How to Reset a Password in Windows Vista
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- This video is a demonstration of one of the easiest ways to Reset a Windows Vista Password.
Commands used in this video:
(don't forget the spaces and don't forget to replace the "c:\" with your windows drive letter)
@2:25 - copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe.bak
This makes a backup of the Sticky Keys program file (sethc.exe)
@2:50 - copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe.bak
This makes a a backup of the Command Line program file (cmd.exe)
@3:18 - move c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe
This copies the cmd.exe over the sethc.exe but keeps the sethc.exe name
@4:36 - net user
This displays all current local users
@5:05 - net user [user name] [new password]
This changes the password of the selected user
Like...Comment...Subscribe
Props to this guy. I got into my sisters old desktop from 2008 with this and saved a bunch of family photos
Brilliant. I've spent a whole week trying to get into an old Vista laptop without success and this method has worked. Thankyou.
Absolutely brilliant. Followed the instructions to the letter & finally got back into my old laptop with a shiny new password that I will not forget!!
Thank you so much! This is beyond Genius! It helped me to help a friend who bought a laptop at a yard sale but then found out it was still password protected. Great Video!
I was trying to use my old laptop after years and this video really helped. Thanks man. Works like a charm !!!
Thank you very much Sir! I was able to recover my old photos and videos, it was wonderful to see them all. Thanks again 🙂
@ ironfluff1234 ... You are very welcome
Today I learned that it is surprisingly easy to hack into windows vista. Thanks!
Sir, thank you so much. I was able to recover old family pictures on an old Inspiron 537. Simple easy to follow. I am eternally grateful.
Awesome tutorial! Thanks a bunch, helped me out of a jam!
Thank you! Unlocked a friend's Optiplex 330 Vista machine with your info! Backing up, ssd install and fresh install of Win10 coming right up! Thanks again!
Glad I could help!
Thanks! Good advice, well explained, easily executed.
You are my hero of the day!! Thank you. By the way, do I have to do anything with the altered files?
thank you so much i have unlock a pc blocked with importat document inside. You are the best bro.
Thank you, really nice tutorial. You saved me a lot of trouble
Awesome! Worked like a charm! Thank you!!!
Incredible, worked a charm
Works like a charm thanks for this tutorial
@Blackg11...You Bet. Glad to help
i got a relly nice laptop in the trash it had windows vista but i did not know the password but i found this video now i got in the laptop thanks😊
Good job .thank you very much
Thanks a lot, really good tutorial.
Very nice video. It worked fine.
thanks my good friend for your great information and your educated Channel
THANK YOU. This saved me.
Still works! thank you so much
Glad it helped
'Knowledge is power'
I got to the ends of this, and the user ID does not show. I changed all but there is a another name in there and it won't go thru it change. I changed the admin, and guest past.to the same. The owner name is different from the login screen name and will not change. Any suggestions
@Carlos Garza...well if you changed the password for the Administrator account I would just login as the Administrator go to "Computer Management" select "Local User and Groups" then Users then right-click the user that you want to change the password for. Select "Set Password..." then "Proceed" enter your new password [you dont need to know the old password] hit "OK". Log out and log into the User Account you want with your new password. Hope this helps.
this worked for me able to reset password on acer vista computer cheers
@djdatrance ... Glad to have helped
Thanks very much ❤
I got a nice laptop at the recycling center for free, and I am trying to do a restore and but when I hit the boot menu key, it doesn't give me the menu--it only asks for a password. How do you get past this point? I can't even re-load the operating system or anything. VERY frustrating. Thanks in advance for any help.
@margaretsville....well that would depend on the make and model of your laptop. Some manufacturers, like Dell & a few others, have a built-in recovery code that you can use at special websites, like bios-pw.org/, to get the built-in backdoor password. However some manufacturers, like Lenovo & a few others, have no such BIOS password recovery & it can not be removed [unless you take apart the laptop and start shorting contacts on the BIOS chip itself but I do not recommend it]. Again it all depends on the make and model. I would just do a web search for "how to remove BIOS password on [make/model of laptop]. And see what comes up.
Shift + F10 doesn't brings up CMD during the install, just nothing happens. Is there any way to fix it?
alright, nevermind - you click 'next' in instalation and then 'repair computer' and proceed until you see 'Command Prompt'
Quick Question, It worked but cmd does not work, is there a way to fix that?
@ BlueStarVideos ...do you mean after you are back in Windows CMD doesn't work?
@@HitmanComputers No when i use the cumputer, like when im logged in.
@ BlueStarVideos .... right, after you have changed your password and logged back into Windows. Well if you created the backups just boot back into your windows media as before then re-open CMD and entering the following commands should undo the changes:
C:\
MOVE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SETHC.EXE.BAK C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SETHC.EXE
COPY C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CMD.EXE.BAK C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CMD.EXE
as these are system files Windows may not let you undo the changes from within Windows using either Windows Explorer or CMD. That's why we recommend using a windows boot media. By using cmd like this you are operating under "System Rights" which is higher than "Admin Rights". Remember to replaced the "C:\" with the drive letter for your Windows drive letter. Type the following command for a drive letter list:
wmic LOGICALDISK LIST BRIEF
Sorry for my late reply.
I keep trying to do this, but when I type in the user, it says it doesn't exist. It has a space in the middle, so, not sure if that has to do with it. The user is something like "User Name".
@Random Viewer...weird. I would try again but instead of trying to change the same user account password I would try to change the built-in Administrator account password.
However you may need to enable the Admin account first. So enter the following into CMD before try to change the Admin Password:
net user administrator /active:yes
UPDATE:
You can just put it in quotes. Then it works.
And, if the user doesn't show up, sometimes "Owner" works"
Absolute legend. The quotation marks made the difference for me.
Good job. Thanks
Is there a free version of windows install 7. I would love to get back into my old Windows vista computer I saved a lot of old pictures on there over the years.
@King Potato ...well there are a few ways to get a "free" Win7 ISO...if you have a valid windows 7 product key you can go to Microsoft [www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7] and put your key in and get a free download...there are also free tools that can do the same and much more. Like "Heidoc Windows ISO Downloader" we highlighted it in a previous video [th-cam.com/video/31Yl1JT7wZ8/w-d-xo.html] ...or you can download Windows 10 for free from Microsoft [th-cam.com/video/DUUaHdyrQhc/w-d-xo.html] as you can use this same method using any windows install media from vista, 7, 8, or 10...you can also torrent an ISO but we wont get into that here
Ive done this before but dont remember using a disc at all. But can i use a windows anytime upgrade cd-rom disk and will this delete my data
A Windows Anytime Upgrade CD may work, I'm not sure as I've never try to use one...If it doesn't you can easily create a Bootable Windows USB using some free tools like HeiDoc and Rufus...we have How To videos for both tools...Also your Data should not be changed or modified in anyway using this method.
Thanks works great
Now how do you undo the changes in cmd?
@NorthDakotabrew...if you created the backups just boot to your windows media as before then re-open cmd and entering the following commands should undo the changes:
C:\
MOVE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SETHC.EXE.BAK C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SETHC.EXE
COPY C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CMD.EXE.BAK C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CMD.EXE
as these are system files windows may not let you undo the changes from within windows using either windows explorer or cmd. that's why we recommend using a windows boot media. by using cmd like this you are operating under "system rights" which is higher than "admin rights".
So my dad had got me an new vista home premium and when I press shift 5 times in the login it just shows would you like to use sticky keys? Can u help?
@ ツRuxtyFN ...it kinda sounds like the changes made in your install medias command line did not take...i would try again and just double check your spelling, spacing, drive letters, and so on
so if we use a flashdrive, is it just a regular flashdrive? or does there have to be files on the flashdrive
@Carson R. ...yes the USB needs to be imaged using software [i.e. Rufus, Etcher, MagicISO or a crap ton others]...we highlighted Rufus in this video th-cam.com/video/w-simbrQSaw/w-d-xo.html ...plus you'll need a windows ISO...we highlighted how to get a Windows ISO in this video th-cam.com/video/31Yl1JT7wZ8/w-d-xo.html ...or you can make a Windows 10 USB...we highlighted that in this video th-cam.com/video/DUUaHdyrQhc/w-d-xo.html
After boot, Shift F10 doesn't bring up the CMD prompt ?
any suggestions .......
@IW7768....well at the login screen you'll need to hit the "shift" key 5 times to bring up CMD...hitting "shift" and "F10" only brings up CMD during the windows install
@IW7768 you should click 'next' in instalation, then 'repair computer' and after that ''Command Prompt' shows up
How do you do this without a CD etc?
@Jerry Polete...I didn't believe you can use this method on Windows Vista without some kind of install media [i.e. CD/DVD or bootable USB]...You can use this method on Windows 7 without any type of install media we highlighted that in this video...th-cam.com/video/rmAKsJTWnLo/w-d-xo.html ...You always can create a bootable Windows 10 USB for free by using the Windows Media Creation Tool we also highlighted that in this video...th-cam.com/video/DUUaHdyrQhc/w-d-xo.html
hey man I made a letter mistake on the moving command so I started again and now when I do cmd.exe command it says cannot find specified file
@Pra1mFa4ya...well if you made the backup of the "cmd.exe" file you're in luck all you need to do is rename the backup. The following command should do the trick:
"rename c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe.bak cmd.exe"
After the renaming the you should make a new backup just in case.
"copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe.bak"
[don't forget the spaces and don't forget to replace the "c:\" with your windows drive letter]
Thx Hitman GJ.
So wait did you use a usb that had a windows 7 setup saved to it or what was on the usb
@ garbear 123...yes, the USB had been setup as a Windows 7 Install Media using a Windows ISO and Rufus
Quick question, I'm on the last step to change the password, but when I type net user the name of my account did not appear. Only Administrator/Guest and User. Can you help?
@ M. Afif Naufal ...well if your User Account was originally named "User" than Windows will always see it as that Account as "User" no matter what you change it to...I would change the password of "User" and login, after you are in windows you can change the password of any account using Computer Management
This worked 🎉
worked thanks..
knowledge is power. Thank you so much. If I may ask how to change BIOS password
@Zanezwi Nkosenhle Mkhize...well that depends on you PC. Many motherboards have a physical jumper sometimes near the CMOS chip or the front panel connectors
@@HitmanComputers tried that on jumper and removing the battery, but did not work. will keep trying. thanks
@Zanezwi Nkosenhle Mkhize...Weird. What kind of PC is it?
Thank you good Sir !!
Work Fine! THX!
If the user name is like "Ben Ten" how would you enter it in cmd?
net user [user name] [new password]
net user Ben Ten password
Love that name tho
if my user name is "Account Backup"
command is" net user Account Backup 12345"
please help
Rply me
@SHAHIR PH....net user Account Backup 12345...if 12345 means the password you want then this should work...if it doesn't try it again without the space...sometimes the spaces are ignored...i'm not sure why...but you can check by typing "net user" it should tell you all the users in that windows install
You are A super staar ❤
Life saver
Could not pull up the black screen
I got a Compaq
@Ellis Caldwell...the changes made in cmd may not have taken correctly. i would repeat the process and just be sure of the commands and the spaces as there are very important
Working good
Thanks bro
Any time
ok. thanks a lot
very nice:)
how much free space would you need on the USB drive?
An 8gb or larger should work fine but it really should be a 2.0 for the best compatibility
You sound like dream
you lost this 👑
I am trying to do this for Vista, I tried following th-cam.com/video/w-simbrQSaw/w-d-xo.html I installed Rufus I do not have a vista disk or iso, I tried following your HeiDoc vid but it doesn;t have vista only win7 and and above. How did you get a vista iso?
@ Trax M...Well I have A OEM Vista Disc so I used that to create an ISO...Vista isn't really available for any Legal Download that I know of but you can use HeiDoc to download Windows 7 and use Win7 for this method as we did
@@HitmanComputers Thank you this worked!! My dad passed recently and now I can get access to photos he had on an old laptop.
@ Trax M...You Bet. Glad to help