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How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password

Windows 7 comes with a default administrative account (called Administrator) that controls every aspect of the system. In addition to this account, other users can have administrative privileges applied to their own accounts, making it...
Method 1 of 4:

Logging In As a Different Administrator

  1. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 1How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 1
    Log in with a different administrator account.[1] If you're unable to access one administrator account (such as the user called Administrator), log in as any other user with administrative privileges. It's likely that the first account you created when setting up the computer has these privileges. If you don't have another administrator account, try a different method.
  2. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 2How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 2
    Open the Start menu and select 'Control Panel.'[2] If you don't see a link to Control Panel on the Start menu, try pressing ⊞ Win+S to launch the search box, then type Control. When 'Control Panel' appears in the search results, click on it.
  3. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 3How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 3
    Click 'Add or remove user accounts.' Windows will ask you to confirm your password to proceed.
  4. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 4How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 4
    Click the name of the account you want to change. Administrator accounts can change the password of any account on the system. If the account you want to change is called Administrator, click that account.
  5. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 5How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 5
    Click 'Change Password.' Follow the on-screen instructions to set a new password. You'll need to type it twice in order to confirm the change. Once Windows accepts the new password, you'll be able to log in with that account.
Method 2 of 4:

Using a Password Reset Disc

  1. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 6How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 6
    Locate your password reset disc.[3] You'll need to have already created a password reset CD or USB flash drive at an earlier date. If you haven't done that, try a different method. Note that you won't be able to borrow a password reset disc from a friend, as these discs are keyed to your account.
  2. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 7How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 7
    Try to log into Windows as an administrator. When the login fails, you'll see an error that says 'Username or password is incorrect.' Click 'OK.'
  3. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 8How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 8
    Insert the password disc. Use the eject button on your optical drive to open its tray. If you're using a password reset flash drive, plug that in now.
  4. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 9How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 9
    Click 'Reset Password.' This will launch the Password Reset Wizard.
  5. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 10How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 10
    Click 'Next' to type a new password. Choose something you'll remember. You'll be prompted to enter it a second time to make sure you typed it correctly, so type it once more.
  6. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 11How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 11
    Click 'finish.' You can now log in with your new password.
Method 3 of 4:

Using System Repair Disc

  1. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 12How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 12
    Put the system repair CD or DVD into the optical drive.[4] If you didn't make a system repair disc on a prior date, ask someone else who uses Windows 7 to make one for you.
  2. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 13How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 13
    Boot from the disc. Restart the computer and wait for a message that says 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.' Press any key on the keyboard.
    1. If you don't see this and you wind up back at the login screen, your computer may not be set up to boot from CD/DVD. Check the boot settings in the system BIOS.
    2. If it's still not booting from the disc, try burning a new disc on another system.
  3. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 14How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 14
    Select the operating system and drive. Unless you have multiple operating systems and hard drives, you may only see one option. Choose the one marked 'Windows 7' and make note of the drive letter (it's probably C: or D:). Put a check next to 'Use recovery tools' and click 'Next' to proceed.
  4. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 15How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 15
    Select 'Command Prompt' from the list of repair options. This will launch a window where you will type the following commands to rename files:
    1. Type C: or D: (the drive letter you made note of earlier) and press ↵ Enter
    2. Type windowssystem32 and press ↵ Enter
    3. Type ren utilman.exe utilhold.exe and press ↵ Enter. Utilman.exe is a file associated with the Ease of Access center. You'll need to rename it temporarily for this method to work.
    4. Type copy cmd.exe utilman.exe and press ↵ Enter
    5. Type exit and press ↵ Enter
  5. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 16How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 16
    Press the eject button on the CD/DVD drive and reboot the computer. Ejecting the disc ensures that the computer will not try to boot from the CD/DVD.
  6. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 17How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 17
    Click the Ease of Access button on the lower left corner of the login screen. It's a tiny blue button that usually opens various accessibility options. This time it will launch the command prompt (you'll change it back in a few minutes).
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    Set your new password. Type net user Administrator newpassword, but replace 'newpassword' with a new password. Press ↵ Enter.
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    Type exit to close the command prompt. You'll be returned to the sign-in screen.
  9. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 20How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 20
    Log in with your new password. Use the new password to log back in.
  10. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 21How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 21
    Press ⊞ Win+S to open the search box. Now you'll undo the changes you made to the Ease of Access Center. Type command into the text field and wait for 'Command Prompt' to appear in the search results. Use the right mouse button to click 'Command Prompt' and select 'Run as Administrator.'
  11. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 22How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 22
    Type the following commands into the command prompt.
    1. Type C: (or whichever drive letter you made note of earlier) and press ↵ Enter.
    2. Type cd windowssystem32 and press ↵ Enter
    3. Type copy utilhold.exe utilman.exe and press ↵ Enter
    4. Type exit and press ↵ Enter.
Method 4 of 4:

Booting from Setup DVD or flash drive

  1. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 23How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 23
    Insert the Windows 7 Setup DVD or flash drive. The Windows 7 Setup DVD is the disc you used to install Windows 7 (or the Windows install disc that came with your computer). You also may have burned a Setup DVD on an earlier date using the Windows USB/DVD tool.[5] If you created a Windows 7 Setup flash drive at a previous time, you can use that in place of a DVD. If you don't have either, you can borrow one or the other from a friend.
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    Restart the computer to boot from DVD or USB flash drive.[6] Verify that your computer is configured to boot from CD/DVD ROM or USB flash drives in the BIOS. When you see 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD" (or "Press F12 to select a boot device"), follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 25How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 25
    Click the 'X' in the corner of the Language window. Windows thinks it will be installing a brand new operating system, but you'll really just be temporarily changing the name of a program called Sticky Keys.
  4. How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 26How to Reset Windows 7 Administrator Password Picture 26
    Press ⇧ Shift+F10 at the Startup screen. This will open the command prompt, where you'll type the following commands:
    1. Type copy d:windowssystem32sethc.exe d: and then press ↵ Enter. If Windows is not installed on the D: drive, use the drive letter where Windows is located (such as E: or F:). You'll know if it's the wrong drive if you see the message 'The system cannot find the specified path.'
    2. Type copy /y d:windowssystem32cmd.exe d:windowssystem32sethc.exe and press ↵ Enter. Again, if Windows is not installed on the D: drive, use the proper drive letter.
    3. Type exit then press ↵ Enter.
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    Eject the Windows DVD or flash drive and restart the computer. This will ensure that your computer doesn't try to boot from the DVD or flash drive.
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    Press the ⇧ Shift key 5 times (quickly) at the login screen. Usually this action will launch the program Sticky Keys, but this time it will launch the command prompt. Type the following commands:
    1. Type net user Administrator PASSWORD and press ↵ Enter. Replace 'PASSWORD' with a new password for the Administrator account.
    2. Type copy /y d:sethc.exe d:windowssystem32sethc.exe and press ↵ Enter. Replace d: with a different drive letter if necessary. This will rename the Sticky Keys program we modified earlier.
    3. Type exit and then press ↵ Enter.
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    Reboot the computer. You can now log in with the Administrator account.
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