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Reset a forgotten Windows 7 Password without using any third party software, How to - Tutorial -


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#1 Jamal H. Naji

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 08:57 AM

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Many of boot-Landers, members and guests asked me if there's a way to reset a forgotten Windows 7 Password, without using any third party software, my answer was yes, and this is actually a Windows 7 privilege that probably 99% of the Windows 7 users never know about.

So here's how to do it the easiest way, from scratch in 10 minutes:

1- You need a Windows 7 PC with CD burner and a blank CD in order to make a Windows 7 System Repair Disk.
To do that click on the Start button then browse the All Programs, go to Maintenance, expand it, and choose - Create a System Repair Disk, and follow the Pictures below:


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PS:** If you don't have a CD burner, let's say you have a netbook PC, then you can do a Windows 7 Repair USB instead, so if you have an extra clean and empty USB 2.0 thumb drive with a 1 G.B. of size you can check my tutorial - ( Image your Windows 7 system and forget about formatting, period ! ) on the following link, and see how you can make a USB repair tool instead of a CD, and use it :

http://reboot.pro/13...__fromsearch__1

2- After you have created a repair disk or USB as mentioned above, go and boot the PC you want to reset its password with this repair disk or USB, follow the pictures below:

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3- On the screen choose to open the Command Prompt:

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4- Type copy c:windowssystem32sethc.exe c: and hit Enter key:

5- Type copy c:windowssystem32cmd.exe c:windowssystem32sethc.exe
and hit Enter key, when prompted to Overwrite, Type : Yes and hit Enter key again, close the command window, and restart your PC:


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6- When you reach the LogOn screen hit the Shift key 5 times, a command window will open, Type the following, see the picture below :

net user (type the name of the account) (Type any password)
and hit Enter Key, and when prompted to overwrite, Type Yes, and hit Enter Key again, and close the command window, and log on with the new password you just created:

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7- After that you might want to put the original sticky key file back in its place, so go ahead and boot your PC with the repair CD or USB that you made early in this tutorial, and in the command prompt window type the following ( see picture below ):

copy c:sethc.exe c:windowssystem32sethc.exe

press Enter, then when prompted to Overwrite, type Yes and hit Enter key again, then close the window, and restart the PC.



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Done

Jamal

My previous tutorials (Limited to one year of search only):
http://reboot.pro/in...ivity&mid=34077


A PDF version of this tutorial:
http://www.mediafire.../?w5678o7wh7kl0
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#2 RoyM

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 11:12 AM

Thank You Jamal
Putting this in the toolbox

#3 sbaeder

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 04:12 PM

Goor info...While it seems like a pretty big "security hole" to me, I guess you have to have physical access, and ability to boot the repair function to get to the CMD prompt to replace the sticky keys.

Just one note: if you are going to save this "tip" for use on a wider variety of machines, you need a repair environment that matches the installed OS - i.e. 32/64 bit. Of course if you are making the repair disk yourself for a single machine, this is automatic.

#4 amalux

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 05:08 PM

Thanks Jamal :)

#5 Myote

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 05:55 PM

You could do the same with Utilman.exe. Replace it with cmd.exe and on the windows logon, you have just to click on the icon of accessibility.
Samething with magnify.exe, osk.exe, etc... Click the same icon.
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#6 IgImAx

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 06:38 PM

Thanks Jamal, Very Very handy Tips! :clap:

I copy and paste your great post over here: http://forum.persian...tml#post4024805 withe your name and link to this topic as reference.

Edited by IgImAx, 04 November 2011 - 06:49 PM.


#7 fsaaib

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 07:34 PM

Thanks Jamal

#8 Jasen Webster

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 08:03 PM

Awesome tip!! :thumbsup:

Hmmm, I'm glad that I encrypt my whole drive now. :lamo:

#9 Prompt Care

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 09:01 PM

+1 for using UtilMan.

#10 AssimilatorX

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Posted 04 November 2011 - 11:59 PM

I used to do the same with the utilman.exe... LOL

#11 Uvais

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 04:20 AM

Nice one Sir ;; i have seen these type of article on other many sites too :3th:

But again good effort :good:

#12 culay13

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 04:49 AM

great info jamal....

thank so much....

I have 1 question.
can I use this tutorial in windows 7 64bit??

#13 Jamal H. Naji

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 05:12 AM

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Thank you RoyM, sbaeder, amalux, Myote, IgImAx, fsaaib, Jasen Webster, Prompt Care, AssimilatorX, Uvais, culay13 for your beautiful comments and inputs.

@ IgImAx, thanks for sharing this tutorial in other forums, appreciate that.

@ culay13, yes you can use this tutorial on both 32/64 bit Windows 7 if you make a system recovery disk for each system, means you have to use the 32 bit recovery cd/usb with the 32 bit Windows 7, and use the 64 bit recovery cd/usb with the 64 bit Windows 7.

regards
jamal
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#14 perceptual

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 10:56 AM

10x )

#15 Hima

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 12:34 PM

Thank You Jamal

very nice tutorial

regeards

#16 steve6375

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 01:21 PM

Goor info...While it seems like a pretty big "security hole" to me, I guess you have to have physical access, and ability to boot the repair function to get to the CMD prompt to replace the sticky keys.

Just one note: if you are going to save this "tip" for use on a wider variety of machines, you need a repair environment that matches the installed OS - i.e. 32/64 bit. Of course if you are making the repair disk yourself for a single machine, this is automatic.


Thanks Jamal - very useful technique! :clap:
I don't see that you need both a 32-bit and 64-bit recovery disk though. You should be able to get to the command prompt by cancelling out any 'repair' or system restore offered and then to the copy/rename commands. You just need to remember to choose 'normal boot' from the boot menu when you reboot from the hard disk or it may try to 'auto-repair' itself on next boot. You can also use any Win7/Vista Recovery or Install DVD to boot from.
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#17 thewizard0

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 01:49 PM

Thanks for your effort.
Can I do it in any win PE ,vista PE for example? or it is only on windows recovery CD?
Also I tried to do it in normal login and it succeeded bet i did the same of what the tutorial said.

#18 MarkAtHome

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 08:26 PM


Thanks, Jamal. Your effort is appreciated.


#19 sambul61

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Posted 05 November 2011 - 11:09 PM

I don't see that you need both a 32-bit and 64-bit recovery disk though... You can also use any Win7/Vista Recovery or Install DVD to boot from.

It would be nice to amend Steve's idea to Jamal's 1-st post, since it greatly simplifies the method. Before he posted this, I was just curious how big is peeps interest in security topics (while having free NTPWEdit that works great on any Windows NT type OS, including Win 7 and 8). Now I added this combo method to my Notebook - just in case. :)

#20 Nixie

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Posted 07 November 2011 - 11:57 AM

Fantastic!!! :1st:

#21 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 07 November 2011 - 03:55 PM

@jamal
Nice tutorial, very well explained/illustrated. :thumbsup:

BTW, you don't actually *need* anything "specific" like the Windows 7 "Recovery Disk", but *anything* that can overwrite a file (on NTFS), even a Recovery Console or a DOS with NTFS4DOS or similar write enabled driver might do.

This and similar tricks are known, this example uses Ubuntu:
https://www.infoseci...e-Password.html

An IMHO nicer trick (WHEN it works), is using the Internet Explorer trick with Narrator:
http://www.thetomorr...ed-windows.html

Besides the mentioned NTPWedit, let us not forget (of course deviating from the original scope, i.e. using a third party utility :ph34r:)
Kon-Boot:
http://reboot.pro/8027/
and WindowsGate:
http://reboot.pro/4070/

It is always better to have more options available ;).

:cheers:
Wonko

#22 georgejoy1

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 06:21 AM

Wow thank you so much for that awesome tip Mr Jamal

#23 sambul61

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 12:20 PM

I can't believe, how many first time posters appeared in this thread - probably more than in any other thread in this forum. It must be an acute problem for a typical Reboot novice - keep forgetting his Win password... :dubbio:
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#24 Master of Disaster

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 06:38 PM

@ JAMAL ..wow  as usual a world class top tutorialist.. everything just perfect.. clean..rich with step by step pictures.. as always..no mistakes..hassle free guides..congrats buddy..2 thumbs up !!

@ sambul61..my friend common..they're only 4 first time posters!!how about the rest of the 14 top pros who loved this method/tutorial..including the notorious (Wonko the Sane)!! who expressed his love to JAMAL's work !! despite he also as usual missed the point that the title of this tutorial is obviously saying (without the use of third party software)that Wonko the Sane obviously didn't see it when he posted about other ways to do this using 3rd party software..so sambul61 my friend they don't have to forget their windows password to love this post..despite the fact that everyone must have been experienced this situation..don't you agree?

Edited by Master of Disaster, 08 November 2011 - 06:46 PM.

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#25 homes32

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 09:53 PM

its a good tutorial, but for new/inexperienced/average users there are much safer, quicker and easier ways to do the job. which is one of the points I believe wonko was trying to convey.
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