HOWTO: Change your XP password via the command line
[ 21 August 2006 ]
Marked under security, time savers, windows.
I submitted this quick tip to Lifehacker in the past. If you feel the need to change your Windows password, you don’t need to go through any Control Panel menus and whatnot. You can change any user’s password via the command line, as long as you have administrative access. A good example of when to use this tip would be after a fresh install of XP. One of the first things you should do is lo into the default Administrator account and set a password. That requires booting into Safe Mode as Administrator, setting a password, then booting back into Normal mode as your own user. Instead, go to Start > Run > “cmd” [Enter], then enter:
net user <username> <password>
This will set the password you supplied as the password for the user you entered. You can also do:
net user <username> *
This will prompt you for a password, then have you confirm it.
NOTE: you need administrator access to change the password via this command. However, if you are an administrator, you can change the password for any account on the machine. As you can see, this is a very powerful command, but it can also pose as a security threat.
37 Comment’s on “HOWTO: Change your XP password via the command line”
Roman,
You obviously did not read the first paragraph of this article.
A good example of when to use this tip would be after a fresh install of XP. One of the first things you should do is lo into the default Administrator account and set a password. That requires booting into Safe Mode as Administrator, setting a password, then booting back into Normal mode as your own user.
Does that answer your question?
Man thank you. I used this to take the password off of safemode administrator which had a password on it.
shahbaz,
I have not come across a method for changing the password in a Guest account. Good luck finding one.
What about if u cant enter any key into commandline after u use the command : net user administrator *
systemerror 5
I don’t think you can because the Domain Controller handles that. Sorry.
if you are an administrator of the domain run it like this
“net user * /DOMAIN”
that will make it process on the domain controller
Hi Fri,
This is not work if u use guest account.It can work with admin acc.
And u also use ‘user account” to do like this.
This command work well. I have tested. But what about the security issue associated with. The hacker can take advantage of this tiny command bye opening hidden command prompt. Do you know anything about this..
Thanks
Hi,
I am restricted user on mu pc at work. some small programs I can install but I can’t install any Adawere and other malware finding softwares into my computer . beacuse of not having priviligies but how can I change my user type or hack Windows XP admin password..
I have a computer that my sister’s company “out-grew” and she doesn’t have the O/S (XP NT)disk and can’t remember the user name and pass code. (She gave me and my other sister one and had this info on hers). Anyhow I can’t get past the log-on screen that asks for the user name and pass code. Is there any way around this? I have tried to log in in safe mode and the same user name and pass code log in box appears. HELP in AL.
how to hack “windows xp sp2″ admin password from guest account.
explain how finding the password not changing the password.
1. You cannot just find the password, it can only be changed.
2. You can only change the password using this method if you have admin rights.
How do u enter the usrnm? all i get is “username not found.” and im using ym own usrnm!!
Plz give me a solution for this.
I want to remove the local admin Password .
The only way to change the password on an XP machine without having access is to find a program called ERD commander from winternals… this lets you log in on a temporary GUI and then using the locksmith program you can change the forgotten password. good luck to all!
sir,
i have lost my admin account in winxp
but a limited account working properly,
so how can i recover my admin password
mohit
helo guys! my brother has set administrator password and gave me a guest account der s any idea 2 open the administrator account from guest account?????????????/plz help me
i want to install a program but then change the admin password back to what it origianally was but i dont know it.
do you have a hack that can help solve my problem?
Bought fingerprint reader, set it up to login with. All was good.
Thought something was up and someone had my admin PW so I changed it.
Because I was using the damn finger print reader after 3 mo I forgot what I changed the admin PW to. I was still able to login using the finger print reader but I could not login by typing in my PW. Crap, my admin days are numbered….
I was able to fix this situation because of this article.
THANK YOU
is there no way we can retrieve the older password in any form? Preferable through command.?
Reading this article makes me laugh, there are so many COMPLETE MORONS here!
HELP! my user name is two words (George McIntosh) and whenever I type ‘net user George McIntosh *’ I get the following error:
The syntax of the command is:
NET USER
[username [password | *]] [/DOMAIN]
username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]
username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]
C:\Documents and Settings\George McIntosh>
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What is point of changing a password when you are an admin. tried to do as guest.