10 Ways to Reset Your Windows 7 Password Without Logging in

You might have to use third-party solutions to access Windows

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Want to reset your Windows 7 password without logging in? It is possible, and in today’s guide, we’re going to show you how to do it properly.

How do I reset my Windows 7 password without logging in?

1. Via Password Hint

  1. On the login screen, click the Password hint icon.
  2. Now try to remember your password.
  3. If you do, enter it in the password field.

2. Via third-party password recovery software

  1. Buy and download Stellar Password Recovery software.
  2. Open the program on your Windows PC.
  3. Use bootable media created within the Stellar tool.
  4. Choose your account and click the Reset Password button.
  5. Wait for the password to be changed and click on Reboot to finish.

Stellar Password Recovery is a password recovery tool developed to reset Admin or user passwords on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.

This suitable method will help you recover any login password using the bootable media drive. So, you have support for both BIOS and UEFI systems to reset your password without login in on your PC.

In addition, this solution comes with great compatibility for Windows devices, multiple languages support, or extremely effective and simple UI.

Stellar Password Recovery

Forget about complicated steps to reset your password on Windows 7, this software does it in seconds.
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3. Use the Windows 7 Password Reset Disk

  1. Connect the password reset disk to your PC.
  2. Choose the Reset password option.
  3. Set up a new password and use it to log in.
Note icon NOTE
This method only works if you have made a Password reset disc beforehand.

4. Use the Administrator account

  1. Log in to the administrator account.
  2. Open Control Panel.
  3. Navigate to User Accounts.
  4. Select the affected account and choose the option to change its password.

5. Using Safe Mode

  1. Restart Windows 7 and press and hold F8 while powering on.
  2. In the Advanced Boot Options, select Safe Mode with Command Prompt and press Enter. how to reset Windows 7 password without logging in using advanced boot options.
  3. Enter the command: net user and hit Enter to see a list of all users on the PC.
  4. Enter the command: net user username new_password. Substitute username for your account name and new_password for your new password. reset windows 7 password without logging in.
  5. Close Command Prompt and log in with the new credentials.

6. Using the hidden Administrator account

  1. While powering on your Windows 7, press Shift five times once the log-in screen appears. Windows 7 login screen.
  2. If you have the hidden administrator account enabled, the profile will appear here. Open hidden admin account.
  3. Enter the hidden Administrator account and access your PC without a password.
  4. Select the This PC icon, then Computer Management from the drop-down menu.
  5. Select Local Groups and Users, then select Users. Open local users and groups.
  6. Right-click on the account you forgot the password for and click Set Password. Reset Windows 7 password.
  7. After setting a new password, log out of the hidden administrator account then log into your account using the new credentials.

7. Via the Utility manager

  1. Boot your PC using the Windows 7 installation disk. Once the Install Windows screen appears, press Shift + F10.
  2. In the Command Prompt, type in the commands below, hitting Enter after each line. If you did not install Windows 7 in the C drive, then replace C with the location where Windows 7 was installed. enter the commands to reset windows 7 password without logging in.
    • C:
    • cd windows\system32
    • ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak
    • copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe
  3. Close Command Prompt and click Yes in the Install Windows pop-up. Click Yes in the install Windows popup.
  4. Allow Windows 7 to boot normally then click on Ease of Access at the login screen.
  5. In the Command Prompt window type net user username new_password. Replace username with your account name and new_password with your new password. reset windows 7 password without logging in.

8. Adjust sethc.exe

  1. Power up Windows 7, while itโ€™s turning on, press and hold the power button to force shut down the PC.
  2. Turn the computer back on to reveal the Windows error recovery screen. Click Launch Startup Repair (recommended). launch startup-repair to reset windows 7 password without logging in.
  3. Click Cancel when it asks to restore the PC. Allow the analyzing process to run its course.
  4. In the dialogue box, click View Problem Details and scroll to the bottom of the report. Click on the last link beginning with X:\windows\system32\. click on the link at the bottom.
  5. The notepad will appear with the online privacy statement. Select File then click on Open. Click on file then open.
  6. Next to Files of type, set it to All Files. Under the System32 folder, locate and select sethc and rename it to anything. rename sethc to anything to reset Windows 7 password.
  7. Still in the System32 folder, locate and select cmd.exe and rename it to sethc.exe. rename cmd to sethc.exe.
  8. Close all dialogue boxes and restart Windows 7. While the PC is powering on press Shift five times.
  9. The Command Prompt will appear at the login screen, type net user username new_password. Replace username with your account name and new_password with your new password. how to reset windows 7 password without logging in.
  10. Close Command Prompt and log in with the new credentials.

9. Reset using System Restore

  1. Restart Windows 7 and press and hold F8.
  2. In the Advanced Boot Options, select Safe Mode with Command Prompt and press Enter. how to reset Windows 7 password without logging in using advanced boot options.
  3. Enter the command: cd restore and press enter then type the command: rstrui.exe and press Enter. Enter the following commands to reset windows 7 password.
  4. In the System Restore pop-up, click on Next. System restore windows 7.
  5. Choose a restore point then click on Next, then Yes to confirm.

The System Restore feature does not affect documents, photos, or other data, however, it may uninstall recently installed applications.

10. Reset to factory settings

This is a last-resort solution. If none of the above solutions worked for you, then you may have no choice but to completely reset your PC. Performing a factory reset will wipe all data from your Windows 7 which is why this solution is a last-case scenario.

Factory reset Windows 7.

How do I bypass the login screen on Windows 7?

  1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard.
  2. Type this command: netplwiz and press Enter. Type the following and hit enter.
  3. Click your account name. Click on your Windows 7 account.
  4. Uncheck the box that requires users to enter a password then click OK.
  5. Enter your password when prompted and click OK.

Where does Windows 7 store passwords?

Passwords are stored in the Security Account Manager (SAM) database file on Windows 7. Stored passwords use a one-way hash format and are not accessible by non-administrative users.

Security Account Manager (SAM) database file.

Performing this action will bypass the login screen every time you start up your Windows 7 and will log you in automatically.

We hope one of the above solutions helped show you how to reset your Windows 7 password without logging in.

Let us know in the comments which method worked for you or if you have a suggestion for a solution not listed in this guide.

More about the topics: Password issues, windows 7