How to Crack Windows 10 Password in an Efficient Way
Windows 10 new security feature asks you changing login password from time to time. This could leads to a problem that you could forget Windows 10 password. In some case, you bought a used computer from others but unable to get into the device because you did not have the correct password to unlock it.
No worries, there are different ways to crack Windows 10 password even the password you forgot is strong enough. However, not all of them work for you. That’s where we come in. In this guide, we are going to walk you through the steps on how to crack Windows 10 password in an efficient way.
P.S. We are going to use third-party software to help you crack Windows password. All of them are reliable and work for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
Ophcrack: The Most Popular Windows Password Cracking Tool
In regards of Windows password cracking, Ophcrack is the most famous name. You can see recommendation from various places. Ophcrack is one of the most effective Windows password cracking tools out there. As the name suggests, it quickly recover a lost or forgotten Windows password.
The best part is that it’s completely free (no subscription required). It also supports all platforms out there and features a brute-force attack type that guarantees a high level of success.
Keep in mind that it’s an open-source tool, meaning that it still needs some polishing at some point. So, you may encounter some bugs and glitches during the process. Here are the steps:
Download Ophcrack: https://ophcrack.sourceforge.io/
Step 1: Once the download is complete, you should see the Ophcrack ISO file and you need to burn it to a USB drive before moving ahead.
Step 2: To burn the ISO file, you are going to need a third-party app. In this guide, we are going to use UUByte ISO Editor to burn Ophcrack ISO file. Simply download it and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the burning process.
Step 3: Once it is done, unplug your USB drive and insert it into your locked computer. After that, boot your computer from the drive and Ophcrack’s main menu should show up.
Step 4: From here, press the Enter button to select the default option.
Step 5: Ophcrack will start executing the command automatically and the password reset process should begin.
Step 6: Once it is done, your password should be recovered and you should see it on the screen.
In short, Ophcrack is a great tool for both newcomers and professionals. It’s easy-to-use, reliable, and fast. However, the tool still needs improvements and bug fixes. It could take days to crack a strong password.
PassGeeker for windows: Crack Windows 10 Password Instantly
PassGeeker Windows Password Recovery is another amazing tool that allows you to unlock a Windows 10 computer if you happen to lose or forget login password. Unlike Ophcrack, PassGeeker Windows Password Recovery simply resets the old password to a blank value or a new password. After that, you can sing in Windows 10 with the new password or without any password. It depends on what kind of option you choose with PassGeeker software.
The coolest part is that you don’t need to wait any time during the unlocking process. The password will be cracked in less than one minutes. And it applies to both weak and strong password. Basically, it is the fastest solution to crack Windows 10 password.
One major drawback is that the free trial can only list user accounts on the locked computer. To fully reset or crack Windows 10 password, you have to purchase a license key to access the premium features. However, it is really worth it as it’s easy-to-use, intuitive, reliable, and super-fast.
Download PassGeeker Windows Password Recovery: https://www.passgeeker.com/download/PassGeeker-Windows-Password-Recovery.exe
Step 1: On a secondary PC, download PassGeeker Windows Password Recovery and then launch it. After that, insert a USB drive into your machine and hit the Burn button.
Step 2: Unplug USB drive and then insert it into locked Windows 10. From here, boot your device from the USB drive by pressing the F2 button.
Step 3: When the PassGeeker menu shows up, choose a Windows version (Windows 10) and then select the Windows user account you wish to reset the password for.
Step 4: Hit Reset Password button. This will remove the old password and create a new one for selected user account.
Step 5: Reboot Windows 10 computer and log into the device using the newly-created password.
You won’t be able to know what the old password is. However, the computer will be unlocked in a few minutes as the forgotten password will be reset instead.
L0phtCrack: Professional Software to Audit and Crack Windows 10 Password
L0phtCrack is one of the reputed software for cracking Windows 10 password out there. First introduced back in 1997, L0phtCrack allowed users to crack an eight-character Windows password in about 24 hours. Since then, the tool has seen a lot of improvements and changes, making it an ideal cracking Windows password tool for all users.
Using L0phtCrack is not a rocket science, but there are many who encounter problems with this password cracking tool. If this is the first time you are using L0phtCrack, then we are here to help.
Download L0phtCrack: https://www.l0phtcrack.com/
L0phtCrack 7 is now available for all users. But you need to pay some cash to access its full features. In reality, it offers a 15-day free trial, but this free trial lacks some important features. This tool is not something we recommend to you as the process is pretty confusing for many folks. In this guide, we are going to use L0phtCrack version 6. Here are the steps.
If you are running the software for the first time, you are going through an initial setup. From the first menu, hit the Next button and check the box next to the Don’t show me this wizard on start up option if you don’t want to see it again.
Next up, if you want to retrieve your lost password from a local admin account, simply select the “Retrieve from the local machine” option and then proceed with hitting the Next button. On the next window, select your auditing method you prefer.
Next, pick your reporting style. We recommend you check all the options and then you will be presented with a list of all user accounts that are linked to your Windows. Select the one you wish to reset the password for and the cracking password process should begin. What you should do now is waiting for the result.
L0phtCrack is an extremely powerful tool when it comes to password cracking. It will help you find old password. At the same time, it is a very expensive software, starting at 595 USD.
Hashcat: All-Round Password Recovery Tool for Cracking Windows 10 Password
If you want to play around with command lines to crack your Windows password, then Hashcat is good to go. In reality, Hashcat is a command line-based tool that lets you reset your Windows password in case you lost or forgot it. The highlight of Hashcat is that it is super-fast and free. One major drawback is that it only cracks simple passwords and sometimes does not work for you.
Download Hashcat: https://hashcat.net/files/hashcat-6.1.1.7z
Hashcat is an open-source software so it is completely free. However, you may encounter bugs and glitches as it still needs improvements. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Download wget binary package and copy wget.exe to C:\Windows\System32. Then launch Command Prompt on your PC using a different user account and then install Hashcat using these commands (press Enter after each command.)
cd
mkdir hash
cd hash
wget https://hashcat.net/files_legacy/hashcat-2.00.7z
7z e hashcat-2.00.7z
./hashcat-cli32.bin -V
Step 2: Now retrieve Windows password hash from SAM file.
reg save hklm\sam filename1.hiv
reg save hklm\security filename2.hiv
Step 3: To locate the name of the hive files that have the password hashes you wish to reset, use this command:
sam filename1.hiv filename2.hiv
Step 4: Save the hash in a new text file using this command:
log win10pass1.txt
Step 5: Now, download the wordlists. To do this, use this command:
cd./hash/hashcat-cli32.bin -m 1000 -a 0 -o win10pass1.txt — remove win1.hash rock.dic
In short, Hashcat is a great tool for cracking Windows 10 password but if you have never used command lines before, then this is not something we recommend.
Crack Windows 10 Password with Ubuntu Live CD
Ubuntu Live CD is one of the best methods for cracking Windows passwords out there. It’s fast, reliable, and works like a charm. The process involves creating a Ubuntu Live CD, then booting your computer from it. From here, you can reset your forgotten password. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Download Ubuntu Desktop free from its official webpage and then burn the ISO image to a USB drive.
Step 2: Now insert your USB into the computer you want to reset the password for and then boot your machine from it. From here, hit Try Ubuntu from the window.
Step 3: Open System Settings and select Software and Updates. From the next window, check the box next to the Community-maintained free and open-source software option and hit Close.
Step 4: Click Reload from the popup message. After that, open a terminal on your PC and then run this command:
sudo apt-get install chntpw
Step 5: Locate your Windows partition and head over to Windows\System32\Config. From here, right-click on a blank space and select Open in Terminal
Step 6: Run this command to show all of your user accounts:
chntpw -l SAM
chntpw -u user_name SAM (select the user account you wish to reset the password for.)
Step 7: Type 1 and press Enter to proceed
Step 8: Type q and hit Enter. After that, type y to confirm. Now, reboot your computer and unplug the USB from your computer. Then you can log into Windows without a password.
When you forgot Windows 10 password, the above software are great solutions to help you unlock the computer. Some of them will let you find the old password but it needs more time. Some of them will reset the old password, which is much faster than cracking. It is your own choice to decide which software you are going to use.
