How To Backup Your Login Password In Windows XP

This article is part of Windows XP Backup Strategies For Home Users

XP comes with a Prevent Forgotten Password Utility. It's a handy little utility to get you out of a jam. You start by making a Password Reset Disk. However, you must have a floppy drive to use this utility.

Open Control Panel:

Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel. From there open User Accounts. Click on the user account you'll be working with. In the upper-left of the screen, under Related Tasks click Prevent a forgotten password.

The wizard launches, click Next.

Insert disk as instructed and click Next. If your floppy isn't blank and formatted do this by:

With the disk in the floppy drive press the Windows + E keys. In the resulting screen, right-click on the floppy drive (usually drive A:) and choose Format.

Enter current password and click Next.

When 100% complete click Next.

Follow instructions and click Finish.

***WARNING

When the above says "keep it in a safe place" they mean it. This disk allows anyone to logon to your computer as you! AND since the process requires the password to be reset, after they use this disk you are locked out!!!

To use the Password Reset Disk

When you log on and enter the wrong password you are given the option to use the reset disk. Just insert it and follow the instructions.

You're done!