Anyone can forget a password. Okay you may think
it will never happen to you, but think again,
because it may just happen. Forgetting your user
account password is no big deal providing you have
taken the necessary precautions to create a
Password Reset Disk.
Sadly, if you haven't created a Password Reset
Disk for your Windows operating system then gaining
access to your PC will become a nightmare. I'm not
saying that it is impossible, because it isn't.
However, this tutorial refers to resetting your user
account password with the aid of your Windows
Password Reset Disk.
The first you will know about your password being
wrong is when you type the password in at boot up
and a message appears telling you that The User Name
or Password is Incorrect. It is at this stage that
you need your Password Reset Disk.
Once you have your Password Reset Disk (you
should have created this either on a floppy disk or
a USB flash drive. See:
Password Reset Disk) you should insert the disk
(or USB stick) into the relevant drive and then
proceed as follows:
- After you have typed in the wrong password a
message will appear informing you that the User
Name or Password is incorrect (See fig 51.1). At
this point, Click the OK button to take you back
to the log on screen.
Fig: 51-1 User Name Or
Password is incorrect error screen
- After you have returned to the Windows Log
On screen look just below the Password dialogue
box and you will see a Reset Password option,
Click on this to start the Reset process.
Fig: 51-2 Windows Log On
screen showing the Reset Password option
- After clicking on the Reset Password option
the Password Reset Wizard will open.
Fig: 51-3 Password Reset
Wizard
- Click the Next button in the Password Reset
Wizard screen.
- The next screen (see fig 51.4) requires you
to Insert the password reset disk.
- If you haven't already done so, Insert the
floppy disk or USB Thumb drive that holds the
password reset file and then Select the drive
from the password key disk is in the
following drive dialogue box. Now press the
Next button.
Fig: 51-4 Insert the Password
Reset Disk and then choose the drive from the
drop down list
- You are now presented with the Reset the
User Account Password screen.
Fig: 51-5 The User Account
Password Screen
- Type in the new password you wish to use and
then type it in again to confirm your selection.
- Next type in a password hint and then click
the Next button.
- The next screen to appear will be the
Completing the password wizard screen. This
should tell you that you have successfully reset
your password.
Fig: 51-6 You have
successfully reset your password
- Finally click the Finish button.
- You should now be taken back to the Log on
screen where you can type in your new password
and gain access to your system.