Resetting a Windows password
Guide to resetting a Windows password
Last updated 25th November 2020
Objective
In some cases you might need to reset a Windows password. This guide will show you how to reset the password of your Windows user account and successfully log in to your instance again.
Requirements
- The instance must be in rescue mode (see Putting an instance in rescue mode).
Instructions
Connect to the instance via VNC in the OVHcloud Control Panel with the login details you have received by email.
Type the following commands to mount the remote file system:
ntfsfix /dev/sdb2
mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdb2 /mnt
Now start the password reset procedure:
cd /mnt/Windows/System32/config
chntpw -l SAM
You will see a list of users. Take note of the administrator account (or the account you wish to change the password for). In this example, we will use Administrator. Please note that the commands are case-sensitive.
chntpw -u Administrator SAM
Press 1 and Enter to clear the password. Press q to quit the password change prompt. Afterwards, press y to write the changes to the file.
You can now leave the rescue mode and reboot normally (see Putting an instance in rescue mode).
When logging in to your instance now, you will not have to enter a password to log in to a Windows session.
It is extremely unsafe to leave the Administrator account (or any account with administrative privileges) password blank. Please log in immediately to your instance and change the password.
Once logged in to your Windows session, press CTRL + ALT + DELETE and then click on Change a password. If you are using the VNC console, click on the button on the top right that says Send CtrlAltDel.
Leave the Old password field blank and type your new password twice. Make sure the passwords provided match.
Go further
Join our community of users on https://community.ovh.com/en/.
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