This article is for informational purposes only. Modifying system files can be risky and may cause data loss or system instability. Proceed with caution and at your own risk.
Sometimes you might forget your Windows login password and find yourself locked out of your PC. This guide explains a method to reset your password using the Windows Recovery Environment and Command Prompt.
Important Note: This method uses a system-level function to bypass password authentication. You must restore the original files once you've completed the process to maintain system security.
Access the Windows Recovery Environment
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On the login screen, hold down the Shift key and click Restart.
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Your PC will reboot into the Windows Recovery Environment.
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Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
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Select Command Prompt.
Prepare Command Prompt for the Password Reset
When Command Prompt opens, you'll see a path similar to X:\Windows\System32\.
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Switch to your Windows drive:
c: -
Navigate to the System32 folder:
cd windows\system32 -
Back up the utilman.exe file:
ren utilman.exe utilman.exe.bak -
Copy cmd.exe and rename it as utilman.exe:
copy cmd.exe utilman.exe -
Close Command Prompt and restart your computer..
Reset the Password
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On the login screen, click the Accessibility icon (bottom-right corner).
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Command Prompt will open.
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Enter the following command to reset the password:
net user <username> *(Replace
<username>with the account name). -
Enter the new password and confirm it.
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To leave the password blank, press Enter twice.
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Close Command Prompt and log in with the new password.
To see all user accounts on the system, run:
net user4. Restore the Original File
To keep your system secure, you must restore the original utilman.exe file.
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Reboot into the Windows Recovery Environment and open Command Prompt again.
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Navigate to System32:
c: cd windows\system32 -
Restore the file:
ren utilman.exe.bak utilman.exe