Data will be Lost When Resetting Password

For security reasons, Windows XP ties certain user information directly to the account and password. If a user forgets his or her password, you can choose to reset the password. However, data will be lost if you do so. Specifically, user certificates and Web-related passwords, along with basic computer settings, will be lost once the password is reset. There is no workaround for this problem once the password has been forgotten, but you can prevent the loss of data and the reset problems by creating a password reset disk.

Create A Password Reset Disk In Windows XP

Create A Password Reset Disk Using An Administrator Account:

Note: The following task requires one blank, formatted floppy disk.

If you logged on to the computer by using an administrator account, follow these steps to create a password reset disk for a user account:

1. Click Start--> and then click Control Panel.

2. In Control Panel--> click User Accounts.

3. In the User Accounts pane--> click the account that you want to work with.

4. Under Related Tasks--> click Prevent a forgotten password to start the Forgotten Password Wizard--> and then click Next.

5. Insert a blank--> formatted disk into drive A--> and then click Next.

6. In the Current user account password box--> type the password for the user account that you chose--> and then click Next.

Note: If the user account does not have a password, do not type a password in the Current user account password box.
The Forgotten Password Wizard creates the disk.

7. When the Progress bar reaches 100% complete--> click Next--> and then click Finish.

8. Remove and then label the password reset disk. (Store the disk in a safe place).