How to Get the Admin Password on a PC

Instructions

Recovering Admin Passwords on a PC

Step 1

 

Contact the network administrator. This is the simplest solution to recovering the admin password. If you are using a company computer or a computer in a library or university, contact the individual or group that oversees network issues. Access to the admin password often means access to areas of a given network or access to areas of a given computer that are protected from the public for reasons of security.

Step 2

 

Contact the customer service department of your PC manufacturer. If you are using your own personal computer, one that is not affiliated with a larger network or on loan from a company, your PC manufacture can often help you recover a lost admin password. On personal computers, admin passwords are often set by the user when they first begin using the machine after purchase. If this password is lost or forgotten, customer service agents may be able to walk you through a series of computing steps through which you can recover or at least create a new password. It may also be possible to reach customer service via email.

Step 3

 

Research a recovery method in an online discussion group or forum. If you still have difficulty recovering the admin password for your personal computer, it may help to access the Internet from a different machine (if you are unable to with yours) and consult an on-line discussion group or user forum. These online communities discuss all types of PC problems and how to troubleshoot them. Use the forum's search field to narrow results and find your particular problem. After some sleuth work, you may come across someone who owns a similar machine and has contended with a similar password problem in the past.

Step 4

 

Download or purchase password recovery software. There is a large number of software programs on the market designed to help computer users recover lost passwords. Some are available as free downloads, while others are available for a fee. It is important that you thoroughly research any software you download prior to introducing it to your machine. The best case scenario is that the software will simply not work while the worst case scenario will introduce your PC to a bad virus or adware bug. One of the most popular free downloads for password recovery is ophcrack.sourceforge.net, although results are not guaranteed

Tips & Warnings

• Admin passwords exist for reasons of security of information and network reliability. Do not try to guess admin passwords or try to figure out admin passwords on machines that you do not personally own. If you do attempt to do this, the odds are you will be caught. Depending on the severity of your offense, you could lose any of the following; your access to the network and computer use privileges, your job, your personal freedom. That's right, messing with the wrong network passwords can definitely lead to jail time.