Check the contents of your disc

At this point, your boot disc should contain at least 3 files, two of them being .pdf files. If your disc does not contain any .pdf files, there is a problem and you need to go back and try creating it again. Please contact us if you feel you need some assistance. Otherwise, continue below.

Insert your boot CD or USB drive

Start by inserting your newly created device into the computer and powering it up. Hopefully, your screen will look like the first example below and you can continue on at step #1.

If you computer boots back to the Windows login screen

If your computer doesn't boot our software, you will need to tell it to boot from the CD drive or USB port prior to the hard drive. Tapping the F12 key the instant you power up the computer is a very common way to get a temporary boot menu to appear. If that works, go to step a. If not, you will need to access your computers BIOS to set it up there. Click HERE for further information about the BIOS and how to change the boot options.

b. After a screen prompted 5 second wait, Password Reset will go to the screen show below.  If there is only one SAM file, it will skip this step and go directly to step c.

Note: Only hit a key within 5 seconds if the graphical version below does not work and you need the text version instead.

c. If you are prompted to select a SAM file, chose one from the list and click OK.  If it is the wrong one, go back and select another one. (most systems will go directly to the list of usernames) 

After you select the correct SAM file, or if your system only has one, you will see the list of local usernames associated with your computer.

d. Once at the username list, click on the name you want to reset, and then click OK. You will then be asked to confirm your choice, click Yes.

e. After clicking Yes, you will be prompted for an activation key in order to actually reset the password.

Congratulations! By reaching this point successfully, you are only one step away from removing your password and it has been determined that Password Reset is 100% compatible with your computer system. An activation key will now be needed to finish the last step.

Please click the box below to purchase your Password Reset activation key risk free. Your satisfaction is our #1 priority.

Lowest price commitment guarantee! *

Once you have purchased the activation key using the link above, you will be taken to the page containing your key. You will also receive a confirmation email. Be sure to check you junk/SPAM folder in case the email was misrouted. Please write down your key for further reference.

f. Now that you have your activation key, enter it into the area that says Key and click OK.  If the correct activation key is entered, you will then get the Success message below.

g. Your password has now been reset, click Reboot in order to restart you computer and go to the Windows login screen. It will then ask to you confirm reboot, click Yes.

h. You will then be reminded to remove the Password Reset disc or USB drive from your computer so it does not boot back to our software again. Remove our software disc and Click OK.

i. Your computer will now reboot back to the Windows login screen and a password will no longer be needed to log in.

If you are prompted for a password, leave the password field blank and click Enter.

Help/Troubleshooting

Question: I'm resetting a 2003 or 2008 Active Directory domain controller but am having problems. What do I do?
1) See your boot device for the instruction .pdf file on DC servers.

Question: I'm resetting my password using Password-Reset but still can't login to Windows. What's wrong?
1) Make sure you leave the password field empty when logging in.
2) Make sure you are resetting the correct password. With Windows XP and Vista, Administrator is usually not the username you log in with.

Question: I'm sure I'm choosing the right user but still can't login to Windows...
1) If resetting the Administrator password for Windows XP, you need to log in via Safe Mode. The Administrator password is only available via Safe Mode in most XP installations. You can access Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key while booting into Windows.
2) Make sure you are logging onto the local machine and not trying to log into a domain. If you have a Log onto field below the password field, it must be set to the choice that has (this computer) next to it.
3) It's possible that you are selecting the wrong password file. If Password-Reset shows more than one SAM file for you to choose, try to browse all of them and reset the passwords of all users that have the name of the user you are trying to login with.
4) If you are resetting Windows Server running an Active Directory domain controller, please see your boot device for further instructions.

Question: Password-Reset asks me for an activation key, but I don't have one...
1) You must have an activation key to be able to use Password-Reset. Please visit our purchase page obtain your key. When the key is asked for, type it in and press ENTER to continue using the program.

Question: I can't get the CD/DVD to boot.
1) Be sure your computers BIOS is set to boot from the CD/DVD drive before the hard drive. Many computers will briefly display the proper key to press when booting up in order to access the BIOS or Computer Setup screen. F2 is commonly used. Also, F12 is commonly used to directly select the boot device on many computers.

Question: I'm using a DVD-R to run Password Reset, but it will not boot up in my computer with the forgotten password, even though I've changed the boot priority.
1) Be sure that your computer with the forgotten password supports DVD's and is not just a CD drive. If in doubt, try using a CD-R instead of a DVD. A DVD will not boot on a machine with only a CD compatible drive.

* - Low price guarantee is for our Basic version activation key. We will match any regular or sale internet advertised price. See our About Us page for more info.