Lost Windows Password

You can down the iso from https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/soft...load/windows10

its free you may be able to boot it and do a refresh so keep all software etc

RHinCT said:

I'd be perfectly happy to just reinstall and start over with an empty system

1 Download the ISO - use one of the sources identified in Download Windows 10 ISO File -TenForumsTutorials [one of them, the MS MCT tool, achieves both steps 1 & 2]
2 Create Bootable Installation USB - TenForumsTutorials
Then Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

RHinCT said:

Is there any hope for recovering this machine without the password?

There's no need to take such drastic action as a Clean install. This procedure will get you back in to create another user account or reset the password of the existing one with far less work.
Enable or Disable Elevated Administrator account [Option 5] - TenForumsTutorials
Then log in with it and use that to reset the original account's password.
And, while you're at it, create a spare, password-protected, local Admin user account as a hedge against a day when the normal user account is corrupt [it's rare but does happen].
And do write all user passwords down somewhere secure yet accessible. Writing down their passwords is as effective as & is a lot cheaper than making 'Password reset disks' [which are only for local accounts anyway]. I always write user account passwords down on a piece of paper that I keep inside one of those dog nametag cylinder things attached to my main keyring -

Here's a [UK] link for some example ID tags https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Barrel-.../dp/B00DEB1JVQ There are lots of available choices but I bought ones that, like these, have a slot in the bottom for me to swing off so I can be confident they won't come apart accidentally while I'm out & about.



Best of luck,
Denis

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Glad to help.


Denis

RHinCT said:

I don't need any lessons on password management, but my brother-in-law, the one who forgot his, sure can!

Run CMD as admin and copy/paste:

Code:

takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%WINDIR%\System32\utilman.exe"
icacls "%WINDIR%\System32\utilman.exe" /grant:r %username%:F
copy /y %WINDIR%\System32\cmd.exe %WINDIR%\System32\utilman.exe

In the future, changing the local password will be as simple as this, at the logon screen using Accessibility button:

Code:

net user username password