Create a password reset disk in Windows 7

It’s quick and easy to create a password reset disk in Windows 7 and can save you a lot of time and frustration – and lost data! – caused by a forgotten password. Here’s a tutorial that shows you how.

“I’ll never forget my Windows password.” That’s what everybody thinks until they forget their Windows password. It’s actually extremely easy to do – especially if you’re security-conscious and use complex passwords which you frequently change. And it can be a real pain to recover or reset a forgotten password. This is as you’d expect, of course – I mean, if passwords could be easily bypassed, there’d be no point in having them. You may be able to reset a user account using the administrator account, but the process comes with the following warning from Microsoft:

“If you use an administrator account to reset the password, you will permanently lose access to any e‑mail messages or encrypted files that are on that account.”

Of course, to be able to use the administrator account, you need to be able to remember its password. If you cannot, you need to either reinstall Windows or use a third-party recovery tool. The problem with the first option is that you’ll lose all your data. The problem with the second option is that it can be a nerve-wracking task for a less experienced user – in fact, even choosing a tool from the myriad available can be a daunting task.

It is, however, extremely easy to avoid the frustrations of a lost password as Windows 7 enables you to create a password reset disk. Do this before you forget your password, and you may save yourself a lot of pain. The process only takes a couple of minutes and all you need is a USB flash drive. Here’s how to do it:

1. Connect the flash drive to a USB port.

2. Open your Control Panel by clicking Start > Control Panel.

3. Click on User Accounts and Family Safety and select User Accounts.

4. Click Create a password reset disk.

5. Click Next and select the USB flash drive from the list.

6. Enter the current password for the user account and click Next.

7. Click Next and then Finish.

Job done! Now, should you ever forget your password, all you need do is insert the flash drive at the password screen, click Reset password and follow the prompts.

A couple of points to note: Firstly, this approach cannot be used with a work computer that’s on a domain – in such cases, you’ll need to look to your network administrator for help. Secondly, as the flash drive will enable anybody to reset your password and access your data, you’ll want to keep it in a safe place.