How to Find the Administrator Password in Windows XP
Most of the time, you do not need to log in to Windows XP with the administrator account. This account is hidden from view most times you log in, and you may not have ever noticed it before. Occasionally, however, you need to log in to this administrator account to perform certain functions in maintaining your operating system. This password is needed if you have to log in to safe mode or restore Windows using the Recovery Console.
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Instructions
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Try leaving the password field blank first. By default, the Windows XP password is blank. If you never changed it, it probably still is blank. If the blank password is correct, you will be allowed to log in and your problem is solved.
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If the blank password is not correct, try your own password. Enter the password you use to log in to your own personal account. You may have set the password to your own and forgotten it.
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If you know the passwords of the other user accounts on your computer, try each of those passwords. Someone else may have set themselves up as the Administrator to perform a task, and the password may be set as the one they usually use to log in.
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Use Windows System Restore. If you don't know the password but remember a time when you did, try restoring your Windows installation to a point before that time. Click on "Start", "All Programs", "Accessories", "System Tools", and "System Restore" to start the utility. When the "Welcome to System Restore" screen appears, select "Restore my computer to an earlier time" and click "Next". Select your restore point and click "Next" (see References).
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If none of the above works, you can try to recover your password with a service called login recovery. The service is not free, but you don't have to pay unless the program can verify that it can retrieve your password. Go to loginrecovery.com and follow the instructions to see if your password can be recovered.
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Reinstall Windows. The last resort for those who need the Administrator password is to clean-install the operating system. Once reinstalled, Windows XP will set the default password as blank, and you will be able to change it or access Administrator privileges on your computer. Unfortunately, you must reinstall all programs and drivers if you reinstall Windows.
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References
- Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out; Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson; 2004
- Microsoft: System Restore
