Chntpw


chntpw or Offline Windows Password & Registry Editor is a software utility for resetting or blanking local passwords used by Windows NT operating systems on Linux. 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 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, usernames containing Unicode characters, or Active Directory passwords. The password changing feature is also prone to errors, so password blanking is highly recommended. 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, including ones focused on security:
For the software's 10th anniversary, the author changed the license from a non-commercial one to the GNU General Public License Version 2.