Step 4. Windows XP Safe Mode is loading.
Step 5. A logon screen displays all OS user names, there are 2 accounts in this example: Administrator, Mike. Here we assume that you want to recover the "Mike" account password. Enter password for your administrator account to get in safe mode, the default password is blank if you never set a password for administrator before.
It is similar with the normal logon screen, but normal logon screen will only list Mike.
Screenshots: Safe Mode logon screen VS normal logon screen
xp safe mode logon screen xp normal logon screen
Step 6. After entering safe mode, you can see the Windows command prompt. Enter "net user" and press Enter to list all the user names in your Windows XP. Enter "net user Mike 123456789" and press Enter. It means that you want to reset "Mike" account password to "123456789". When it takes effect, you can login the "Mike" account with the new password of "123456789".
Step 7. Enter "shutdown -r" and press Enter, the System will be restart, then you can access Mike account in normal logon mode.
How to recover xp password if the default administrator account is also protected?
Sometimes, you may set a password on the default admin accoun to enhance security, you also forgot its password. What can you do now?
Step 1. Download a boot CD, such as Windows Password Recovery Tool Professional, from the Internet. This type of boot CD has a password reset program that can be used to recover the Administrator password in XP.
Step 2. Install and run that application program.
Step 3. Burn the boot CD (which comes in a writable ISO file format) to a blank CD.
Step 4. Take the boot CD that you have burned and insert it into the computer whose Administrator password needs to be reset. Start the computer and boot from the CD.
Step 5. Choose the password reset option in the boot CD. This option will be located differently depending on what type of boot CD you choose, but in each case the general process for launching it will be the same.
Step 6. Select the Administrator account as the account you wish to modify and choose to either reset the password or completely remove it.
Step 7. Restart the computer and allow it to boot to the operating system. Log in to the operating system on the Administrator account using the new password you have chosen.