Most important information, access to settings on a computer are password protected to prevent access by hackers and casual users of the computer. Many times, the user forgets the password. Some types of passwords can be easily reset like email passwords if you have provided the necessary information during signup, while others are more difficult to reset.
How to reset various forgotten or lost passwords:
Windows XP Password
When we install Windows, it automatically creates an account “Administrator” and sets its password to blank. So if you have forgotten your user account password then try this:
Start system and when you see Windows Welcome screen / Login screen, press ctrl+alt+del keys twice and it’ll show Classic Login box. Now type “Administrator” (without quotes) in Username and leave Password field blank. Now press Enter and you should be able to log in Windows.
Now you can reset your account password from “Control Panel -> User Accounts”.
Same thing can be done using Safe Mode. In Safe Mode Windows will show this in-built Administrator account in Login screen. Safe mode is selected by rebooting your machine and Pressing F8 before the Windows boot screen appears.
You can also recover forgotten password by using “Reset Disk”. If you created a Password Reset Disk in past, you can use that disk to reset the password
BIOS password
Disconnect the battery on the motherboard for 10 seconds, and reconnect it back. The default settings will be loaded in the BIOS.
ISP password
Many ISP's have a secret question which will allow you to reset the password. If this does not work, you can also contact the tech support. The tech support may require additional validation information. Instructions for resetting the password are usually sent to the alternate email id provided at the time of registration
Email password
Many Email websites have a secret questions on sign up which will allow you to reset the password. If this does not work, you can also contact the tech support. The tech support may require additional validation information. Instructions for resetting the password are usually sent to the alternate email id provided at the time of registration
Website password
Many websites have a secret question which will allow you to reset the password. If this does not work, you can also contact the tech support. The tech support may require additional validation information. Instructions for resetting the password are usually sent to the alternate email id provided at the time of registration
Other passwords
You could have a password on folders or documents but it got lost. Use a hacker friend, password cracking software’s or you can try to guess the password using brute force/ dictionary attack on your system. This can be very time consuming
