Reset windows 8.1 administrator password

I own a machine that is running Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit. It has an user account with limited rights - where I can login and the Administrator account for which i forgot the password. Both accounts are local and the computer doesn't belong to a domain.

Is there any possible way of resetting or removing the Administrator password?

Answer

Option 1

There is, but you need to have the Windows (7|8|8.1) install media available.

1. Start your PC off the (Disk|USB|HDD) that contains the install media


2. Once loaded, press Shift+F10. This will open a command prompt



3. Run the following commands in order:

   
   

   diskpart
   list vol
   




4. Once you find the right volume (your C: drive (it may have a different drive letter)), run exit



5. Now, run D: where D is your drive letter.


6. Run cd \Windows\System32


7. Run ren Utilman.exe Utilman_old.exe


8. Run copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe


9. Reboot

Once you get to the logon screen, click the Accessibility Options icon. Once the Command Prompt opens, run these commands, replacing user_to_change with the user you want to reset the password of:

net user user_to_change *

Enter a new password, enter it again (you won't see it) and log in. You can now go back to C:\Windows\System32 and delete the Utilman.exe that we made, and rename Utilman_old.exe to Utilman.exe

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Option 2

Boot your PC off Kon-Boot and it will allow you to log in without any password, and change your password (just don't do it through Security Options (the Ctrl+Alt+Delete menu)

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Option 3

You can reset your password using another tool called Hiren's BootCD.

Download Hiren's Boot from http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/,
unzip it and use BurnCDCC.exe to burn the ISO to a DVD.

Boot using Hiren's Boot on your locked PC and in the menu shown select
Offline NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 Password Changer and click Enter twice (for
confirmation and to continue for the list of Linux Kernel Boot).

In the following prompt select the correct drive where the Windows is
installed. Press Enter to confirm that your registry directory is
Windows/system32/config.

On the chntpw Main Interactive Menu select 1 for Edit user data and
passwords

Select the user you want to reset the password by typing the username
and hitting Enter

There you have a list of options for this user. 1 should be for
Clear the password. After successfully resetting your forgotten
Windows password, type “!” to close the User Editor Tool.

Now type “q” and hit Enter to close the Offline Password Editor and
Registry tool.

Now type “y” and hit Enter to confirm the password change.

Now it will ask you whether you want to use it again or not. Just type
“n” and hit Enter.

Remove your CD and restart the PC and your user shouldn't have a
password anymore.
Source

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Option 4

Download and boot Offline NT Password Editor and follow the instructions to wipe out the password.

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You can use any one of these methods, they all work the same, and you'll end up with access to the Administrator account again.