Resetting A Windows XP Administrator Password - The Easy Way

For years now, I've been using this same "trick" to take a Windows box that I'm locked out of and trivially reset the administrator's password.

All you have to do is:

1. Burn the Offline NT Password & Registry Toolkit to either floppy or CD
2. Place the CD or Flopping into the computer that you're locked out of
3. Boot up the device
4. Carefully, follow each prompt the software gives you - choosing the default nearly every time you're asked a question

Last night, it took me longer to find a usable CD to burn to, than it did to reset the administrator password on an XP Laptop.

This tiny bootable application is really quite amazing. Besides getting me out of a number of tight jams, it's an excellent reminder about computer security. Mainly, when you have physical access to a machine, nearly all bets are off about providing any security whatsoever.