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132 Crack Windows Password [How To] [Updated]Have you ever forgotten your Windows password? Ever had a friend ask you if you know how to retrieve their password? Ever needed a password for other reasons? In this guide you’ll learn how to retrieve your Windows password using a tool named ophcrack.

Tip: Once you’ve got access to your account, set up a password reset disk so you no longer have to crack your password.

Ophcrack is a free Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables, which comes with a Graphical User Interface version that automates the process for you. ophcrack is

To crack your Windows password:

1. Download the ophcrack LiveCD

2. Burn the ISO to a disc (how to burn an ISO to disc)

3. Put the disc in the PC that has the locked account and boot the PC from the disc (how to boot from CD)

4. Press Enter to run ophcrack in Graphic Mode with automatic scan

crack windows password01 Crack Windows Password [How To] [Updated]

5. Sit back while ophcrack looks for your password hash in the available tables

I recommend you archive your burned disc for use in the future. Also, consider using a more difficult password to crack and then creating a password reset disk.

I tried and an 8 character password (letters, numbers–mixed case) and ophcrack got it in 15 seconds.

Password Not Found?

crack windows password not found1 Crack Windows Password [How To] [Updated]

If the password is not found, you have a few options:

  1. Access the files using a Linux distribution without cracking the password
  2. Reset the Windows account password to gain access to the account (but lose access to any encrypted files)
  3. If it’s really important that you crack the password, you can purchase larger rainbow tables (link) although there are no guarantees you’ll find a match for your password

Last Updated: June 19th 2012

2012/06/19 — Updated screenshots to match latest version of ophcrack. Listed alternate options if cracking fails.



 Crack Windows Password [How To] [Updated]

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

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Comments

  • Mayur

    The best and simple way is to use PC Login Now :D
    Anyway Thanks..

  • Mayur

    The best and simple way is to use PC Login Now :D
    Anyway Thanks..

  • Mayur

    The best and simple way is to use PC Login Now :D
    Anyway Thanks..

  • Jodith

    I’ve used this. We had a therapist who forgot the log in to her laptop. Luckily it wasn’t a very strong password. I had it cracked in no time.

  • http://administrativearts.com/ Jodith

    I’ve used this. We had a therapist who forgot the log in to her laptop. Luckily it wasn’t a very strong password. I had it cracked in no time.

  • http://administrativearts.com Jodith

    I’ve used this. We had a therapist who forgot the log in to her laptop. Luckily it wasn’t a very strong password. I had it cracked in no time.

  • Shivaranjan

    If the Windows partition is encrypted then this method won’t work. Large corporates are now slowly adopting this strategy.

  • http://www.shivaranjan.com/ Shivaranjan

    If the Windows partition is encrypted then this method won’t work. Large corporates are now slowly adopting this strategy.

  • http://www.shivaranjan.com Shivaranjan

    If the Windows partition is encrypted then this method won’t work. Large corporates are now slowly adopting this strategy.

  • Rich

    Shivaranjan, do you know of any other way to get the password if the partition/drive is encrypted?

  • http://www.mintywhite.com/ Rich

    Shivaranjan, do you know of any other way to get the password if the partition/drive is encrypted?

  • http://www.mintywhite.com Rich

    Shivaranjan, do you know of any other way to get the password if the partition/drive is encrypted?

  • abhishek

    encrypted partition would be a issue, but this method will atleast still work in 90percent cases like a charm

  • http://www.technixupdate.com/ abhishek

    encrypted partition would be a issue, but this method will atleast still work in 90percent cases like a charm

  • http://www.technixupdate.com abhishek

    encrypted partition would be a issue, but this method will atleast still work in 90percent cases like a charm

  • Best Windows Freebies and Guid

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  • Will

    No need to crack the PW, just reset it to blank (as in no pw at all)..

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    Simple…

  • Will

    No need to crack the PW, just reset it to blank (as in no pw at all)..

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    Simple…

  • Will

    No need to crack the PW, just reset it to blank (as in no pw at all)..

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    Simple…

  • hubka.net

    that pwd is so stupid when 15sec and crack it down :) with pwd with 8 and more characters with non-aflanumeric character is this method bad … ;) and why that user cant logon how admin (hi has bladnk pwd) and then change pwd to your account

  • http://hubka.net/ hubka.net

    that pwd is so stupid when 15sec and crack it down :) with pwd with 8 and more characters with non-aflanumeric character is this method bad … ;) and why that user cant logon how admin (hi has bladnk pwd) and then change pwd to your account

  • http://hubka.net hubka.net

    that pwd is so stupid when 15sec and crack it down :) with pwd with 8 and more characters with non-aflanumeric character is this method bad … ;) and why that user cant logon how admin (hi has bladnk pwd) and then change pwd to your account

  • LoftyNed

    Do not use this tool on any computer system which you do not own or have written permission from the owner!!! In the UK you can be prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act and face jail and/or a large fine. The possession of password cracking software has been viewed as tantamount to terrorism in some states.

  • LoftyNed

    Do not use this tool on any computer system which you do not own or have written permission from the owner!!! In the UK you can be prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act and face jail and/or a large fine. The possession of password cracking software has been viewed as tantamount to terrorism in some states.

  • LoftyNed

    Do not use this tool on any computer system which you do not own or have written permission from the owner!!! In the UK you can be prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act and face jail and/or a large fine. The possession of password cracking software has been viewed as tantamount to terrorism in some states.

  • Rich

    Thanks for the warning LoftyNed. Just like most things, it’s how we use them — so please use this software responsibly and for legitimate reasons.

  • http://www.mintywhite.com/ Rich

    Thanks for the warning LoftyNed. Just like most things, it’s how we use them — so please use this software responsibly and for legitimate reasons.

  • http://www.mintywhite.com Rich

    Thanks for the warning LoftyNed. Just like most things, it’s how we use them — so please use this software responsibly and for legitimate reasons.

  • rog

    took over 3 mins to get mine, so mines obviously better than yours!

  • rog

    took over 3 mins to get mine, so mines obviously better than yours!

  • rog

    took over 3 mins to get mine, so mines obviously better than yours!

  • darkplayer

    TO: Will, I’ve always used “NTPASSWD” in the past for XP. 3 days ago, someone was showing me a program that could reset Vista’s admin passwd called ERD commander. I told him that was impossible because it was setup only to work with XP +. When he ran the program via live cd, I told him that looked awfully similar to something I used way back when. After finding this site today, my memory served me right, it was…

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    I would never have thought “NTpasswd” would have one for Vista. Now I can stop using “ERD” (takes about 5 min’s to boot) and go back to “NTpasswd” (less than a min to boot). Thanks Will for the link. Just made my task a whole lot simpler.

  • darkplayer

    TO: Will, I’ve always used “NTPASSWD” in the past for XP. 3 days ago, someone was showing me a program that could reset Vista’s admin passwd called ERD commander. I told him that was impossible because it was setup only to work with XP +. When he ran the program via live cd, I told him that looked awfully similar to something I used way back when. After finding this site today, my memory served me right, it was…

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    I would never have thought “NTpasswd” would have one for Vista. Now I can stop using “ERD” (takes about 5 min’s to boot) and go back to “NTpasswd” (less than a min to boot). Thanks Will for the link. Just made my task a whole lot simpler.

  • darkplayer

    TO: Will, I’ve always used “NTPASSWD” in the past for XP. 3 days ago, someone was showing me a program that could reset Vista’s admin passwd called ERD commander. I told him that was impossible because it was setup only to work with XP +. When he ran the program via live cd, I told him that looked awfully similar to something I used way back when. After finding this site today, my memory served me right, it was…

    http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/

    I would never have thought “NTpasswd” would have one for Vista. Now I can stop using “ERD” (takes about 5 min’s to boot) and go back to “NTpasswd” (less than a min to boot). Thanks Will for the link. Just made my task a whole lot simpler.

  • Franky

    I try to reboot with the CD and he didn’t work. I press F12 and select Cd and I saw the name of the program. The CD ran for a few seconds and windows opened normaly and I saw the password page and not what you describe.
    What is the problem?

  • Franky

    I try to reboot with the CD and he didn’t work. I press F12 and select Cd and I saw the name of the program. The CD ran for a few seconds and windows opened normaly and I saw the password page and not what you describe.
    What is the problem?

  • Franky

    I try to reboot with the CD and he didn’t work. I press F12 and select Cd and I saw the name of the program. The CD ran for a few seconds and windows opened normaly and I saw the password page and not what you describe.
    What is the problem?

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  • Biggie

    GREAT. This site ROCKS

  • Biggie

    GREAT. This site ROCKS

  • Biggie

    GREAT. This site ROCKS

  • harry dripps

    can you retrieve pics off of another windows login id w/o logging into that persons id?

  • harry dripps

    can you retrieve pics off of another windows login id w/o logging into that persons id?

  • harry dripps

    can you retrieve pics off of another windows login id w/o logging into that persons id?

  • Rich

    Yes. Go to C:Users (Vista) or C:Profiles (XP)

    Select the username and then go to the Pictures folder.

    If the account is password protected, you may have to type in the password.

  • http://www.mintywhite.com/ Rich

    Yes. Go to C:Users (Vista) or C:Profiles (XP)

    Select the username and then go to the Pictures folder.

    If the account is password protected, you may have to type in the password.

  • http://www.mintywhite.com Rich

    Yes. Go to C:\Users (Vista) or C:\Profiles (XP)

    Select the username and then go to the Pictures folder.

    If the account is password protected, you may have to type in the password.

  • Joel

    I need help with this. ophcrack didn’t run automatically. I can get it to run by using the F12 to change the boot sequence. However when I run the program two partitions containing hashes appear:

    0. /mnt/sda2/Windows/System32/config

    1. /mnt/sda3/Windows/System32/config

    The program asks me to select which one I would like to crack passwords from. There is no mouse icon that appears on the screen. The question I have is how do I select a partition? I assume that I select the partition by typing it in a pressing ENTER.

    I’ve tried several things and end up nowhere. Can someone walk me through it VERY specifically from the “choose your partition” step?

    Please email me if you can help(usrseattle@aol.com). Please reference Ophcrack in the subject line. My daughter would be very grateful to have access to her computer again, and I’d appreciate the help


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