Forgotten your Windows XP Home password? - Part 1: Introduction

This article is Part 1 of the Forgotten your Windows XP Home password? guide. Part 1 introduces this topic.

Note To view the other topics of the Forgotten your Windows XP Home password? guide, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that are listed in the "References" section.

The Forgotten your Windows XP Home password? guide includes the following topics:

If you want to log on to a computer but have forgotten your password, there is no cause for alarm. The following options are available to help you access the system:

• Verify that you have typed the letters of your password in the correct case.
• Access a password hint on the Welcome screen.
• Use a password reset disk.
• Log on as administrator to assign a new password to your account.

Verify case sensitivity

Verify that you have typed the letters of your password in the correct case. Perhaps you entered the correct password, but the CAPS LOCK key was on. Turn off the CAPS LOCK key, and then retype your password.

Use password hints

A memory aid can help remind you of your password. If you have entered a password hint in your user account, you can access the hint on the Welcome screen. To display the hint, click the question mark (?) that is next to your user account.

How to set a password hint as a precaution

1. Log on to your computer.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click User Accounts.
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4. Click your user account, and then click Change my password.
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5. Enter your current password, enter a new password, and then enter the new password again to confirm it.
6. Enter the password hint, and then click Change Password.
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7. The change will take effect the next time that you log on.

Note If you want to keep your existing password, you must enter it as the current password, enter it again as the new password, and then enter it one more time to confirm the password.

Reset your password

If you cannot determine your password by using these methods, you must reset the password. You can do this if you have previously created a password reset disk as described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 894901.

If you do not have a password reset disk, you must log on by using the administrator account. You can use the administrator account to delete the forgotten password and then to create a new password as described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 894902.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: