[Troubleshoot] How to Reset Lost Windows 7 Password

What if I forgot Windows admin password?

Windows admin passwords, as a privacy protection tool for your PC, are necessary for most computer users. But these passwords may be lost due to various reasons. Some are forgotten by users themselves while others may be changed by their families without informing them. Or you forget it because you are not using this computer very often. Whatever, when you are not allowed to access the computer, you can read this guidance patiently to troubleshoot a lost Windows 7  password. Here we list 4 helpful ways below for reference.

4 ways to reset lost Windows 7 password

Lost Windows 7 password is a common case in our daily life. We will list 4 regular approaches to help you get out of the embrassing event.  

Method 1. Use Password Reset Disk Windows 7

There is a precondition that a Password Reset Disk Windows 7 should be prepared before you forget the password, which permits you to access the computer and reset Windows 7 lost password. If you have created one, it is easy to troubleshoot the problem.

Step 1. Click the Reset Password button under the blank when you type the wrong password.

Step 2. Put the Reset Disk in the computer and click on the Reset Password link.

Step 3. Select Next button to proceed with the operation when the Password Reset Wizard shows up.

Step 4. Choose the target disk from the drop-down menu and click Next.

Step 5. Input a new password and then enter a password hint, and then select Next.

Step 6. After clicking Finish, you can log in with the new password now.

Method 2. Utilize Command Prompt to reset Windows 7 password

Another approach to make a password reset Win 7 is that you can use a second administrator account if you have created one beforehand. You can log in with it to reset the original Windows 7 password via Command Prompt.

Step 1. Log in and click "Start".

Step 2. Find "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator".

Step 3. Input "net user" and press Enter key, and you will see all accounts displayed.

Step 4. Continue to type "net user username password" in which account you hope to reset its password.

Step 5. Now, you can try to log in to the original account with the new password.

Method 3. Recover the password via the Installation CD

If you don't have a second account to login in, but preserve the installation CD well, you can also use it to perform Command Prompt to set a new password.

Step 1. Put in the CD and restart your computer. Carefully notice the information "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", and follow the instruction.

Step 2. After loading till the screen shows "Install Windows", press "Shift+F10", and you will see the Command Prompt Window. 

Step 3. Input the command "move c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe.bak" hit Enter Key

Step 4. Continue to type "c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe" and press Enter Key

Step 5. Input "wpeutil reboot” to reboot the computer.

Step 6. Hit Shift key 5 times when the login screen shows, and you can see a Command Prompt window. And then you can follow the instruction of "Method 2. Utilize Command Prompt to reset Windows 7 password" to fix windows 7 lost password.

Method 4. Reset Windows 7 password with software

We can easily find that the above methods to reset Windows 7 password require extra preparations like Windows 7 Password Reset Disk, installation CD, or the second account. However, not every one of us can make those preparations beforehand, so we still suck into the trouble of lost Windows 7 password.

At this time, third-party software can help you get rid of this predicament. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional can be spared from advanced operations, tackling emergencies effectively. It can achieve booting a Win PE bootable USB to remove or reset the lost Windows 7 password, and can not only be used for Windows 7 but also be compatible with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/Vista/XP

Let’s see how it works.

Step 1. Open the installed AOMEI Partition Assistant and find "Tools"> "Reset Windows Password" in the main Tab.

Step 2. There will be a notice to guide you create a WinPE bootable media. Select “Next” in the window after reading.

Step 3. There are three ways to create bootable media based on Windows PE.

•USB Boot Device: To create bootable USB Device.
•Burn to CD/DVD: To create bootable CD/DVD.
•Export ISO File: Use this method to make a bootable ISO file.

Choose one in light of your demands and click “Proceed”.  Selecting USB Boot Device is recommended because you can directly use bootable USB to boot into WinPE to operate.

Step 4. This step will format the USB flash drive, and all the data will be wiped. Please make a backup in advance of all your important data.

Step 5. Wait for the process of creating WinPE bootable USB drive.

Step 6. You need to boot the computer which you want to remove or reset the password when the bootable USB is created. And then, choose the system and click "Next".

Now you can remove the password, and then click "OK" to confirm it.

Step 7. Select the target account and the feature. And then click “Next”.

Step 8. After removing or resetting the password, you need to select "Reboot Computer” to restart your PC.

Conclusion

To sum up, password reset Win 7 can be applied in 4 different ways. If you like to make preparations for any unexpected occasions, congrats you make the event easy to cope with. However, when facing lost Windows 7 password, other people may not prepare much for it.

AOMEI Partition Assistant can help them get out of frustration, making resetting lost Windows 7 password simple to access. In addition, its advanced features like formatting partition, making repair USB and converting disk from MBR to GPT for Windows update and so on can also display their powerful performance in your computer management.