Forgot Windows XP Password? 5 Ways to Reset it Now!

Help! I forgot Windows XP password!

Windows XP is still in use and users tend to protect their computers with a strong password that starts to be a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols. If they don't take notes and hardly use them, they are likely to forget them after a long time.

"I have forgotten my administrator password. It's been years since I set it up & I can no longer remember what it is. Any suggestions for my case? Thank you."

What happened if you forgot Windows XP password? Did you lose some permission for your system or were you locked out of your Windows XP computer?

If you are experiencing these problems, don't miss the following content that can help you out.

What to do if I forgot Windows XP Password?

When you no longer remember your password, the easiest way is to reset your forgotten password on Windows XP. There are five methods for you to choose. Let's walk you through them one by one.

Way 1. Reset forgotten password on Windows XP using Ctrl+Alt+Del

The first and simple way to complete password reset is to use the combination of the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys. If you log in your Windows XP computer via the Welcome screen, this method fits you very much.

Note: This way only works when you don't set any Windows XP administrator password.

Step 1. Boot up your computer to get the Welcome screen and press "Ctrl + Alt + Del" twice to open the user login screen.

Step 2. Try clicking "OK" to log into Windows XP without any username or password. If it doesn't work, type in "Administrator" in the username box and click "OK" again.

Step 3. When you get into the system, go to "Control Panel" > "User Account" > "Change Account". Then, you can follow the instructions to change the password for the selected account.

Way 2. Reset forgotten password on Windows XP in Safe Mode

You may not know that there is a hidden administrator account available for the Windows XP system, which doesn't need any password. So you can log into your Windows XP operating system using this account and reset the forgot Windows XP password from Control Panel.

Sounds like the Way 1? But you need to execute the task in Safe Mode. Here are the detailed steps.

Step 1. Restart your computer and keep pressing "F8" in your keyboard to enter the boot menu.

Step 2. From here, choose the "Safe Mode" option and press "Enter".

Step 3. When you get into the home screen, you need to choose "Administrator". If you are not brought to the home screen, type in "Administrator" in the username box and leave the password box empty.

Step 4. Then, click on the "Start" button from your home screen and go to "Control Panel" > "User Account" > "Change Account" to change your desired account password easily.

Way 3. Reset forgotten password on Windows XP via Command Prompt

If you forgot Windows XP password, using Command Prompt from Safe Mode is an ideal way to reset the password.

Step 1. Get into Safe Mode as how we told you above, and select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" to open it.

Step 2. Type the following command and press "Enter":

net user [account name] [new password]

This command allows you to set a new password. Once it's done, you can start to use your new password.

Way 4. Reset forgotten password on Windows XP with installation media

If the first three methods are not working and you are still locked out of your system, you can consider using a bootable media to reset your password for Windows XP system. You can refer to the following steps.

Step 1. Create a Windows XP installation media, insert it into your computer and boot your PC from this bootable disc.

Step 2. Press "Enter" to enter the Setup screen and press "F8" to accept the license agreement.

Step 3. Select the Windows XP installation and press "R" to start the repair process. Wait for a while and the computer will restart.

Step 4. When it restarts, you can see Installing Device bar at the bottom of left corner, press "Shift + F10" keys to open the Command Prompt.

Step 5. Then type "nusrmgr.cpl" in the Command Prompt window and hit "Enter". In the new window, you can follow the prompts to finish the password reset on Windows XP.

Way 5. Reset forgotten password on Windows XP with Windows password reset tool

If you have trouble applying the above methods due to the complicated operation or unsatisfying result, you can resort to a third-party Windows password reset tool. Here, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional would be a good choice. It's a reputable and reliable tool that can help you reset YOUR password easily when you forgot Windows XP password.

Key features:
◤ It's easy to use due to the graphical interface and detailed instructions.
◤ It can find forgotten password back on all Windows like resetting password Windows 10/11/8/7/Vista.
◤ It can create a bootable USB flash drive or CD/DVD Disc with a few clicks.
◤ It supports removing password and reset password, which depends on your need.

Part 1. Create Windows XP reset USB

Step 1. Prepare a USB and connect it to a running computer. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. In the taskbar, click "Tools" and "Reset Windows Password".

Step 2. In the pop-up window, you’ll be noted to create a a WinPE bootable media. Click "Next"  to move on.

Step 3. Here we tick "USB Boot Device" and choose your prepared USB to create a bootable USB. Click "Proceed".

Step 4. Note that the USB flash drive needs to be formatted so you will lose all data on it. If there is important data on it, please make a backup and redo.

The progress will take a few minutes. When the bootable USB is created successfully, unplug the USB and connect it to the Windows XP you forgot password for.

Part 2. Start to reset forgotten password on Windows XP

Step 1. Boot the computer from this USB, and you will see AOMEI Partition Assistant on the screen. Click "Reset Password", select the Windows system you would like to operate, and click "Next".

Step 2. Then, select the account you would like to operate and select the feature you want to use: "Remove Account Password" or "Reset Account Password", and click "Next".

Step 3. Next, a pop-out window lets you set a new password. After you confirm the new password, please click "Yes" to start to reset forgotten password.

Step 4. Finally, restart your computer and begin to use the new password.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you should know what to do if you forgot Windows XP password. Five effective methods have been provided to help reset forgotten password on Windows XP. By comparison, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, the best Windows password reset software, would be an ideal choice.

In addition, it's also a good helper when you suffer from other computer problems, such as SSD not showing up, external hard drive not initialized, the device is not ready, etc.