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Solved: How do I reset the user password without admin privileges in Windows?

This article describes the procedure to reset a windows local admin user password when we don’t know any admin password.

Step 1: Boot the system with a Windows installation media

Step 2: Once booted from Windows installation media, press the Shift + F10 key on the first setup screen to open the command prompt window (CMD).

Once booted from Windows installation media, press the Shift + F10 key on the first setup screen to open the command prompt window (CMD).

Step 3: Enter the following command in the CMD window:

Note: assuming C: as the Windows installation volume.

C: cd \Windows\System32
ren utilman.exe utilman1.exe
ren cmd.exe utilman.exe

C: cd \Windows\System32 ren utilman.exe utilman1.exe ren cmd.exe utilman.exe

Step 4: Remove Windows installation media and restart the computer.

Step 5: Click on the Accessibility icon on the login screen to open the command prompt (CMD) window.

Click on the Accessibility icon on the login screen to open the command prompt (CMD) window.

Step 6: Enter the following command in the CMD window:

net user (it will show all local users)
net user User-we-want-to-change-password *

net user (it will show all local users) net user User-we-want-to-change-password *

Step 7: Enter the new user password and press the Enter key.

Step 8: Log in to the desired user with the new password.

Step 9: Execute the below command to roll back changes made otherwise you won’t be able to use CMD nor Accessibility with the original names.

C: cd \Windows\System32
ren utilman.exe cmd.exe
ren utilman1.exe utilman.exe

Alex Lim is a certified IT Technical Support Architect with over 15 years of experience in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting complex IT systems and networks. He has worked for leading IT companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco, providing technical support and solutions to clients across various industries and sectors. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and a master’s degree in information security from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also the author of several best-selling books on IT technical support, such as The IT Technical Support Handbook and Troubleshooting IT Systems and Networks. Alex lives in Bandar, Johore, Malaysia with his wife and two chilrdren. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook

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