Resetting Forgotten Passwords in Windows XP

 Windows XP allows the currently 

logged-on user to create a password reset disk that can be used in case of a

forgotten password. This is important to have, because if you forget your password,

and an administrator resets the password using User Accounts or Local

Users and Groups, then when you log on using the new password, you will discover

that you cannot access some items, including files that you encrypted

when logged on with the forgotten password.When you reset a password with a

password reset disk, you can log on using the new password and still have access

to previously encrypted files.

Best of all,with the password reset disk, users have the power to fix their own

passwords. Encourage your users to create this disk; you have this power only if

you remember to create a password reset disk before you forget the password! If

you need to create a password reset disk for a computer on a network (domain),

search the Help system for “password reset disk” and follow the instructions.