Windows offers a simple way to keep data private by providing password protection, but if that password is forgotten then you could wave goodbye to your personal information.

Fortunately, Windows XP has a little-known feature called the Forgotten Password Wizard, which creates a disk (floppy or USB) for use in the event that the original password is forgotten.

There are two important things to note, though. First, the password reset disk must be created while you still remember the original password and then should be kept somewhere safe in case it's needed in the futu reo Second, anyone who gets hold of the disk can reset the PC's password and gain access to the machine.

TO BE ON THE safe side, let's repeat what we just said in the introduction.The Forgotten Password Wizard is a preventative measure and therefore needs to be run before a password is misplaced or forgotten; it will not work the other way round. So, using an XP Administrator account, begin by clicking the Start button, choose Control Panel and when the window opens, find the User Accounts icon. If the Control Panel is set to Cate~ory view, click it once, if it's in Classic view,double-click the icon.

TO CREATE A PASSWORD reset disk obviously requires some kind of disk - a floppy, something like a removable Zip disk or perhaps most likely these days, a USB memory key. So, we've popped in the disk and then selected the account with the password we want to save by clicking on it. Then, we move the mouse pointer over to the Tasks list on the left and select the'Prevent a forgotten password' link by clicking on that (obviously the account must be password¬protected in the first place for this Workshop to work) .

WHEN THE FORGOTTEN PASSWORD Wizard starts,Windows displays an important security message.The wizard is a very c1~ver idea, but it's also open to misuse, which means anyone who finds the reset disk that's about to be created can use it to get access to the machine.Thus, having created the disk it's very important to keep it somewhere safe and out of sight so that some snoop doesn't accidentally stumble upon it. Make sure there's a disk present in the appropriate drive and then click Next to start the wizard.

IN THIS EXAMPLE, THERE'S only one available disk - the USB memory key that Windows has designated as drive H; if more than one usable device is listed,just click on the arrow to open the dropdown list and choose the right disk. As we click Next, Windows will ask forthe current password.Type it in and click next to create the password reset disk, based on the settings we use for our current password. It only takes a moment and there's nothing else to do¬apart from removing the disk when it's finished and putting it somewhere safe .

SO, LET'S ASSUME IT'S a few months later and we come to do some work,and can't remember the main Windows password that lets us into the Pc. Clicking the Help button (the one with a question mark) displays the password hint, but alarmingly, that doesn't ring any bells, so instead, we make sure the password reset disk is either in the drive or plugged in and then click the green and white arrow button. When the little hint box pops up, select'use your password reset disk' .

THE PASSWORD RESET WIZARD dialogue opens and reminds us that we'll need the reset disk to continue. Click the Next button and then click Next again.At the next dialogue, type in a new password, confirm it by typing it again into the second box, and then add a password hint.C1ick Next and then click Finish.lt's now possible to log on to Windows by typing in the new password (ie the one we just created). Use this password from now on and keep the reset disk safe in case it's required again.