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I tried resetting the password of windows 7 Using chntpw command in Ubuntu . It showed success. But when I try to login from Windows it does not seem to be changed.

I first used live USB of Ubuntu 11.10 and did Try Ubuntu. Then I did:

sudo apt-get install chntpw

And then:

cd /media/Vista/Windows/System32/config
sudo chntpw -u username sam

I followed these instructions and got success like this:

Hives that have changed:
# Name
0 <sam>
Write hive files? (y/n) [n] : y
0 <sam> – OK .

But when I try to login to windows with blank password, I could not log in.

I also tried changing the password and showed success but I could not log in with that password.

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5 Answers 5

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The 0.99.6 version of chntpw is totally disfunctional: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/chntpw/+bug/1046622

I struggled more than a hour to find this out.

Try to use 0.99.5 instead, it works for me:

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/karmic/i386/chntpw/0.99.5-0+nmu1

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  • 1.00 seems dysfunctional as well.
    – palswim
    Dec 5, 2014 at 21:42
2

I had the same problem. What worked for me was using chntpw to unlock the administrator account, which was the only function of chntpw that worked. Then I booted windows, logged in as Administrator, and cleared the users' password with the users app in control panel.

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  • I have the same observation: chntpw (regardless of version) does not work on regular user accounts, but you can use it to unlock the Administrator, after which you can log in that way and change the user account.
    – Jeff Trull
    Oct 9, 2016 at 3:08
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To change Administrator password: sudo chntpw SAM. To change another users password: sudo chntpw -u <your-username> SAM Please note the Upper-case of the word SAM

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  • When I tried using upper-case it showed some errors regarding the heive . So I used lowercase . I tried using both sudo chntpw sam and sudo chntpw -u username sam . It shows success also . But when I log in to windows it says incorrect password . Thank you . Jul 11, 2012 at 7:53
  • How do you type your username if it contains accented letters? It's impossible.
    – Calmarius
    Oct 2, 2013 at 20:38
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The new version of chntpw doesn't work with windows 7. You have to go back a version.

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  • 3
    Can you specify the versions you are talking about?
    – belacqua
    Jun 15, 2013 at 0:40
  • 1.00 was failing, but 0.99.6 worked.
    – palswim
    Dec 5, 2014 at 21:42
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I am using Ubuntu 12 and chntpw 0.99.5. I have successfully reset my forgotten password by following this guide. If there are multiply Windows systems installed on your hard drive, make sure you choose the desired SAM database.

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  • 1
    Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Apr 9, 2014 at 15:41
  • There is no problem with the steps that Sandesh did. Only the version of chntpw will make difference. chntpw 0.99.5 works from my side.
    – user267077
    Apr 10, 2014 at 6:22
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    Then it sounds like your answer is a duplicate of the top-voted answer already here. Apr 10, 2014 at 10:45

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