Forgotten admin password, how to reset/re-install Windows 8?

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Windows 8 locked because the password were lost, how can I change it without needing to reinstall it?

A few weeks ago I set up a brand new Sony laptop running windows 8. The computer hasn't been used since then and the problem now is that i completely forgot the password i set during the installation process.

The computer is brand new, there are no personnal files on it.

What solutions do i have ? Is it safe to assume that there is a restore partition ? If so, is it possible to reset/re-install a fresh windows without being able to log in ?

ps : I'm not familiar with Windows since all my computers have been either Macs or Linux

Answer 1

Way 1. Use Reset Windows Password Utility

password reset softwareReset Windows password utilities are regarded as the most widely-used and efficient way to reset lost Windows 8 password, and Windows Password Unlocker is a good example. With this program, you can easily reset Windows 8 password in 5 minutes, regardless of your password strength and computer level. 100% security is guaranteed.

How-to:

Step 1: Download and install Windows Password Unlocker in any PC that you can run as admin.
Download Windows Password Unlocker Professional
Step 2: Create a boot Windows 8 password reset CD/DVD or USB drive in seconds.
Step 3: Boot the target Windows 8 PC from the burned boot password reset disk.
Step 4: Reset the forgotten Windows 8 user password within 3 clicks.
Step 5: Sign in Windows 8 without password on its logon screen.

Way 2. Use Previously-created password reset disk

password reset diskA previously-created password reset disk is, actually, the easiest and fastest way to reset a lost Windows 8 password. With such a password reset disk at hand, you can easily reset Windows 8 password in seconds when you forgot it.

Learn How to Create a Windows 8 Password Reset Disk?

How-to:

Step 1: Sign in Windows 8 with a wrong password, and then click OK to close the error message.
Step 2: Click the Reset Password link to open the Password Reset Wizard.
Step 3: Insert the previously-created password reset disk in computer, and click Next.
Step 4: Select the inserted password reset disk and click Next.
Step 5: Type a new Windows 8 password and password hint, and then click Next.
Step 6: Click Finish button when Windows 8 password reset is done.

Way 3. Use another Windows 8 administrator account

another admin accountIn Windows 7/Vista/XP, you can easily and quickly reset any other user password when you log in as administrator. This is no exception to Windows 8. So when you forgot Windows 8 password, sign in without another admin account and reset the user password you've forgotten.

How-to:

Step 1: Sign in Windows 8 via another administrator account.
Step 2: Type “user accounts” in the search box and select User Accounts in the search results.
Step 3: User Accounts windows will open, with All Windows 8 user accounts displayed.
Step 4: Select the user account that you want to reset password of.
Step 5: Type a new password twice, a password hint once, and then click Change password button.

Note: All EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates, and stored password for websites and network resources will be lost using this reset Windows 8 password method.

The methods work well when you forgot Windows 8 local user password. If you sign in with a Microsoft account and forgot the password, please reset it on Microsoft account sign-in webpage.

Answer 2

Install Ubuntu on the computer alongside of Windows. This will install the GRUB2 bootloader which will allow you to see whether or not there is a recovery partition (if there is, it will be shown as a boot option of "Windows Recovery Environment"). If there is an OEM recovery partition, which is most likely, just boot it from the GRUB menu and choose to wipe/recreate your Windows.

If no GRUB menu entry appears, first open up GParted to check. Once you are sure, use the Ubuntu liveCD to use GParted to "Create a new partition table" and then boot from any Windows 8 disc.

If you don't have a Windows 8 disk ready, it's perfectly legal to torrent one and use the serial on the back of your laptop.