Forgot windows password? How to reset windows 7 password

So you lost your password, right? Now what?
You can do lots of things to access your files, but how to go back to your old windows 7 system without formatting it. 

Well read this tutorial and you will be able to unlock your windows 7 system. 
First of all, you going to need a windows 7 DVD. It doesn't matter what version, if it's windows 7, that's enough. 

This is the point, if we can open up a cmd.exe (command prompt or terminal) inside the locked system, then we can type in few commands and unlock our windows 7 system. Now I'm going to do is, open cmd when log-in window appears. So I can unlock the system.

If you press shift key 5 times when you are in log-in screen (welcome screen). You will get a window called sticky keys. So if we can replace sticky keys with cmd.exe, then we can open cmd on log-in screen. 

Exe files for cmd and sticky keys are

cmd.exe for command prompt
sethc.exe for sticky keys

Locations for cmd and sticky keys are

windows\system32\

So first check that your sticky key windows is coming when press shift key 5 times continuously.

Then insert the windows 7 DVD into DVD drive, restart and boot from the DVD.
When installation window appears press Left shift + F10 once and cmd window will appear. This cmd is from windows DVD. 

Now we have to search for our windows installation (driver letter for windows installed partition).

To do this

1. type C: and enter
2. type dir and enter
3. check there is windows folder
4. if not go to step 1 with D letter, E letter and so on

Do this until you find windows folder.

If you do not have installed multiple OS's in your computer, then this letter is probably D:\ (your installation should be in D:\ drive)

Now we know our windows 7 installed driver letter.

Now we have to backup sethc.exe file

To do this you can either move it to D:\ or rename it to sethc1.exe or copy it to D:\ and delete the original one.

Well i'm going to copy sethc.exe to D:\ and delete the original one in D:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

(remember D:\ is driver letter that windows installation is located, this could be efferent from system to system)

Type in this commands

copy D:\windows\system32\sethc.exe D:\
del D:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Now we have backup sethc.exe file. Next step is copy cmd.exe into system32 folder and rename it to sethc.exe

This can be done in lots of ways, Copy cmd from your windows DVD to windows installation, rename cmd.exe to sethc.exe in windows installation.

I'm going to copy cmd.exe from windows DVD.

You can see the cmd.exe location in windows DVD on the title bar, because now you are using it. It should be X:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

Now type this commands

copy X:\windows\system32\cmd.exe D:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Now you are ready to reset the password.

Remove the DVD and go to log-in screen. Press shift key 5 times continuously and a command prompt should appear.

Now you can type net user and press enter, all the user account names will display in your cmd screen. Now you have to do is 

1. Reset password or
2. Delete the password

Lets say your locked user name is praneeth and you want to change the password to 1111

1 >> To reset password type this and press enter

 net user praneeth 1111

Now close the cmd and you can log-in with password 1111

2 >> To delete password type this and press enter

net user praneeth *

Now you will asked for new password, do not type anything and just press Enter 2 times.

now you have unlocked your system.

Log in and move that backed up sethc.exe file to windows\system32\ 
Backed up sethc file is in your windows installed drive root folder.

Do not use this for hacking. This is just for reset forgot passwords on windows 7.

You can watch our video if you do not understand this article. We are showing step by step all this things in this video.

watch this is full screen

Thanks for reading our blog, share this with friends and have fun. See you soon with another tutorial.