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Windows 7 Password

I have a new DELL laptap and went thru the setup procedures and gave it a password. The password work ed the first time I logged in but the next day ittold me the password was incorrect. I know that the password I typed is correct, case included. How do I correct this? Thanks.

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Shekhar S. is correct that you should use a password reset disc if you made one. He is incorrect that there is no way to fix things if you didn't. There is,using only your Windows 7 installation DVD and no third-party tools. You do not need to reinstall Windows to fix this.

You can change your password to something you will remember from another administrative user's account. If you only had one administrative useraccount and you've forgotten the password, all is not lost. You might then want to follow the general recommendations for setting up user accounts inWindows 7 that I'll give you at the end of this post.

Doing all this requires a certain level of computer skills. You know yourself best and whether taking the machine to a competent local computer tech (nota BigComputerStore/GeekSquad type of place) is the better solution for you.

If you have a Windows 7 installation DVD (not a recovery DVD) you can boot the system with it. Select the default language, then choose "Repair your

computer". Then select "Command Prompt". At the command prompt type:

net user administrator /active:yes [press Enter]net user [insert your user account's name here] [insert new user password like 1234 here] [press Enter]

[Note: Do not type the brackets!]

Remove the installation DVD and reboot the computer. Now you will be able to log into your user account using the password you set; i.e., 1234.

If you don't have a Windows 7 installation DVD (only have a recovery disc), the computer mftr. may have given you the Windows 7 System Repair option(not a System Recovery!) on the diagnostic menu. This diagnostic menu is the same one where you can choose Safe Mode. Get to this menu byrepeatedly tapping the F8 key as the computer is starting up. If you don't have this option you can make a bootable Windows 7 Repair DVD from the fileat this link:

http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-system-repair-discs/

Note: All the Neosmart recovery disc downloads are torrent files. There is a good explanation of torrent files at the Neosmart website. You will need atorrent client such as muTorrentto get the files. The torrent client will download the .iso file with which to create the bootable DVD. If you are creating thebootable DVD in an older operating system (XP, Vista), you will need to use third-party burning software such as Nero, Roxio, or the free ImgBurn(http://www.imgburn.com) to burn the .iso as an image, not as data. Windows 7 can burn .isos natively.

Once you have fixed things, log into the extra administrative account you will make per the suggestions below and disable the built-in Administratoraccount again for security purposes:

Start Orb>Search box>type: cmdWhen cmd appears in Results above, right-click it and choose "Run as administrator" [OK]. Now you will get the command prompt. At the commandprompt type:

net user administrator /active:no [enter]

Exit the command prompt.

General Recommendations For Setting Up Users In Windows 7:

You absolutely do not want to have only one user account. Like XP, Vista and all other modern operating systems, Windows 7 is a multi-user operatingsystem with built-in system accounts such as Administrator, Default, and Guest. These accounts should be left alone as they are part of the operatingsystem structure.

You particularly don't want only one user account with administrative privileges in Windows 7 because the built-in Administrator account (normally onlyused in emergencies) is disabled by default. If you're running as Administrator for your daily work and that account gets corrupted, things will beDifficult. It isn't impossible to activate the built-in Administrator to rescue things, but it may be more than you want to do. Better not to put yourself into abad situation to begin with.

The user account that is for your daily work should be a Standard user, with the extra administrative user (call it something like "CompAdmin" or "Tech"or the like) only there for elevation purposes. Running as a Standard user is best practice for security purposes and will help protect your computer frominfection. After you create "CompAdmin", log into it and change your regular user account to Standard. Then log back into your regular account.

If you want to go directly to the Desktop and skip the Welcome Screen with the icons of user accounts, you can do this:

Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on thedesired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if there is

no password (null).

MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Marked As Answer by Keith-Support Engineer Microsoft Support , Moderator Tuesday, January 12, 2010 3:24 PM

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Monday, January 04, 2010 4:35 PM

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Tuesday, January 05, 2010 3:24 PM

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If you forget the administrator password and don't have a password reset disk, you won't be able to reset the password. If there are no other useraccounts on the computer, you won't be able to log on to Windows and will need to re-install Windows.http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-to-do-if-you-forget-your-Windows-password

Hope this helps.

Thanks and Regards:Shekhar S - Microsoft Support.

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forumand let us know what you think.

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Shekhar S. is correct that you should use a password reset disc if you made one. He is incorrect that there is no way to fix things if you didn't. There is,using only your Windows 7 installation DVD and no third-party tools. You do not need to reinstall Windows to fix this.

You can change your password to something you will remember from another administrative user's account. If you only had one administrative useraccount and you've forgotten the password, all is not lost. You might then want to follow the general recommendations for setting up user accounts inWindows 7 that I'll give you at the end of this post.

Doing all this requires a certain level of computer skills. You know yourself best and whether taking the machine to a competent local computer tech (nota BigComputerStore/GeekSquad type of place) is the better solution for you.

If you have a Windows 7 installation DVD (not a recovery DVD) you can boot the system with it. Select the default language, then choose "Repair yourcomputer". Then select "Command Prompt". At the command prompt type:

net user administrator /active:yes [press Enter]net user [insert your user account's name here] [insert new user password like 1234 here] [press Enter]

[Note: Do not type the brackets!]

Remove the installation DVD and reboot the computer. Now you will be able to log into your user account using the password you set; i.e., 1234.

If you don't have a Windows 7 installation DVD (only have a recovery disc), the computer mftr. may have given you the Windows 7 System Repair option(not a System Recovery!) on the diagnostic menu. This diagnostic menu is the same one where you can choose Safe Mode. Get to this menu byrepeatedly tapping the F8 key as the computer is starting up. If you don't have this option you can make a bootable Windows 7 Repair DVD from the fileat this link:

http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-system-repair-discs/

Note: All the Neosmart recovery disc downloads are torrent files. There is a good explanation of torrent files at the Neosmart website. You will need atorrent client such as muTorrentto get the files. The torrent client will download the .iso file with which to create the bootable DVD. If you are creating thebootable DVD in an older operating system (XP, Vista), you will need to use third-party burning software such as Nero, Roxio, or the free ImgBurn(http://www.imgburn.com) to burn the .iso as an image, not as data. Windows 7 can burn .isos natively.

Once you have fixed things, log into the extra administrative account you will make per the suggestions below and disable the built-in Administratoraccount again for security purposes:

Start Orb>Search box>type: cmdWhen cmd appears in Results above, right-click it and choose "Run as administrator" [OK]. Now you will get the command prompt. At the commandprompt type:

net user administrator /active:no [enter]

Exit the command prompt.

General Recommendations For Setting Up Users In Windows 7:

You absolutely do not want to have only one user account. Like XP, Vista and all other modern operating systems, Windows 7 is a multi-user operatingsystem with built-in system accounts such as Administrator, Default, and Guest. These accounts should be left alone as they are part of the operatingsystem structure.

You particularly don't want only one user account with administrative privileges in Windows 7 because the built-in Administrator account (normally onlyused in emergencies) is disabled by default. If you're running as Administrator for your daily work and that account gets corrupted, things will beDifficult. It isn't impossible to activate the built-in Administrator to rescue things, but it may be more than you want to do. Better not to put yourself into abad situation to begin with.

The user account that is for your daily work should be a Standard user, with the extra administrative user (call it something like "CompAdmin" or "Tech"or the like) only there for elevation purposes. Running as a Standard user is best practice for security purposes and will help protect your computer frominfection. After you create "CompAdmin", log into it and change your regular user account to Standard. Then log back into your regular account.

If you want to go directly to the Desktop and skip the Welcome Screen with the icons of user accounts, you can do this:

Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on thedesired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if there isno password (null).

MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Marked As Answer by Keith-Support Engineer Microsoft Support , Moderator Tuesday, January 12, 2010 3:24 PM

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I have the same prob lem and Dell refused to help. They said ti was a Microsoft problem, but my disc drive also does not eject the Dell utilities disc I putin it. if anyone can help I need it!

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I'm unclear as to what Dell has to do with this. You would not want to be using a Dell utilities disc in any case. Please read over the instructions thatwere given to the original poster back in January. If you can't follow them, I'm very sorry but we will be unable to help you here in the MS AnswersForums.Take the computer to a reputable local professional. This will not be a BigComputerStore/GeekSquad type of place. THIS IS THE ONLY HELPWE ARE PERMITTED TO GIVE YOU IN THESE FORUMS. Microsoft does not offer any password cracking tools nor can we discuss them here. All I willsay is that there is no need to purchase any such tools from the Internet and if you find a site where they are charging for this, it's a rip-off.

Microsoft policy about lost or forgotten passwordshttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/189126



Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:27 PM

Johnnicholas

Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:46 PM


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