Recovering Your Windows Vista Admin Password

There is nothing worse than losing your password. You should always right it down and keep it in a safe place. However we are human and can make mistakes like no other. With Windows Vista it is actually pretty easy to recover your password. You will need two things, some time and the Windows Vista Disk that has come with your computer.

You will need to place the Vista Disk into your CD-Rom drive. Then reboot your computer. You are waiting for a message upon boot that says “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD” . You will receive a message telling you that it is loading and will install Windows Vista. Do not be alarmed you should not lose your data. The first screen will ask you the appropriate language to install. You want to choose English or your native language. Then press Next. Then it will ask you your time and currency format. Then press Next. Upon pressing Next you will be asked for your Keyboard or Input method. Then Press Next.

You will want to choose the option that says “Repair Your Computer“ Select the Operating System you would like to repair and click Next. However on some systems you will alternatively be asked if you would like to install or use System Restore. If this happens choose System Restore and click Next. This final page will give you about 4 dates for a Restore Point. What your looking for is the last date that you remember your password. If that date is not in the list you will choose the help button. You are then brought to some options and one of them will be “Restore Options Older Than 5 Days”.

You will choose this option if your date was not among the 4. This should bring you to almost a calendar where you can choose the day with the nearest restore point to when you remember your password. Once choosing this Restore Point you will be asked if you are sure and you will click Next. Once again you do not have to worry. You will not lose your data. Windows will automatically begin restoring files that have been deleted or changed since this Restore Point, including your password file. This process time will vary depending on how long ago the Restore Point you choose is.

Once this process is completed you will receive a confirmation, and will want to reboot your computer. Once you have booted into Windows you should be able to login using the password from the time of the Restore Point you chose. If this did not fix your issue, you will want to repeat this whole document, choosing a more accurate Restore Point.

After you have been able to login to Windows you will need to change your Administrator password. You will also need to write the password down and store it in a safe place.