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Changing ANY user password without having to know the existing password

Published in Windows XP Security Tweaks by TweakXP Member with 37,207 views and 9 comments

This tweak gives a user the opportunity to use it for good or bad. It enables the user to re-password any account without having to know the existing password and also shows you every account that exists on the machine (even the ones that are hidden). This is a good tool to use if you forgot a password to say your administrator account and you needed to be logged into the admin account for any reason.

To view all of the user accounts:

1) While logged onto the computer, click on Start>Run>and type in CMD.

2) From the command prompt window, type in net users. This will show you every account that is made onto the computer whether it is hidden or not.

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To change an account password:

1) While logged onto the computer to an account that has administrative rights, click on Start>Run>and type in CMD.

2) Type in net user then the name of the account then * and press enter. heres an example: net user administrator * or net user "Joe Smith" * . Put the name in quotes if it contains spaces.

3) From there it should ask for a new password. Type in your new password (type very carefully - the command window won't display what you type) and once more to confirm it. If you get the message that the command succeeded successfully you're all set!!

 

 
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Comments
dd
3 years ago
I reset, then the computer was accidentally shut down. I cannot get in using password from Windows screen. Any ideas?
gaurav
2 years ago
according to the mentioned procedure i had performed all the action
but it jst showed the details but function had not ask for the new password
Mayukh
2 years ago
it is not workin...after hitting net user "Joe Smith" *...getting message as "System Error 5 has occurred" then "Access is denied"...please sort out...
lourencool
2 years ago
i shoul to try it!
happy
2 years ago
it displays system error 5 has occured.... plz help me out...
Naná
One year ago
Como faço pra tornar minha conta de administrador do pc pra particular tbm?
Preciso que ela além de administrador, fique "particular", como faço isso gente? me ajudem por favor!
ravithecool.kumar
One year ago
System Error 5 has occurred"
koragg
One year ago
system error 5 has occured
Mozart577
One year ago
If the user name contains a space and you type in within quotation marks, you will need to type a space between the last quote mark and the asterisk before hitting enter. So using the example above it would be:
net user "joe smith" *