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Password Reset Disk without a Windows Computer

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Hi all,

I have an old laptop running Windows Vista that I am trying to get back into, but I don’t know the password. I have a USB and saw online that people are using disks to reboot and bypass the password. I do not have another Windows computer available to me.

I have tried to login with safe mode, but it brings me right to the login screen where I need to enter a password. There is only one available user to try to log in as.

Is it possible for me to get back into the computer using a USB, and either a Macbook or Chromebook?

Topic

Any bootable OS can be used.

In reply to Password Reset Disk without a Windows Computer

Since you have a Macbook you can create boot disks or USB sticks there. I won’t cover how since that’s all over the internet.

Once in said OS I’ve used the UTILMAN.EXE trick for decades.

Read how at https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/150847/bypassing-windows-10-password-with-utilman-exe-trick-fixed

Since this is Vista, still works fine.

What you do next is change the password via a command prompt. Again, that information is all over the web so I’ll pause here.

Reset Windows Vista Password Using USB and Macbook/Chromebook

In reply to Password Reset Disk without a Windows Computer

Yes, it is possible to reset the password on your Windows Vista laptop using a USB drive and either a Macbook or Chromebook. Here’s a concise answer on how to proceed:

1. On your Macbook or Chromebook, download and install a password reset tool like “Offline NT Password & Registry Editor” or “Kon-Boot.”

2. Use the downloaded tool to create a bootable USB drive. Follow the tool’s instructions to do this correctly.

3. Once you have the bootable USB ready, insert it into your Windows Vista laptop.

4. Restart the laptop and boot from the USB drive. You may need to access the boot menu or change the boot order in the laptop’s BIOS settings to prioritize the USB drive.

5. The password reset tool will launch, and you’ll be presented with options to reset or bypass the password. Follow the tool’s instructions to reset the password for the user account on your Windows Vista laptop.

6. Once the password has been reset, remove the USB drive and restart the laptop.

7. You should now be able to log in to your Windows Vista laptop using the newly set password or without entering a password.

Remember that resetting the password using this method will only grant you access to the laptop. It won’t recover any data or files that were encrypted or protected by the old password.

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