[Step by Step] How to Reset Windows 7 Password with a USB Flash Drive

Scenario: Forgot the Windows 7 PC password

Windows 7 passwords play a crucial role in securing your personal information and files. They act as a barrier against unauthorized access, protecting your data from prying eyes. 

However, in the event that you forget the password, it can seem like an insurmountable problem. Fear not, as we'll guide you how to reset Windows 7 password with USB flash drive. 

How to prepare a Windows 7 password reset disk

Preparing a Windows 7 password reset disk involves a straightforward process that any computer user, including those with technical expertise, can accomplish without difficulty.  

Step 1. Insert the USB drive into your computer and open the Control Panel. Then locate and click on "User Accounts", select "Create a password reset disk".

Step 2. The Forgotten Password Wizard will appear, please read the accompanying notes. After that, click "Next".

Step 3. You can see a list of available USB drives. Choose the USB drive you want to use as the password reset disk and click on "Next".

Step 4. Enter the password of your current account and click on "Next".

Step 5. Wait for the system to create the password reset disk on the selected USB drive. Once the process is finished, click "Next".

Step 6. Click "Finish" to finish the process of creating a new password reset disk. You'll find a file named "userkey.psw" stored on your USB drive.

How to reset Windows 7 password with USB flash drive

How to reset Windows 7 password without logging in? If you have prepare a Windows 7 password reset USB in advance, you can easily reset the password with it. The steps are as follows.

Step 1. Get to the Windows login interface and intentionally enter an incorrect password. This will trigger the appearance of the "Reset password" option. Insert the created password reset disk for Windows 7 and select the option. 

Step 2. You can see the Password Reset Wizard appears, read it and click "Next".

Step 3. A new window will pop up, displaying a list of USB devices containing the userkey.psw file. Choose the target USB device and click on "Next". Then, enter a new password along with a password hint, and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 4. After successfully resetting the password, click "Finish".

The best tool to reset Windows 7 password with USB

However, not all users anticipate the possibility of losing the Windows 7 password, so they may not have a password reset USB readily available. Fear not, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional for Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista- a highly regarded application, offers a simple and effective method to reset or remove the Windows 7 password.

By creating a bootable USB, this utility provides the same functionality as a Windows 7 password reset disk. It can be created even after you've forgotten your Windows 7 password. Besides, this USB can be used to reset Windows passwords on other computers as well.

Moreover, this tool enables you to allocate free space, clone the whole disk, convert FAT32 to NTFS, migrate Windows OS, delete large files, recover lost partitions, etc.

Here is the process on how to reset Windows 7 password with USB flash drive.

Step 1. Connect the target USB to a functional Windows PC. Download and run this Windows 7 password reset tool. Click "Tools" and "Reset Windows Password" from the menu.

Step 2. In the following window, click "Next" to make a WinPE bootable media.

Step 3. Opt for "USB Boot Device" and choose the connected USB drive. Click "Proceed".

Step 4. Confirm that you have read and understood the instructions, and then click "Yes" to proceed.

Step 5. Once the password reset USB has been created, connect the USB to the computer with the forgotten password. Change the boot order to boot the PC using this USB, and the AOMEI  interface will appear. Click "Reset Password", select the desired Windows system, and click "Next".

Step 6. Choose the account you wish to modify and tick the action you want to perform: "Remove Account Password" or "Reset Account Password", and click "Next".

Step 7. Enter the new password, confirm it, and click "Yes".

Tip: To unlock the Windows Server devices when you forget the password, the Server Version can help you.

Verdict

How to reset Windows 7 password with USB flash drive? Resetting your Windows 7 password using a password reset USB flash drive is a straightforward process, allowing you to regain access to your computer without losing any data. However, when you forget to create it before, you cannot use this USB. Then you can try the shared AOMEI Partition Assistant.