Windows password recovery tools are mostly used for recovering or cracking the password of your PC. Most password recovery programs remove the password from your computer so that you can login without any password at all and few of them also helps to recover the password that you have used to encrypt your computer.
- ISeePassword is a professional password recovery software provider, which can help users recover lost password for Windows system, Office document and iTunes backup.
- ISunshare Resources Center. ISunshare Resources Center is a large database which shares the knowledge about password recovery, data recovery, and tips for computer/Windows/iOS/ Android/Internet issues.
- Windows Password Recovery tool Patch is a chief expert in resetting windows regional bills. It resets the area password on home windows 8, 7(32/64bit), XP,2000, Vista and so forth. Windows 7 Passwords will also be reset in three minutes, apart from how long and problematic or burdened password is.
- Windows Password Recovery Reset 2019 on USB for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP This is the best 2019 password removal software available! Reset Your Password and unlock to get back into your computer.
Windows password recovery tools are used to recover or reset lost user and administrator passwords used to log on to Windows operating systems.
Password recovery tools are often called 'password cracker' tools because they are sometimes used to 'crack' passwords by hackers. Legally cracking or unlocking your own Windows password is certainly a legitimate practice!
If you have questions or concerns, see our Windows Password Recovery Programs FAQ. We also have an easy-to-read comparison of these programs that should help.
A Windows password recovery program is just one of several ways to find a lost Windows password. If you're using Windows 7 try using our guide on how to reset your password for Windows 7.
Cracking Other Passwords
See this list of free password crackers for free programs that crack PDF files, Word & Excel documents, RAR & ZIP archives, and more.
Below you'll find the best free Windows password recovery programs available, most of which work for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP passwords:
of 07
Ophcrack
What We Like
- Easy to use; passwords are recovered automatically
- Doesn't require installation; it runs from a disc or flash drive
- You don't have to know anything about the original password
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't crack Windows 10 passwords
- Can't crack passwords 14+ characters in length
- You have to boot to the media to run the program
- The file size is rather large
The Ophcrack Windows password cracker is by far the best freeware Windows password recovery tool available. It's fast and easy enough for a first time Windows password cracker with a basic knowledge of Windows.
With Ophcrack, you don't need any access to Windows to be able to recover your lost passwords. From another computer, visit the site, download the free ISO image, burn it to a CD or flash drive, and then boot from it.
The Ophcrack program starts, locates the Windows user accounts, and proceeds to recover (crack) the passwords — all automatically.
In a test on a Windows 8 PC, Ophcrack recovered the 8-character password (mixed letters and numbers) to my administrator account in 3 minutes and 29 seconds.
Ophcrack supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Though I tried Ophcrack against three very simple Windows 10 passwords, not one of them were found.
![Ultimate Ultimate](https://www.datarecoverycoupons.com/uploads/posts/2016-05/1464002059_tipard-windows-password-reset-sc.png)
of 07
Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
What We Like
- Deletes the password completely
- You don't have to install anything to the computer
- Works quickly
- Works on Windows 10 down through Windows XP
What We Don't Like
- Must boot to the disc or flash drive to run the program
- Works from the command line, so everything is text
Offline NT Password & Registry Editor (ONTP&RE) works differently than most password recovery programs in that it erases your Windows password instead of recovering it. You can think of it as more of a Windows password tool.
Like Ophcrack, you boot from a burned disc or flash drive created with the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor ISO file. After running the program, you can log in to your Windows account without entering a password at all, and then, of course, make a new password if that's what you want.
If you like this 'password deleting' strategy then I highly recommend this program. It requires some seemingly difficult command line work but I have a full walkthrough available. In other words: you can do this!
I've tested Offline NT Password & Registry Editor on 64-bit & 32-bit versions of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP PCs, and it reset the passwords immediately without a problem. It should work on Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems too.
Windows Password Recovery Tool Ultimate
of 07
Kon-Boot
What We Like
- One of the easiest ways to reset a password
- No need to install the software to the computer's hard drive
- Smaller download than most bootable password reset tools
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't work on Windows 10 or Windows 8
- Doesn't work on 64-bit operating systems
- You have to put the software on a disc to use it
Kon-Boot is yet another free password reset program, much like ONTP&RE. Just burn the program to a disc or USB drive, boot from it, and you're off.
Kon-Boot works differently than the two password reset tools above, so if you have problems using them, give Kon-Boot a try. It's very, very easy to use and probably the fastest password reset, and certainly password recovery tool, available.
Unfortunately, Kon-Boot 1.0 does not work with 64-bit versions of Windows, nor any version of Windows 8 or Windows 10.
I used Kon-Boot v1.0 to successfully delete the password on a Windows Vista PC and then also on a Windows XP PC.
A commercial version of Kon-Boot supposedly works with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10/8, but I haven't tried it myself.
of 07
Windows Password Recovery Tool Ultimate Download
Cain & Abel
What We Like
- You can install it in minutes
- More advanced than similar password recovery tools
- Includes lots of other useful tools
What We Don't Like
- Requires access to a Windows account
- Officially works with Windows XP and older OSs only
- Hasn't been updated in a very long time
- You need extra files (not included) in order to recover passwords
Cain & Abel is a free, fast and effective Windows password recovery tool.
Unlike Ophcrack and other popular Windows password hacking programs, Cain & Abel requires access to Windows under an administrator account. Due to this fact, Cain & Abel is a valuable resource to recover passwords to accounts other than the one you're using.
Add that to the fact that Cain & Abel is a bit more complicated to use than other password recovery apps and you have what is, in my book, a pretty advanced tool. Check it out if you think it might be useful to you.
Cain & Abel was able to recover the 10-character password to the Windows XP 'Administrator' account in 10 seconds. While it only officially supports Windows XP, 2000, and NT, some users have had luck getting it to work in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
I've tried it with Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista, and was unsuccessful each time.
of 07
LCP
What We Like
- Installs quickly
- You don't have to worry about putting the program on a disc
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't work on newer operating systems
- The software no longer gets updated
- Must have access to Windows to use it
LCP is yet another free password recovery software tool for Windows.
Like Cain & Abel, LCP is a standard Windows program you download from LCPSoft's website and install inside of Windows, meaning you'll need access to a user account on the computer.
LCP can be a little intimidating to those new to Windows password recovery tools, so some prior knowledge is very helpful to avoid even bigger problems with your PC.
I haven't been able to get LCP to work for me in Windows XP, the newest version of Windows it supports. Please let me know if you've successfully used LCP and would like to share your experiences.
of 07
Trinity Rescue Kit
What We Like
- Can delete Windows passwords
- Lets you make a new password for a user account
- You don't need access to a user account to reset passwords
What We Don't Like
- Needs to be booted from before Windows starts
- Doesn't have a regular, graphical user interface
Trinity Rescue Kit needs to be booted from a disc or USB stick to work. It includes many different tools, one of which is for password recovery.
You can use Trinity Rescue Kit to clear a password entirely, making it blank, or to set a custom one.
Some of you may find this program difficult to use because there isn't a graphical interface. However, even if you're not used to a command line interface, most of the required keystrokes are just numbers for choosing different options for resetting a password.
Trinity Rescue Kit should work with Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.
The password resetting tool in Trinity Rescue Kit, called winpass, is actually just an automated script for the chntpw tool, which is what Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, listed above, is based on. If you tried that password tool and it didn't work, Trinity Rescue Kit probably won't either.
of 07
John the Ripper
What We Like
- The program is 100 percent free
- Small download size
- Runs quickly and from within Windows
![Windows Password Recovery Tool Ultimate Purchase For Mac Windows Password Recovery Tool Ultimate Purchase For Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126375130/421785680.jpg)
What We Don't Like
- The required wordlists aren't free
- Works from the command line
- You need Windows access to use it
John the Ripper is a popular free password recovery tool that can be used to find Windows account passwords.
While the password recovery application itself is free, the wordlists used by John the Ripper to discover passwords, do cost and are required for the software to work.
I'm told there are free word list alternatives that work with John the Ripper, which is why this Windows password recovery tool is still listed as free. However, I have not tested any of them.
John the Ripper is operated at the command line, which makes it a password cracking tool reserved for the very advanced user.
In theory, John the Ripper should support all popular versions of Windows like Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.
Windows Password Recovery Tools Aren't Necessary If You're Proactive!
These Windows password recovery tools are great if you need them, but there's a much easier way to access your account if you forget your password — a password reset disk!
A password reset disk is a special disk you can insert in your PC during the logon process that will allow you to change your Windows password without knowing your current password. You will need to create this disk before you lose access to your account!
In addition to many free Windows password recovery tools, several commercial programs are also available that will recover Windows passwords. These tools are of course not free but they might provide some additional features not found in freeware versions.
Realizing that you've forgotten your Windows password is guaranteed to strike panic in anyone. Fortunately, there are several programs and services that can help 'hack' into your own Windows PC!
How to Use These Password Reset Programs
These password recovery applications run before the Windows operating system first boots up. This means that instead of installing these programs like you would a regular piece of software, you have to first put it on a CD (or flash drive, if the program supports it).
All of the programs below have a built-in mechanism to burn the software to the proper device, after which you have to change the boot order in BIOS so that you can boot to the password recovery tool instead of the hard drive.
This might sound confusing but just follow the links on this page to learn more about how to do these things. It's really not difficult if you follow the steps in order: Download the password recovery tool, burn it to a disc using the included software, and then boot the computer from the disc.
of 05
Active Password Changer Professional
Active Password Changer Professional is one of the best premium password recovery program tested. It's very easy to set up and use, making it an appropriate password hacking tool for even the most novice of computer users.
Like other programs listed here, Active Password Changer Professional deletes passwords: it does not recover them. The end result is the same though as you get access to your computer again!
In a test on a Windows 10 computer, Active Password Changer Professional successfully deleted a 20-character password instantly.
Active Password Changer Professional is currently priced at $49.95 USD.
Active Password Changer Professional officially supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 & 2003, and Windows XP.
of 05
Windows Password Reset Standard
Like many of these password programs, Windows Password Reset Standard does not actually recover the password but instead removes it.
The program was very easy to burn to a CD using the included image burning software and was even easier to use. If you want to burn the software to a USB device, you have to purchase the professional edition.
Windows Password Reset Standard is currently priced at $19.95 USD.
Windows Password Reset Standard supports Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.
An Extended Download Service is added to your shopping cart when you order Windows Password Reset Standard, which lets you download the program again over the next two years (should you lose the software on your computer). This is around $5 USD but you can remove it from the cart if you don't want it.
of 05
UUkeys Windows Password Mate
The Windows password recovery program from UUkeys is much like the other two mentioned above. After downloading the software to a Windows computer, you have the option to make a password reset CD or USB device.
The Windows program is really easy to use because there are only a few buttons available, and their options are easy to understand. Once booted to the Windows password recovery program, it is easy to select a user that should have its password reset.
UUkeys Windows Password Mate is currently priced at $29.95 USD. It's a lifetime license with free upgrades and technical support.
The UUkeys Windows Password Mate tool works with Windows 10, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and others, including Windows Server 2012.
of 05
Tenorshare Windows Password Reset Ultimate
The password reset tool from Tenorshare follows the same idea as the others in this list. Install the program in Windows and then choose to burn the Windows password reset ISO file to a CD or USB device.
Once you've booted to the program, select the right hard drive from the option under the Windows Path column. This should be the hard drive that contains the user account for which you want to recover the password. Most people will only have one option.
You can then pick the right user from the list, like you see in this screenshot. You can also change the user's password, create a new admin account, or completely remove an admin account.
The current price for Tenorshare Windows Password Reset Ultimate is $39.95 USD.
The following operating systems are supported: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Sever 2012 R2/2012/2008 R2/2008/2003 R2/2003.
of 05
iSunshare Windows Password Genius
iSunshare's Windows password reset program isn't much different than the others in this list. You can install it on CD/DVD or a USB device. Boot to it and you'll be able to reset any user's password.
There are four steps involved in iSunshare Windows Password Manager: Choose the operating system, select a user, reset the user's password, and then reboot the computer.
Something else you can do with this program is make a new user.
Windows Password Genius Standard is currently priced at $19.95. USD.
For other features like RAID support, the option to make a new domain admin account, etc., you can purchase the Professional, Advanced, or Raid version, all of which are increasingly more expensive than the Standard edition.
This Windows password resetter works for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. It can also reset the password in Windows Server 2016 down through 2000.
Recovery Tools Aren't Necessary If You're Proactive!
These Windows password recovery tools really come in handy when you need them but there's a much easier way to access your account if you forget your password, create a password reset disk!
A password reset disk is a special disk you can insert in your PC during the logon process that will allow you to reset your Windows password. You will need to create this disk before you lose access to your account!