Reset Windows Administrator Password

Try the control panel first

On newer quick-order Windows templates, you can reset the Administrator password directly in the control panel (open your VM details and use the password reset option), the same way a Linux root password reset works. Try this first - it is the fastest method for most customers.

The boot-from-ISO utilman.exe method documented below is the fallback for custom Windows ISOs or older installs where the panel reset option is not available.

Quick Fix

You need your VM console (noVNC or SPICE) and a Windows installation ISO mounted to your VM (contact support and we will attach it).

Reboot and press any key to boot from the DVD/CD.
On the Windows Setup screen, press Shift + F10 to open a command prompt.
Find your Windows drive (it may not be C: when booted from the ISO):
```
dir C:\Windows
dir D:\Windows
dir E:\Windows
```

Replace the Accessibility tool with a command prompt (adjust the drive letter to match your system, D: used here):

move D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe.bak
copy D:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe

Cancel the installer, remove the ISO (or set boot order back to hard disk), and reboot into Windows.
On the login screen, click the Accessibility icon (bottom-right). A SYSTEM command prompt opens.

Reset the password:

net user Administrator YourNewPassword123!

Log in with the new password, then restore the original tool (important for security):
```
move C:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe.bak C:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe
```

The full walkthrough and a post-recovery security check are below.

How It Works

This method resets a Windows Administrator password when you are locked out of your VPS. It works by booting from a Windows installation ISO and replacing the Accessibility tool with a command prompt.

Compatibility

This method works on:

Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2022
Windows Server 2025
Windows 10 / 11 (Desktop)

Prerequisites

Access to your VM console in Proxmox (noVNC or SPICE)
A Windows installation ISO mounted to your VM (contact support and we will attach it)

Step-by-step Guide

1. Boot from the ISO

Once we attach the ISO to your VM, reboot the VM. When prompted, press any key to boot from the DVD/CD. If the VM boots into the locked Windows login screen instead, you may need to change the boot order in the VM's BIOS settings (press F2 or Del during boot).

2. Open a Command Prompt

On the Windows Setup screen (where you see language and keyboard selection), press Shift + F10. A command prompt window will open.

3. Find Your Windows Drive

Your existing Windows installation may not be on C: when booting from the ISO. Type the following to find it:

dir C:\Windows
dir D:\Windows
dir E:\Windows

Whichever drive shows the Windows directory listing is your installation drive. In the examples below, we use D: but replace it with whatever letter matches your system.

4. Replace the Accessibility Tool

Run these two commands (adjust the drive letter as needed):

move D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe.bak
copy D:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe D:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe

This temporarily replaces the Accessibility tool (the icon on the login screen) with a command prompt that runs as SYSTEM.

5. Reboot Into Windows

Close the command prompt and cancel the Windows installer. Remove the ISO from your VM (or change the boot order back to hard disk) and reboot.

On the Windows login screen, click the Accessibility icon (bottom-right corner of the screen, looks like a clock or a person icon depending on your Windows version). Instead of the Accessibility menu, a command prompt will open with SYSTEM privileges.

7. Reset the Password

In the command prompt, type:

net user Administrator YourNewPassword123!

Replace YourNewPassword123! with your desired password. Windows passwords must meet complexity requirements: at least 8 characters, with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.

If your admin account has a different name, you can list all users first:

net user

8. Log In

Close the command prompt and log in with the new password.

9. Restore the Original Accessibility Tool

Once logged in, open a command prompt as Administrator and run:

move C:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe.bak C:\Windows\System32\utilman.exe

This restores the original Accessibility tool. This step is important for security.

Security Notice

If you were locked out unexpectedly and did not change the password yourself, your server may have been compromised. After regaining access:

Check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Security for suspicious login events around the time access was lost.
Look for unfamiliar user accounts: net user
Check for unauthorized scheduled tasks: schtasks /query
Review running services and startup programs.
If you find evidence of unauthorized access, contact our support team immediately.