I forgot my default admin account's password and can't get the utilman trick to work: my build 1909 usb pen isn't recognized by bios (it's an old dual core laptop), my oriiginal win10 dvd doesn't list my hdd, windows won't burn the iso, claiming my dvd is either too fast or too slow for my drive (it's a 8x dvd), I don't have other burner app installed (it's been ages since last time I burned anything), and can't install one or use RunAsTI either, because of UAC... So what's my options at this point, other than installing the original build? Did ms locked utilman trick on this build?
If You don't have really any way to use USB or DVD, restart to boot options, there select commandline and then run this command (recommended in adimin privileges) net user administrator /active:yes Reboot and now You must see new user on login screen, use this, there is no password and it is in admin privileges account, so You can do what You want, including change passwords of all other users. If it is done, run again cmd.exe and then use command net user administrator /active:no and this new account is again hidden. PS if You don't know or remember, how to go on boot menu, then the simplest method is to turn off computer after You see startup logo, on the third time it goes to repair and to boot menu.
My default admin account is active, that's how I'm locked out; otherwise my own account would be admin. I can't deactivate admin account without admin privileges. Also, admin in recovery needs the password. What I'm puzzled about is why I can no longer see my hdd from recovery/setup cmdline. Anyway to inject a script into boot, so that I can use the utilman switcheroo?
I'll try it again, but as I've said, my admin account is already set and passworded, so when I go to boot command line, it asks me for the admin password.
I think you're not getting what I'm saying: I already did that; system's default admin account is already active, and passworded; that's the issue. That option only works when you don't already have the admin account active, or it isn't passworded, or that's not the password you lost. Also, the trick in that article's link can't be used either, if admin account is already set and passworded. And, sure enough, trying to open cmdline from recovery just reboots to screen with the admin account listed and a prompt to insert its password; no way out of this, in there.
Yes, it's the system's default/built in admin account; it had a password for a long time (which I remember) and then I changed it for another one I don't remember anymore, because I haven't used it for a while. Well, option 1 and 2 are a no go, and option 3 also, since it'd require getting through UAC prompt :/ In the mean time I installed Express Burn from the Store, but so far I only managed to burn two coasters... the drive sounds like it disengages at 13%; I'll try to redownload the iso and see if the discs are still usable nevertheless, at least enough to get to recovery.
This one I'm using rn; my laptop. Btw, do you happen to know where to get build 1909 iso hashes (Win10_1909_Portuguese_x64.iso; pt-pt x64)? I'm getting sha-1 2DCCB2D0855622AADC563507B93AF91C71B62AD9, md5 254D5BCACB1AD9FF2CF3769C8A3B86EF; are these correct (if so, my dvd drive might have a problem, as well)? Edit: yep, the checksums are correct; that means either the dvd drive is faulty, or the burner app is.
Thanks a lot @pf100, burned it onto a (age old) dvd-rw, and Offline Password Editor solved it in no time (I couldn't have used CDBurnerXP, though, as I'd need admin creds to install it). Thanks to @kaljukass as well. Btw, for anyone else doing this, be advised, though, that the account will be reset.
If you use encryption (EFS, etc.) for user folders that is tied to a user account password, if you clear that password you lose access to the files in that users folders.. If you do use encryption you'll need to crack the password instead of clearing it if you want to save those files. If you don't use encryption you can just clear the password and this won't be a problem.