Resetting PC Admin Password: Step-by-Step Guide

_{December 5, 2023 by JoyAnswer.org, Category : Technology}

How can I reset a PC if I forgot the administrator password? Learn the process of resetting a PC's administrator password when forgotten. Follow this comprehensive guide for step-by-step instructions.

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How can I reset a PC if I forgot the administrator password?

Resetting the administrator password on a PC when it's forgotten can be done using various methods. Here's a general guide that might help:

Use Password Reset Disk (Windows Built-in Feature, if available):
- If you previously created a password reset disk, use it to reset the password. Insert the disk and follow the instructions to reset the password.
Safe Mode (Windows 10/8.1/8/7):
- Restart the PC and repeatedly press the F8 key before the Windows logo appears to enter the Advanced Boot Options.
- Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt."
- In the Command Prompt window, type "net user" and press Enter to see a list of user accounts.
- Type "net user [username] *" and press Enter. Replace [username] with the account for which you want to change the password.
- Follow the prompts to enter a new password.
Windows Installation Disk/USB (Windows 10/8.1/8/7):
- Boot the PC from the Windows installation disk or USB drive.
- Choose the language and keyboard settings, then click "Repair your computer."
- Go to Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
- Type "copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:" and press Enter.
- Type "copy /y c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe" and press Enter.
- Restart the PC and, at the login screen, press the Shift key five times to open a Command Prompt window with administrative privileges.
- Type "net user [username] [newpassword]" and press Enter. Replace [username] with the target account and [newpassword] with the desired new password.

These methods might vary based on the Windows version and system configurations. If these built-in methods don’t work or if you're uncomfortable using them, consider seeking assistance from a professional technician or contacting the PC manufacturer's support for guidance on resetting the administrator password.

Resetting a PC when the administrator password is forgotten

Resetting a PC when the administrator password is forgotten can be done in a few different ways, depending on the operating system.

For Windows 10:

Reset the password using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
- Restart your PC and press the power button repeatedly to interrupt the boot process.
- Choose the option to enter the Advanced Recovery Options.
- Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything.
- Choose the option to Keep my personal files.
- Windows will then reset your PC, removing the forgotten administrator password.
Use a recovery disk or USB boot drive.
- Create a recovery disk or USB boot drive using the Windows Media Creation Tool.
- Boot from the recovery disk or USB drive and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your PC.

For Windows 8.1:

Reset the password using the F8 menu.
- Restart your PC and press the F8 key repeatedly as it boots up.
- Select Repair your computer.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- Press F7 to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
- Log in to Safe Mode using a different administrator account or user account with administrator privileges.
- Open Command Prompt and type the following command:
  net user administrator /active:yes
- This will re-enable the built-in administrator account.
- Log out of Safe Mode and then log in as the administrator account.
- Change the password for the administrator account to something you will remember.
Use the Microsoft account recovery tool.
- If you have linked your Microsoft account to your PC, you can use the Microsoft account recovery tool to reset your password.
- Go to https://account.live.com/password/reset and enter your email address or phone number.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.

For Windows 7:

Reset the password using the System Recovery Options.
- Restart your PC and press the F8 key repeatedly as it boots up.
- Select Advanced Startup Options.
- Choose Repair your computer.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
- Log in to Command Prompt using a different administrator account or user account with administrator privileges.
- Open Command Prompt and type the following command:
  net user administrator /active:yes
- This will re-enable the built-in administrator account.
- Log out of Command Prompt and then log in as the administrator account.
- Change the password for the administrator account to something you will remember.
Use the System Restore feature.
- Open System Restore and choose to restore your PC to a previous state when you knew the administrator password.

For macOS:

Reset the password using the macOS Recovery Mode.
- Restart your Mac and hold down Command-R until you see the Apple logo.
- Choose Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
- Select your internal drive and click Erase.
- Choose APFS as the format and click Erase.
- Once the drive is erased, you can restart your Mac and set up a new administrator account.
Use the FileVault encryption feature.
- If you have enabled FileVault encryption, you can reset your password by logging in to iCloud.com and then resetting your password for your macOS account.

For Linux:

The specific method for resetting a PC when the administrator password is forgotten will vary depending on the Linux distribution you are using. However, the general process is usually similar to the following:

Boot from a live CD or USB drive.
- Create a live CD or USB drive using a Linux distribution of your choice.
- Boot your PC from the live CD or USB drive and mount your hard drive.
Change the password for the root account.
- Log in to the live Linux environment as the root user.
- Use the following command to change the password for the root user:
  sudo passwd root
Log out of the root user.
- Log out of the root user and switch back to the live Linux environment.
Reboot your PC.
- Once you have rebooted your PC, you should be able to log in to your administrator account using the new password.