If you get locked out of your Windows operating system, then Linux is there to save you with a very practical tool, ntpasswd.
ntpasswd can be described as an “Offline NT Password & Registry Editor” and is a tool that can be used to reset the password of any user who has a valid account on a Windows system.
The beauty of this tool is that it works on any system from NT 3.5 and up, even the latest version of Windows 8.1. The developer says it will also work on 64-bit architectures and server versions (like 2003, 2008, 2012).
And here's how it works, according to its manufacturer:
"Windows stores its users' information, including encrypted passwords, in a file called 'Sam', which is usually located in windowssystem32config. This file is a part of the registry, in binary form, undocumented, and not easily accessible. But thanks to a German (????) named BD, I made a program that understands the registry.".
For the most part, the system is fully automated, but you should read the documentation very carefully, as it can also damage your system. The ntpassw tool is provided in the form of an image, which can be burned to a CD or USB.
If it doesn't work, its manufacturer also provides other means of running this tool, such as from a LiveCD, such as Ubuntu. Of course, it is completely free and open source .
Please note that this tool can damage your operating system, use it with caution!
Source: secnews.gr
