Lost or Forgot Administrator Password in Windows 7, 8, 10? Here is How To Fix It

Forgot administrator password and can no longer log on Windows? How to reset Windows 10 password if you have forgotten it? After a failed login attempt, the login screen will show your password hint to help you remember the password. If that doesn’t work, then it’s going to be tough to get back in.

Fortunately, there are some tips and tools that can help you reset lost or forgotten administrator password in Windows 7, 8, 10. Here comes the most effective and trusted Windows password recovery methods.

Method 1: Reset Windows Administrator Password with Installation CD

Windows installation CD should be the most reliable disc to reset a forgotten Windows password.  If you’ve got an installation CD, boot from it and you can reset lost administrator password with command line tricks:

1. Boot your computer with Windows installation CD.
2. Once you are on the setup screen, press SHIFT + F10 keyboard shortcut to launch the Command Prompt.
3. Type the below commands and press Enter. All we are doing is substituting sethc.exe for exe.

• copy d:\windows\system32\sethc.exe d:\

• copy /y d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Exit the installation screen and reboot. When you’re at the login screen, press Shift key for five times and you’ll see Command Prompt launch. Execute the below command to reset your forgotten Windows password:

• net user user_name new_password

Close the Command Prompt and you can immediately log in to Windows with your new password.

Method 2: Reset Windows Administrator Password with PCUnlocker

Resetting Windows password with third-party software is definitely much easier than the command line trick above, but you have to find the most effective and trusted tools. PCUnlocker is the best commercial software I’ve tested and it works flawlessly with Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7.

The steps of using PCUnlocker to reset forgotten Windows password are quite easy, even computer novices can do it.

When you can’t log in to your computer, use your friend’s PC to download the ISO image, burn it to a disc or create a bootable USB thumb drive with ISO2Disc.

After the disc or USB drive is ready, insert it into the computer that you’re resetting forgotten administrator password on. Once booting into the PCUnlocker utility, you’ll see the following screen.

1. Choose the Administrator account, and click Reset Password
2. After doing this, reboot and you can log in with a blank password! Don’t forget to quit the CD or USB before your computer starts up again.

I have explained the best methods of resetting lost Windows administrator password without reinstalling Windows. However, you must not be using these methods for illegal purposes. Still, have trouble regain access to your locked Administrator account? drop a comment below!