chntpw is a software utility for resetting or blanking local

password A password, sometimes called a passcode (for example in Apple devices), is secret data, typically a string of characters, usually used to confirm a user's identity. Traditionally, passwords were expected to be memorized, but the large number of ...

s used by

Windows NT Windows NT is a proprietary graphical operating system produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released on July 27, 1993. It is a processor-independent, multiprocessing and multi-user operating system. The first version of Win ...

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, XP,

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, 7, 8,

8.1 Windows 8.1 is a release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on August 27, 2013, and broadly released for retail sale on October 17, 2013, about a year after the retail release of its pre ...

and 10. It does this by editing the SAM database where Windows stores password hashes.

Features

There are two ways to use the program: via the standalone ''chntpw'' utility installed as a package available in most modern Linux distributions (e.g.

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: '' Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All ...

) or via a bootable CD/USB image. There also was a floppy release, but its support has been dropped.

Limitations

chntpw has no support for fully encrypted NTFS partitions (the only possible exceptions to this are encrypted partitions readable by Linux such as e.g. LUKS), usernames containing Unicode characters, or

Active Directory Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of Process (computing), processes and Windows service, services. Initially, Active D ...

passwords (with the exception of local users of systems that are members of an AD domain). The password changing feature also isn't fully functional either, so password blanking is highly recommended (in fact, for later versions of Windows that's the only possible option). Furthermore, the bootable image might have problems with controllers requiring 3rd party drivers. In such cases use of the stand-alone program in a full-featured Linux environment is recommended.

Where it is used

The chntpw utility is included in many various

Linux distributions A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux kernel and, often, a package management system. Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one ...

, including ones focused on security: *

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this tra ...

– security-focused Linux distribution *

SystemRescueCD SystemRescue (Previously known as "SystemRescueCD") is a Linux distribution for x86 64 and x86 computers. The primary purpose of SystemRescue is to repair unbootable or otherwise damaged computer systems after a system crash. SystemRescue is ...

– recovery-focused Linux distribution * Fedora – general distribution *

– linux distribution published by

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* (along with many others not listed here)

License change

For the software's 10th anniversary, the author changed the license from a non-commercial one to the

GNU General Public License The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the four freedoms to run, study, share, and modify the software. The license was the first copyleft for general ...

(GPL) Version 2.The Offline NT Password Editor History

References

External links

* Free security software Operating system distributions bootable from read-only media {{security-software-stub