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Support #935

Reset Windows Password Offline Using Arch Linux

Added by Daniel Curtis almost 6 years ago. Updated almost 5 years ago.

Status:
Closed
Priority:
Normal
Assignee:
Category:
Workstation
Target version:
Start date:
04/22/2018
Due date:
% Done:

100%

Estimated time:
1.00 h
Spent time:

Description

This is a guide on resetting a forgotten Windows 7 password using an Arch Linux install media.

Prepare the Environment

  • Make sure the package repo databases are updated:
    pacman -Sy
    
  • Install chntpw:
    pacman -S chntpw
    

Reset Windows Password

  • Use fdisk to list out the drive partitions:
    fdisk -l
    
    • Example output
      Disk /dev/sda: 232.9 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
      Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
      Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
      I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
      Disklabel type: dos
      Disk identifier: 0xc05a68a1
      
      Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
      /dev/sda1  *     2048 488394751 488392704 232.9G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
      
  • Mount the Windows partition:
    mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
    
  • Change into the Windows System32 directory:
    cd /mnt/Windows/System32/config/
    
  • Get a list of users in the SAM:
    chntpw -l sam
    
  • Run chntpw for the Bob user:
    chntpw -u Bob sam
    
  • Enter 1 to clear Bobs password:
    1
    
  • Enter 2 to unlock Bobs account:
    2
    
  • Quit chntpw and write the hive file:
    q
    y
    
  • Unmount the Windows partition and reboot:
    umount /mnt
    reboot
    

Resources

#1

Updated by Daniel Curtis almost 6 years ago

  • Description updated (diff)
  • Status changed from New to Resolved
  • % Done changed from 0 to 100
#2

Updated by Daniel Curtis almost 6 years ago

  • Start date changed from 04/21/2018 to 04/22/2018
#3

Updated by Daniel Curtis almost 5 years ago

  • Status changed from Resolved to Closed

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