How to reset Windows Administrator Password

In this post, we will see how to reset windows administrator password without using any software.

Step 1: Launch OS that allows you to access the file system

Here we use Linux OS as it supports Live OS to try before we can actually install the OS and be able to access terminal/command prompt. Majorly used Live OS are Ubuntu, Kali Linux, etc. Download the Live ISO Linux file from the respective website and burn/write it to your CD/DVD/USB. After burning/writing the OS to CD/DVD/USB, reboot your system. When it loads your manufacturer logo (Lenovo, HP, DELL, etc), get into BIOS settings and change the boot order of your system as CD/DVD (or) USB Storage, in which you have Live OS. and change the Hard Disk (HDD) to second boot priority.

Step 2: Navigate to System32

Once after changing the boot order and booting up the system, you will get into the respective Linux OS directly, where you will have access to the file manager or command prompt. Navigate to Windows install Drive or type in the location where Windows is installed.

For example: (Image coming soon)

D:\Windows\System32

Step 3: Rename Magnify.exe

Find Magnify.exe (magnifier file) and rename it as magnify.old

Step 4: Rename cmd.exe

Find cmd.exe and rename it as magnify.exe

Step 5: Shutdown Linux and then reboot windows

In this step, Logout then reboot, remove CD/DVD/USB and restart into windows

Step 6: Get CMD prompt Modify accounts

When Windows reboots, click on the ease of access button in the bottom left corner. (Image coming soon)

Then click the second selection i.e. “Make items on the screen larger (Magnifier)” and click apply.

Now you will see a command prompt on your screen, here is the place where you can change the admin password and make any modification to the system using administrator privileges

You can right-click cmd.exe and click “Run as administrator” in Windows for advanced permissions. Editing files would never be allowed at the basic administrator-level (attention). The same goes for any application on Windows – right-click and the magic will happen.

To list all the available users’ type net user press enter key.

Change Password: 

If you want to reset the password? type net user username new_password press enter key, after that the password changes without prompting you again.

Other options available for net users:

To add an account:

net user username password/add

If your username has a space, like John Abraham, use quotes like “John Abraham”.

Admin that:

net localgroup administrators username /add

Delete that:

net user username /delete

Remote Desktop Users Group:

net localgroup Remote Desktop Users username /add

Net User Syntax Reference:

net user commands

net user for domain

Step 7:  Revert back all changes

Now you should insert your Linux Live CD/DVD/USB and rename the files back to the original names.

1. Repeat Step 1
2. Repeat Step 2
3. Rename magnify.exe back to cmd.exe
4. Rename magnify.old back to magnify.exe
5. Log out, take out CD/DVD USB, reboot into Windows