What is the Windows XP Password Reset Disk and how can I use it?
To protect user accounts in the event that the user forgets the password, every local user should make a password reset disk and keep it in a safe place. Then, if the user forgets his or her password, the password can be reset using the password reset disk and the user is able to access the local user account again.
The Forgotten Password Wizard lets you create a password reset disk that you can use to recover your user account and personalized computer settings if you forget your password.
The steps to perform this task differ depending on whether your computer is a member of a network domain or is part of a workgroup (or is a stand-alone computer).
If you’re using Windows XP in a workgroup (and not in a domain), you have the option to create a password reset disk.
The password reset disk contains only one file called userkey.psw, which is an encrypted version of your password. If you change your password, the password reset disk is useless, you must repeat this procedure.
If you made a password reset disk for your local user account through the Forgotten Password Wizard, you can use it to access the computer, even if you have forgotten your password. The following steps will only work if you are in a workgroup environment, using the Welcome screen.
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