IT Dojo: Reset Windows passwords with the Offline NT Password and Registry Editor

Windows passwords are a necessary evil. They help protect our systems, but they can also be a real pain in the neck. Employees leave, IT workers quit, IT consultants fail to properly document deployments. Regardless of the cause, you're left with a locked account and perhaps a locked system.

In this IT Dojo video, I demonstrate how quickly and easily reset local account passwords, including Administrator, on most Windows systems. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor is a Linux-based utility that can reset passwords on Windows-NT based systems that use NTFS, including Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The tool creates a boot environment through which you can reset passwords via a series of text menus. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor isn't the most polished utility, but it is effective.

Before anyone starts flaming me in this video's discussion for sharing "hacking advice", let me make the following point. First, it is possible for unscrupulous individuals to bypass security measures with tools such as this. But, there are also plenty of legitimate, work-related reasons to reset a Windows password. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor is just another tool in the IT professional's arsenal.

There are also risks associated with using this tool. As it is editing the Windows registry, the Offline NT Password and Registry Editor could easily render a system unbootable and even destroy existing data. This is especially true of accounts that use the Encrypting File System (EFS).

Once you've watched this IT Dojo video, you can find a link to the original TechRepublic article, print the tip, and get links to additional remote support and administration resources from our IT Dojo Blog.

Tags: it dojo, security, Microsoft Windows, password, hacking, registry edit, bill detwiler, linux, system administration, Information Technology, Microsoft Windows NT, Registry Editor, Tool, Windows Password, Productivity, Operating Systems, Software

• Speaker: Bill Detwiler
• Length: 06:38