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I have a number of Windows XP boxes left in my orgamization from a former system administrator. So I have no administrator passwords. How do I get administrator access to these boxes without reinstalling Windows?

P.S.: There's a neat solution "chroot with live cd" for linux, maybe there's something similar for Windows XP?

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  • You can download and burn 'sneaky russian', boot your machine and reset windows administrator password.
    – Nikolas Sakic
    Commented Jun 23, 2010 at 13:35

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
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If these PCs are joined to a domain and their computer accounts are still valid, you can login using a domain admin account and reset any local passwords that way.

If they aren't on a domain, or their computer accounts have expired, been delete, etc. then you can try ntpasswd, a bootable utility for resetting passwords. It's Linux-based and has no fancy GUI, but it does work like a charm.

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    Plus, if they are domain machines, you can also use Group Policies to change the local admin password, without the need to log onto each one.
    – John Gardeniers
    Commented Jun 23, 2010 at 14:05
  • +1 for ntpasswd. Linux utility that exists on a lightweight live linux. I love it.
    – petrus
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 7:09
  • It has been a few years since I've needed to use it, but back then ntpasswd worked best by setting the password to blank, boot the machine and set the password within Windows, ymmv.
    – ManiacZX
    Commented Jul 20, 2010 at 7:35
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We've used UBCD 4 for Windows. There's an option once booted to reset the local administrator password. I have provided the link below;

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

The program onced booted is called Sala Password Renew.

-D

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  • I've used this on many a system but today I ran into one where this could not get me to a working local login. The KON-boot program mentioned below allowed me to fake a domain login as the original user then add new local accounts in the Adminstrators group.
    – lcbrevard
    Commented Nov 26, 2011 at 23:32
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I use Rescue Is Possible (RIP) Linux to boot the system. Create a directory under /mnt if one isn't already there, and mount the partition with Windows in it.

Change directory to /mnt//WINDOWS/system32/config (I think that's the directory, working from memory). It's the directory with a file called SAM.

Then run ntpasswd. The defaults should work to blank out the password (don't change it). Save changes, reboot to Windows, log in as local adminstrator with blank password.

Don't do this if it involves encryption on the system...

Then add a new password once you're in.

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You could download the OPH Crack Live CD. It will actually let you recover the password so you don't have to use a boot CD on every single machine.

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  • This didn't work for me because the password I needed was in the non-reachable corporate network AD/domain controller. See below where KON-boot let me in under those circumstances.
    – lcbrevard
    Commented Nov 26, 2011 at 23:31
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Try the KON-boot LiveCD.

It modifies the kernel on the fly when booting and allows you to log in with a master password to the current system on the hard drive.

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  • I had a corporate laptop that could no longer connect to the domain but ONLY had a domain login. My client left the company but kept the laptop. UBCD4WIN and pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd normally work but some policy prevented Administrator login even with a reset password or creation of a new account. OPH Crack Live CD didn't work because the password was on the unreachable AD/Domain Controller. With KON-boot loaded ANY password allowed login to the domain account. Local administrator privilege (fortunately) allowed me to set Administrator and add two Administrators users.
    – lcbrevard
    Commented Nov 26, 2011 at 22:47

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