How to reset Windows 7 password without losing data?

Hi, I had the same issue once with my old Windows 7 machine, so I can share what worked for me without losing any data.

First of all, the password reset disk you made on Windows 11 won’t work on Windows 7 — it only works if it was originally created on that same Windows 7 PC.

If you don’t have the original reset disk, the safest way is to use a Windows 7 installation DVD/USB or a recovery disk. Boot from it, go into Repair your computer → Command Prompt, and from there you can enable the hidden Administrator account. Once logged in as Administrator, you can reset your normal account password.

If you don’t have installation media, you can also remove the hard drive, connect it to another computer, and copy your important files first (just for backup safety).

There are also some third-party tools (like Offline NT Password & Registry Editor, or Hiren’s BootCD) that can reset a local Windows 7 password without touching your files.

This way, your data on Desktop and other folders won’t be deleted. I’d personally recommend enabling the hidden Admin account via recovery media first, because that’s the cleanest Microsoft-friendly method.

Hope this helps — it saved me from losing my files when I locked myself out.