Forgot Your Password? Linux Windows Password Reset Tips

Well, shoot, y’all ever forget that password on your computer? Happens to the best of us, even that fancy Windows thingy. Don’t you go frettin’ now, ’cause I’m gonna tell you how to fix it, plain and simple, like makin’ a good ol’ pot of grits. We gonna use somethin’ called Linux, which is like a different way of doin’ things on your machine.

First off, what the heck is Linux?

Now, I ain’t no computer whiz, but think of Linux like a different road to get to the same place. Windows is one road, and Linux is another. It’s free and kinda like a toolbox full of handy things. We gonna use one of them tools to crack open that Windows password problem.

Gettin’ yourself a Linux helper

You gotta get yourself a copy of this Linux thing. Some folks call it a “Live CD” or a “USB thingy.” It’s like havin’ a spare key to your house. You can get it from the internet, but be careful where you get it from, you don’t want no funny business. Some popular ones are like that “Ubuntu” or “Linux Mint,” sounds fancy, I know, but they just tools. Just download the copy, like gettin’ a picture from the mail, and then put it on a CD or a USB stick, kinda like puttin’ a song on a tape, remember them tapes?

Bootin’ up your computer with Linux

Now, this part is a little tricky, but you can do it. You gotta tell your computer to start up using that Linux thingy you just made, not the regular Windows way. It’s like choosin’ which door to walk through. You gotta fiddle with the buttons when you turn your computer on, usually it’s somethin’ like “F2” or “Delete” or maybe even “F12”, to get to a menu. It’s called the boot menu. From there, you tell it to start from the CD or the USB. Don’t worry, you ain’t gonna break nothin’.

• Stick in that Linux thingy (CD or USB).
• Turn on your computer.
• Press the right button to get to the boot menu.
• Choose the CD or USB drive.

Finding the Windows password file

Once the Linux thingy starts up, it might look a little different, but don’t let that scare ya. It’s still a computer, just with different paint. We gotta find the file where Windows keeps all them passwords. It’s like lookin’ for the recipe book in the kitchen. We gonna use somethin’ called a “terminal”, kinda like a command center. Open that up, it usually looks like a black box. Then, you gotta type in some stuff. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what to type. Now, you gotta find where that Windows stuff is hidin’. Usually it’s on somethin’ called the “C drive”. We gonna poke around in there till we find the right folder.

Changin’ that darn password

Now, we gonna use a special tool in Linux called “chntpw.” It’s like havin’ a special key to unlock that password file. You type in some more stuff in that black box, somethin’ like “sudo chntpw –l SAM” and then you tell it to show you all the users on that computer. You pick the one you forgot the password for, and then you type some more stuff to change that password. You can make it somethin’ new, or even just clear it out so you don’t need no password at all. Just make sure you remember what you typed!

Here’s the important commands, remember to type them careful-like:

To find where all those Windows files are hiding:

• fdisk -l (this shows all your drives)
• cd /media/somefoldername (this is like going into a folder)

To change the password itself:

• cd Windows/System32/config (this goes to where the password info is stored)
• sudo chntpw -l SAM (this shows you all the users)
• sudo chntpw -u username SAM (this lets you change the password for a specific user, replace “username” with the actual username)
• Then you follow the prompts on the screen to clear the password or set a new one.

Cleanin’ up and gettin’ back to Windows

Once you’re done changin’ that password, you gotta close everything down and restart your computer the regular way. Take out that Linux thingy (CD or USB) and let the computer start up like normal. Now, you should be able to get in without that password messin’ with ya.

Keepin’ that Linux helper handy

Now, you might be thinkin’, “That was a whole lotta fuss!” But trust me, it’s better than havin’ to call some fancy computer guy and payin’ him a whole bunch of money. Keep that Linux thingy safe, you never know when you might need it again. It’s like havin’ a spare tire in your car, you hope you don’t need it, but it’s good to have just in case. And that, my friends, is how you reset that Windows password without losin’ your mind. It ain’t rocket science, just a little bit of know-how and a whole lot of common sense.

Final words of wisdom

Remember now, computers are just tools, like a hammer or a saw. Don’t be scared of ‘em. And if you get stuck, there’s always someone who can lend a hand. Just ask around, someone in your family or down at the church might know a thing or two about these machines. And don’t forget, passwords are important, so pick good ones and write ‘em down somewhere safe, unless you want to go through all this again!