How to log in to your PC when you have forgotten your password

Windows XP didn’t give you a way to conveniently log in if you had forgotten your password and required you to go search for third-party tools. Fortunately, Vista allows you to easily create a “Password Reset” disk should you forget your login password. You can even use your iPod or USB memory disk as a computer key!

If you can do this on your own, just press Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Change a Password > Create a Password Reset Disk. Follow the step-by-step wizard and you’re all set.

If you want to follow this tutorial step-by-step, then create a Reset Disk following these steps instead.

1) Click on Start Pearl and type this in the Search bar: control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts

or

Classic Control Panel View: Start > Control Panel > User Accounts
Normal Control Panel View: Start > Control Panel > User and Family Safety > User Accounts

2) Click on Create a Password Reset Disk on the left panel.

3) Click next and you will be asked to choose where you want your password key disk saved. I recommend you choose a form of removable media such as a floppy or a USB disk.

4) Make sure the selected disk is still in the drive, then enter your current user account password.

5) Click Next and let Windows do its thing.

Once you create the password disk, any other password disks you’ve created in the past won’t work anymore. You must use the one you have just created. So what do you do when you actually have forgotten your password? When you log in, purposely get your password wrong and click OK when you get prompted for a wrong password. Then a new link will appear at the bottom that says Reset Password. Click that and follow the step-by-step wizard to reset your password. You should have no problem at all getting back into Vista.

 

Still need help? Check out our new forums where you can get an even faster and better response!

This entry was posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2007 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Tips and Tweaks, Tutorials, Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.