forget winxp admin password

Boot into Safe Mode, press Ctrl-Alt-Del twice, enter the username of Administrator with no password. If you haven't changed this account or renamed it since setup, this should get you in so you can delete your password for your admin user account, then reboot to the Recovery Console and boot into it with no password.

If this fails, download the Emergency Boot CD from http://tinyurl.com/ghk4o. Once burned to CD, reboot from CD.

This works on most XP's. If not, repost and we'll take a step further.

If you want a tool that works, NT Key is the one. Simply boot to CD, Press F6 when prompted and insert this program into your floppy. WOrks with NT Server, Server 2000, 2003, and XP
Presto, it resets the password back to 12345. I have used it many times and never had a problem. Highly recommended.
http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm

Im with dmiles. I've used NTkey and it never fails to reset the admin account password. Though pricey if you only need to use it once, for those in the IT consulting business, it's an indespensible tool.

Have you had any success yet? I too have somehow stumbled into the same type of issue. I removed a laptop running WinXP from the domain and upon reboot, it no longer recognizes any of the user logins that were previously used. Short of reformatting the drive, or buying one of those expensive programs, I cannot find a method that works to get into this system.

Any ideas or methods that actually worked for you? The one mentioned in a reply to you abot safemode and ctrl-alt-del didn't even come close.

I use OffLine Password Recovery Registry Editor. Its a tiny linux distribution that will boot off of a floppy or CD and blank the admin password, allowing you to then boot in and change it to whatever you want. Works on XP, 2000, server 2k3 and server 2k.