Recover your Vista or XP account password with a live CD

If you've ever forgotten your password to log in to a computer, you'll know how annoying it can be. By using this live CD, it can automatically decrypt the HASH file (The encrypted password) from your hard-drive, and give you your password. This works only for local accounts, not accounts that are on a network, like school user accounts, whose information is on a server.

All you'll need is a drive that can burn CD's (most computers made past 2000 would have one) and a blank CD. You'll also need the internet and enough download allocation to download 450 MB.

Kudos to T. Fairbank, who introduced me to the idea.

Disclaimer: Do NOT do this on a computer that is not your own. That would be bad. Also, please do not sell this idea to people, as many people do on the internet. Try to keep this running between people you know who may have this problem.

If you need any help or have any criticisms, especially on grammar and punctuation, they are much appreciated.

Thanks,
Stranoster.

P.S. Please refer to my other instructable if you are looking for a quick solution for XP only.

Step 1 Download the Image.

Firstly, head on over to the ophcrack website and on the homepage press download Ophcrack Live CD, as shown in the pictures. Then you have a choice between one that collects XP passwords or Vista passwords. Choose whichever is appropriate and then save it to your computer. It is approximately 450 MB, so it could take a while to download (about 45 minutes and up at 1.5 M). When it is done, you move onto burning.