic methods.

There are several ways in which you can reset your Windows 7 password:

1) by making changes to the register;
2) using system file substitution. This method is not recommended, especially if inexperienced users do it.
3) using a password reset program.

The most common and most effective is the last method.

Windows 7 password reset program: features of use

To get started, you need to download the Windows 7 password reset program to your computer. This can be done even when the operating system is offline.

The first thing to do after this is to create a boot disk. This process is not complicated enough. After unpacking the downloaded program, the user receives an ISO image. Next, insert the drive and select the “Burn disc from image” command. As a result, several files appear on the disk.

In addition to the disk, you can use a flash drive for work.

How to create a bootable flash drive?

Resetting a password from an operating system using a flash drive is somewhat more difficult. First of all, you need to unpack the downloaded archive with the program into the root folder of the flash drive. If there is any other information on the removable media, it does not matter.

Now let's move on to the process of turning a regular flash drive into a bootable one. Open the command line. To do this, you can use the Win+R key combination, enter the command F:syslinux.exe –ma F.

In place F we indicate the letter of the partition with removable media. Press the “Enter” key. If after this a window notifying you of an error does not appear, the actions were performed correctly and you can proceed to the next step. Otherwise, you will need to repeat the steps again.

Final stage of action

Once the bootable media has been created, you need to download the folders on it to your computer. To do this, you need to enter the POST BIOS and press the F8 key. As a result, a window will appear in front of the user in which you need to indicate the boot media to be used.

In some computer models, other key combinations are possible, therefore, before starting work, you should read the instructions for the equipment.

When the Windows 7 password reset program has loaded, you need to select the partition with the installed operating system and follow the further instructions of the program. As a rule, for the utility to work, it is enough to press the Enter key from time to time.

In the event that it becomes necessary to make certain changes, you must shut down Windows. When the program is finished, the user gains access to the data.

The utility may prompt you to remember your password. It is not recommended to do this, as forgetting the old password and entering incorrect data in the drain can ruin all the work done.

Thus, you don’t have to worry that if you lose your password information, access to your computer and all the information on it will be restricted forever.

Browsers, email clients, and other programs often offer to save passwords. This is very convenient: I saved it and forgot, sometimes in the literal sense of the word. But what if you need to change your browser, reinstall the system, or simply log in from a different computer? It turns out that browsers store passwords very unreliably. There are a lot of recovery programs, and of course, on someone else’s machine they will work no worse than on yours.

Browsers

The browser often stores dozens or even hundreds of passwords. It’s clear that if you don’t use one password for all occasions (and this is not the best idea), remembering passwords for all sites and forums can be problematic.

If you have forgotten an important password and don’t want to rack your brains, download and install the WebBrowserPassView program. You will be surprised: it will easily extract passwords from Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox and Yandex Browser, and the latest versions are supported. Personally, I tested this program with IE, Firefox, Chrome and Opera - in no case did it fail.

Before running WebBrowserPassView, it is advisable to disable your antivirus, as some will complain that it is malware. The recovery result is shown in the screenshot. Don't blame me, but I covered up the Password column and the User Name part.

Select the passwords you want to remember and run the command File - Save Selected Items. The selected passwords will be saved to a plain text file in the following format:

===================================================== URL: website Web Browser: Firefox 32+ User Name: user Password: password Password Strength: Very Strong User Name Field: Password Field: Created Time: 07/09/2015 21:15:16 Modified Time: 07/09/2015 21:15:16 =====================================================

And of course, the program is suitable for retrieving passwords on someone else’s machine. If you have local access or remote access - via RDP or TeamViewer, then getting passwords will be easy.

Postal workers

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Due to numerous requests from readers, I decided to write detailed and simple instructions, how to reset a user account password in any version of Windows: 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP.
So, you turned on the computer, and the system asks you to enter a password to log in. You enter the user's password, but it does not match: the “invalid password” error appears. What to do if no password is suitable, but you need to log in? There is a solution - you can reset the password using a special program recorded on a bootable USB flash drive. Now I’ll tell you how to create such a flash drive.

You will need to briefly use any others computer. To do this, you can contact a relative, friend, neighbor, maybe you have a computer at work - I think this is not a problem now.

So, we sit down at another computer or laptop. Insert any flash drive into it:

Download a free program for resetting Windows passwords -. You can download it from the official website (or from my Yandex.Disk):

Run the downloaded file lsrmphdsetup.exe:Install the program as usual: i.e. We agree with everything and press the ““ button in all windows. Next" In the last installation window, click the “ Finish” – the program will start automatically and its shortcut will be created on the desktop:

In the start window, click the button Burn Bootable CD/USB Disk Now!(“Burn a bootable CD/USB disk right now”):

In the next window select Windows version, which is installed on the computer where we will then reset the password. Not on the list Windows 10, but it’s not scary: if you have a “ten”, then choose here Windows 8.1 with your bit depth.

By the way, on one of the forums I saw a message that you can create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1 64-bit, and it will be suitable for resetting the password on any version of Windows (I checked on Windows 10 64-bit and on Windows 7 64-bit - so and is):

After you have selected the desired version of Windows, click the “ Next”:

In the next window, place a marker on the item USB Flash and select the letter of our flash drive (it is already inserted into the computer). In my case, the letter of the flash drive: F.
Then press the button “ Start”:

The program will download the necessary components from the Microsoft website for some time:

After this the program will ask: “ Should you format your USB drive now?“All files, if they are on the flash drive, will be deleted. Press the button “ Yes”:

Now we wait until the bootable USB flash drive is created:

At the end of the process, press the button “ Finish”:

All! The bootable USB flash drive with the password reset program is ready. We take it out and take it to our computer.

Insert the bootable USB flash drive into your computer. And now comes the most important, and at the same time, the most difficult moment for those who will be doing this for the first time. We need configure the computer to boot from our flash drive .

Those who know how to boot a computer from a flash drive can go straight to the end of this article. For those who don’t know how to boot from a flash drive, I’ll try to explain as clearly as possible:

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In order to “force” the computer to boot not as usual (i.e. from the hard drive), but from the device we need (in our case, from a flash drive), we need to enable a certain setting in Bios computer.

To get into this very Bios, we must immediately after turning on the computer press a certain key on the keyboard (and press not just once, but many, many times until we see the BIOS on the screen).

This key is different on different computers and laptops:

The most commonly used key is Delete(or Del ).
You can also often call up the BIOS using the key F2(and on some laptops Fn+F2 ).
Keys are used less frequently Esc, F1, F6 and others.

In general, immediately after you press the Power button on your computer or laptop, do not wait for Windows to start loading, but immediately start pressing the key many times Delete on keyboard. After a few seconds (5-10) you should see Bios.

If nothing like this appears, and your Windows starts loading as usual, then we don’t wait for anything else: we restart our computer again (you can directly use the Reset button) and try pressing another key many times - F2.

If you don’t get into the BIOS again, reboot the computer again and try pressing the next key - Esc. After F6 etc. But hopefully you won't have to experiment for so long: in the vast majority of cases, either the Delete or F2 key works.

By the way, a hint about which key to load the BIOS usually flashes at the bottom of the screen immediately after turning on the computer. But for some reason no one looks at her, or does not have time to look at her.

On different computers Bios different, and it looks different for everyone.

For example, on my computer it looks like this:

On another computer it will be like this:

On the third computer it’s like this:
That is, I say this because it is almost impossible to write separate instructions for each Bios.

The main thing that anyone who needs to configure booting from a flash drive should know: in the BIOS (no matter how it looks like for you) you need to find the section where the word is present Boot(from English “Loading”). By using the arrows on the keyboard to navigate to this section, we set it to first place in the list of boot devices flash drive.

In Bios, the flash drive may be displayed with its own name (for example, Transcend), or as USB-HDD; There are other options. One thing is important: it must be selected as the first device from which the computer will boot.

Usually the flash drive is “raised” to first place using the arrows on the keyboard, or the keys +/- , or F5/F6.

Having set the setting we need in Bios, we must leave it, not forgetting to save the changes made. To do this you need to go to the section Exit(it’s usually the last one) – and there select the item “ Save and Exit” (“Save and Exit”). And then confirm once again that we are leaving by clicking “ Yes”.

That's all: if you did everything correctly, the computer will reboot and boot from the flash drive (press the Delete key again, or F2, or something else - no need!).

Many people don’t even want to bother creating a bootable flash drive with any software, because... They are afraid that they still won’t be able to configure the computer to boot from it. I tried to describe this entire process of booting from a flash drive in as much detail as possible. If you have mastered this text, I hope it has become at least a little clearer and now all that remains is to practice.

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So, I created a bootable USB flash drive with a password reset program on another computer. I insert this flash drive into my computer and turn it on.

Immediately I press the key many, many times Delete on keyboard. After a few seconds I get into Bios.

Using the arrows on the keyboard, I go to the section Boot(although in my Bios you can work with the mouse - in older versions of Bios this will not work).

Here my first device now is HDD(ACHI PO: WDC WD50...):
I select this line using the arrow on the keyboard and press the key Enter. A list of devices from which you can boot opens. In my case, this is a hard drive and my flash drive (it is listed here twice). We raise to the first place in the list - flash drive(if there is a choice: USB or UEFI, then choose UEFI). We do this using the arrows on the keyboard or keys +/- , or F5/F6:

Now the flash drive is in first place in the list of boot devices:

Now we exit here, saving the changes. To do this, move the arrow on the keyboard to the last section Exit. Select the line Save Changes and Exit- press the key Enter:

Then select Yes:

After a while, a menu opens in which, using the key Enter we select an item Lazesoft Live CD:

Wait while it downloads:

In the next window, check that the item is selected Reset Windows Password(“Reset Windows Password”) and press the button Next:

A window will pop up with a message about non-commercial use of the program - click Yes:

Click again Next:

In the next window highlight the username, whose password will be reset and click Next:

Click on the button RESET/UNLOCK:

The password has been successfully reset - click OK. Then Finish:

We go to “ Start” and press Reboot Computer("To restart a computer"):

Click OK:

After the computer restarts, we can login to windows without password!

Today we will consider a situation that many computer users have already encountered and/or may still encounter. Namely, what to do if you forgot the password to turn on your computer. This can happen to anyone. You can also forget or lose a note with a password in no time. Especially when this password often has to be changed, as some users do (for example, mothers trying to limit the time their children spend on the computer).

So, today we’ll look at one of the ways to effectively solve this problem. Of course there are many methods resetting or recovering (or hacking) a forgotten Windows login password or user unlock. Gradually I will add descriptions and others.

This method is distinguished by its versatility. That is, This method of resetting a forgotten computer password is suitable for various Windows operating systems : 2000, XP, Vista, 7, Server 2003, Server 2008, etc.

Let's use the utility.

Accordingly, in the first case, we write the image file to disk (read how to burn an iso image to disk), in the second, we create a bootable flash drive (in this case, we simply copy all the files in their archive to a blank flash drive). Choose which option is more convenient for you.

After this is done, we insert our disk or flash drive into the computer (we need to boot from one of these media) and turn it on. If your operating system still starts and asks you to enter a forgotten password, then you will have to do a little more magic to launch the utility from the disk/flash drive. Read how to boot from external media.

If such a picture appears on the screen, it means that everything was done correctly, and you were able to load Offline NT Password and Registry editor from the disk/flash drive.

Click Enter and wait. Now the program prompts us to select the partition on which the operating system is installed (in other words, where we will reset the password). The disk is selected by entering the desired number. The screen tells us how many partitions the program currently sees and what their sizes are. Actually, this is the only information available to us here about the sections, so we can only rely on it. But don't worry, if you select the wrong partition by mistake, the utility will simply not be able to erase the password, and you will return to this menu, where you can enter a different partition number and try again.

In my case, two partitions are displayed: 1 - 10.7 GB, 2 - 5490 MB. If you remember how big yours was Local drive C , then choose a partition with a similar size. I select section 1. I enter a number from the keyboard 1 and press Enter .

Next you need to specify the directory where the file is located SAM(storing the registry branch). The program itself offers us a default directory ( Windows/System32/config ), where this file is usually located. We agree, click Enter .

Next, we are asked to choose what action we want to perform. Enter the number 1 , which corresponds to password reset (Password reset), and press Enter .

The next step is to also choose the desired action. Enter the number 1 - change accounts and passwords (Edit user data and passwords ). Click Enter .

A sign appears in front of us, which lists all usernames (Username) and them identifiers (RID) . The program prompts you to enter a username from the list for which you want to reset the password. The program immediately offered me Admin- It is on this account that I want to erase the password. So I just click Enter .

Retreat. You, of course, can enter a different username, but it’s probably better to unlock the administrator account, and only then change the passwords for everyone who needs it.

If your username is written in Russian, then it is normal that it will not be reflected due to the Cyrillic alphabet. In this case, instead of the username, indicate it RID in the following form: 0xRID. That is, in my case: 0x01f4. Click Enter .

Now the program offers us the following options for action for the selected account: 1 - clear the password, 2 - change the password, 3 - make the user an administrator, 4 - unlock the account, q - exit and return to selecting the account. Enter 1 and press Enter .

Password removed! The job is done, all that remains is to exit the application. Enter Exclamation point and click Enter .

Enter q and click Enter .

We confirm the changes have been made. Enter y and press Enter .

We refuse to continue working in Offline NT Password and Registry editor and enter n , then click Enter .

We remove the disk from the wire or the flash drive from the usb socket, restart the computer and enjoy the result. Windows login password has been reset!

Naturally, the article is intended to help those who really forgot password and would have had no other choice but to reinstall the system. Under no circumstances does the information provided can not use for any harmful purposes.