How to prevent a forgotten password in Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP Home and Professional includes an option that enables users to create a floppy diskette that enables them to access the computer with a forgotten password. Below are the steps required to create this diskette.

Creating the forgotten password diskette

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, open the User Accounts window by double-clicking the User Accounts icon.
3. In the User Accounts window, in the top-left Related Tasks section, click Prevent a forgotten password.
4. Insert a blank floppy diskette into the computer and click Next.
5. Type the password for the user you are creating the diskette for and click Next.
6. Wait until the diskette has completed being created, then store the diskette in a place you will remember.

Using the forgotten password diskette

If you have forgotten your Windows XP password, but you had the forethought to create a forgotten password diskette, follow the steps below.

1. At the Windows XP login prompt, when the password is entered incorrectly, click the reset button in the login failed window.
2. Insert the password reset diskette into the computer and click Next.
3. If the correct diskette is used, Windows XP shows a window prompting for the new password.