 Ah, the family computer. Everyone wants a turn going online, checking email, playing games, and creating documents.
The problem with a multiuser PC is that each user has his own preferences, and no one wants to be forced to reset preferences each time he uses the computer. In addition, anyone who logs on to a computer can access all the data stored there, and sometimes we don’t want others—including family members—looking at all our documents.
That’s why setting up accounts for each user and using passwords is a good idea. Passwords can keep users’ preferences intact, and some passwords can protect data from unauthorized access. The user who serves as the computer administrator can manage all the accounts on the system, including setting up and changing passwords for each account.
However, if any user forgets his password, he cannot use the system. It’s especially bad if the administrator loses or forgets his password, because other accounts can be accessed through this account.
If your system has multiple accounts and if any are password-protected, or if you are thinking about using passwords, here is some critical information to have in case a password is lost.
 All About Passwords | 
TYou can easily create a password and password hint for all the user accounts on your system.
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Account passwords are assigned, changed, and removed through the User Accounts tool in the Control Panel (go to Start, Control Panel, and User Accounts). On the User Accounts screen, select the account you want to modify and then either add a password or change it.
Creating a strong password is best for security but worst for your memory. A strong password consists of a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and a character or two, such as &. Of course, a string of keystrokes like that is a lot harder to remember than, say, Fluffy, the name of the neighbor’s cat. No matter what password you choose, you’ll help yourself if you enter a password hint. The hint will appear when you click the question mark as you log on.
If you are creating the password for the computer administrator’s account, you can command Windows to make your folders and files private, or inaccessible, to users with limited accounts.
You can always remove a password by choosing the account and clicking the Remove My Password link that appears. In order to do this, you’ll need to enter the password. That small step prevents anyone else from modifying the account without your authorization.
Now that you know how easy it is to create, modify, and even delete passwords, we’ll explain how to get around the security an account password provides should you forget what the password is.
Use A Security Workaround
Many users don't feel comfortable booting Windows from the installation disc. But if you boot Windows XP this way, you can take advantage of a security gap that may allow you to access the operating system without needing the required password. (Note that this procedure requires an actual Windows XP disc; an OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] restore or image disc may not work.)
Turn on your system and immediately place your WinXP CD in the CD-ROM drive. Soon you will see a message that reads Press Any Key To Boot From CD. Do that. Setup will begin loading the operating system files. This will take a couple minutes. As soon as you see the Welcome To Setup screen, press ENTER. (Do not press the R key at this point, even though it is displayed as an option.) Next, you’ll see the Licensing Agreement; press F8 to accept it.
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The computer administrator can protect the data in his account from other users. |
Now you’ll have an option to conduct a repair on your system because Setup assumes that a WinXP installation may need repair. Select the proper installation—if only one is listed, it will be selected by default—and press the R key to launch the repair.
Repair will begin, and you will need to wait several minutes as the system examines your drive and copies files. After this phase has finished, the system will inform you that it is about to reboot. Let it do so.
After the reboot, don’t do anything at first. The system will indicate that it is installing WinXP. After a few minutes, you’ll see an Installing Devices progress bar on the left side of your display. When you see this, press SHIFT-F10. This key combination opens a C:\WINDOWS\system32 command console, which gives you access to your system.
At the prompt, type control userpasswords2 and press ENTER. (An alternative option is to type NUSRMGR.CPL and press ENTER, but we had consistent success on multiple computers using the first option.) A screen will open that gives you access to User Accounts. From here, highlight the account for which you are missing the password and click Reset Password. Enter the new password, enter it in again to confirm, and click OK twice. Exit the command box and let the repair finish, following the simple prompts whenever they occur.
The total time that will elapse after the reboot is about 30 minutes. Don’t try to take a shortcut and abort the repair process. If you do, the changes you made to the account’s password won’t take effect.
You may be asked to input your WinXP product key as part of the installation. We weren’t required to do so when we ran this test on our system, but you should have the number close by just in case. Now you will be able to log on with your new password or no password at all if that’s what you chose.
Create A Password Disk | 
Use the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk to use in the event that you forget or misplace your Windows XP password. |
Thankfully, you can avoid the need to conduct that long workaround if you create a password reset disk to use if you ever forget or misplace your password. WinXP contains a handy tool called the Forgotten Password Wizard, which lets you create the reset disk. (NOTE: The following instructions are for creating a password reset disk for a computer that is not on a domain. See Microsoft Knowledge Base Article ID 306214 for step-by-step instructions for creating a password disk for a computer that is part of a domain.)
Open User Accounts and click an account. Under Related Tasks, click the Prevent A Forgotten Password link. Install a blank, formatted floppy diskette in the A: drive. (Our test PC has both a floppy diskette drive and CD/DVD drive. By default, the wizard had us use a floppy diskette.)
Next, enter the password for this account or leave it blank if no password is currently associated with the account. Click Next, and the wizard will finish creating the disk. After you remove the disk from the drive, label it “Password Reset” or something similar and remember where you store it.
If you ever attempt to log on and can’t remember the password, even with the clue’s help, WinXP will give you the option to use your password reset disk. Click the link that appears; this will launch the Password Reset Wizard. Insert the disk, enter a new password, re-enter it for confirmation, and choose a memory clue. Once the wizard is complete, WinXP will take you back to the logon screen, where you can enter your new password.
Using the disk won’t change your settings, no matter how often you need to use it. Nor do you ever need to make changes to this disk. Once it’s made, you can use this disk without any modification as many times as necessary. 
by Rachel Derowitsch
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