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What just happened? It took most by surprise when AMD announced they were returning to the Athlon branding a few months ago, but it seems the strategy paid off, as they’re releasing basically the same CPU two more times. No major retailers have listed the processors yet, but they most likely will soon. The Athlon 220GE and Athlon 240GE share almost every spec with their older cousin, the Athlon 200GE (read our review here). All processors have two Zen cores, four threads and a 35W TDP. They all have the same three integrated Vega graphics units clocked at 1Ghz that get the chip about 60fps in titles like CS:GO and Overwatch at 720p. The only differences are the prices and base clock speeds, which jump from 3.2Ghz for $55 in the case of the 200GE, to 3.4Ghz for $65 and 3.5Ghz for $75. All three are locked, of course, more than likely because they’re the same chip with the frequency adjusted. As we found out when an MSI motherboard update accidentally unlocked the chip, the 200GE can reach 3.8Ghz easily enough. Given that the 200GE improved anywhere from 12% to 16% in games while overclocked to 3.8Ghz, a rough estimate would suggest the 220GE would perform about 4-5% better than the 200GE, and the 240GE would perform about 6-8% better. But at a $10 price hike, that’s a terrible deal. In workflows that the new Athlons are designed for – because let’s be real, serious gaming is out of the question – a few percent performance improvement isn’t going to be noticeable. Web browsing, word processing, emailing, watching videos and stuff is all fine on two cores at 3.2Ghz. In use cases where the 200GE struggles, such as video processing or CAD, the 240GE isn’t going to offer enough improvement to merit the price hike. At only $20 to $30 more than these new Athlons, the $95 Ryzen 3 2200G offers a staggeringly better deal. Its integrated GPU has more than twice as many cores, which will make 1080p gaming way more fun. And if you’re hooking up a dedicated graphics cards, then going four cores makes a world of difference. As noted in our review of the 200GE, if you need more performance, its price is so close to the 2200G that if you can muster an extra $40 then it’s the best $40 you’ll spend on the whole system. While proper testing is always required, currently, it seems like the 220GE is beat value-wise by the 200GE, and the 240GE is beat by the 2200G.

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Forward-looking: Targeting India makes sense for Facebook as the country leads the world in remittances. According to the World Bank, people sent $69 billion back home to India last year. At the very least, tapping into that market would help Facebook further build WhatsApp's market share Facebook is developing a cryptocurrency that’ll make it easier for WhatsApp users to exchange money on the po[CENSORED]r messaging platform. Sources familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg that Facebook will initially focus on the remittance market in India, allowing foreign workers to transfer money to individuals back in their home country. They’ll do so through the use of a stablecoin, a type of cryptocurrency that’s backed by the US dollar on a one-to-one basis. The people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters, said Facebook is still far from releasing the coin as it needs to finalize plans including custody assets. That is, how it will protect the value of the virtual asset. Traditional stable coin offerings are backed by fiat currency held on hand and are expected to submit to regular audits to verify holdings. Facebook hired former PayPal president David Marcus in mid-2014 to lead the company’s Messenger unit. In May, he transitioned to the head of Facebook’s experimental blockchain group and now oversees around 40 employees. Facebook won’t be the first to market with a stablecoin but given its sheer size and influence, it has a chance to be one of the most successful.

Google is always rolling out interesting new web apps for their users to test out. Most of these apps are one-off side projects that never really go anywhere, such as Chrome Music Lab's "Song Maker" tool, which launched back in March. Even if the apps always remain smaller experiments, they can still be entertaining to toy around with, and Google's latest experiment, Chrome Canvas, will likely be no different. Launched without any fanfare, Canvas is essentially a browser-based drawing tool. Granted, it's not a very advanced one; you only have a total of 5 tools to work with, including a pencil, a pen, charcoal, an eraser, and a marker. Additionally, if you move your cursor too fast, your drawn line will be unable to keep up, causing it to stop short and paint a straight line towards your cursor's position (even if you meant drew, say, a curve). Still, it's free, and it looks like it could be a simple and fun distraction should you ever find yourself looking to kill some time at work or the coffee shop. If you manage to create something you're proud of even with Canvas' fairly limited toolset, your work will automatically be saved as long as you're signed into your Google account. Despite Canvas' name, it's not limited to Chrome Users. Any modern web browser should be able to support the app - you can try it for yourself right here.

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Facepalm: Many users of po[CENSORED]r system cleaning app, CCleaner, have complained that installing the software also installs the Avast anti-virus program without their permission. We have confirmed those claims. Ever since Avast acquired Piriform, the maker of CCleaner, there has been a steady stream of disappointment from a user base that once totaled around 130 million people. Reports have been coming in that CCleaner will install the Avast anti-virus software without permission. This is troubling indeed. Starting with version 5.37 of CCleaner, released this past August, Avast was bundled as an optional add-on. Normally, this is supposed to be opt-out with a checkbox at the bottom verifying that the user wants to include Avast in the CCleaner installation. However, many users are saying that it's anything but opt-out. Frustrated users have complained on Avast's forums about the hidden installation: A product manager for CCleaner responded to the complaints by reiterating that the Avast installations are supposed to be completely optional and users should "always see the consent screen" whenever they install CCleaner Free edition or Pro Trial. However, the product manager did acknowledge that there were people who were experiencing problems: However, when we tested the latest version of CCleaner today, we were never prompted about the Avast installation and surprise, surprise, our system suddenly had a new antivirus installed that we did not consent to. CCleaner offering bundled third-party software isn't new. The installation has previously promoted Google products like Chrome and Google Drive as well as Skype and Dropbox. However, this recent Avast bundle is especially ironic because Avast is supposed to be a cybersecurity company that prevents software from installing without the user's permission. This is how CCleaner assures you will be prompted. We can confirm we did not. Avast posted a follow-up support article last Thursday explaining that Avast is not offered during every CCleaner install. If the user had previously unchecked the box to install Avast, it won't ask to install. As user APMichael explains, This is likely due to an entry in the Windows registry with the key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AvastAdSDK\". If the value "LastOffer" is deleted then the Avast offer comes back. This isn't the first controversy surround CCleaner. The Floxif malware was discovered in certain versions of CCleaner in late 2017. Back in August, Avast faced backlash over the removal of privacy settings in the free version and other spyware-like tactics.

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Although the Start menu is supposed to be the fastest way to find local files, software and settings, the default configuration for Windows 10's search indexing service is far from the best. The index located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search catalogs files and folders from around Windows so that when you perform a search, the operating system can simply check this database instead of scanning the entire drive. By default, searching the Start menu doesn't return files that you store on a secondary drive such as portable exes, not to mention that Windows 10's Start menu has other annoyances such as integrated Internet search results and emphasizing "apps." Generally speaking, we don't have a problem with that, however it is not uncommon that a simple query won't return any valid results from your local drive first, no matter how simple or precise your query is. Of course, your mileage will vary, but unreliable search often means you stop depending on it. If you're unsatisfied with your Start menu's search results, the default settings can be improved with a few tweaks such as adding new locations to the index from the "Indexing Options" menu, while there are also many feature-rich alternative applications that are faster and more accurate than searching from Start menu. Improve the Start menu without extra software If you're trying to find files on a secondary drive by searching the Start menu, you'll have to include this destination from Indexing Options, which you can open by searching the Start menu for "indexing options." Add a secondary drive to the Start menu search From the Indexing Options menu, click "Modify" for a list of drives and check the box next to the device that you want to include (click the arrow to choose a more specific location on this drive instead of indexing the entire thing). By default, the Start menu programs (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs) should already be indexed along with your Windows user folder and Internet Explorer history. Along with adding new drives to the Start menu's search results, you may want to remove locations from the index. For instance, the user folder has many sub-folders which are also indexed and depending on how many files you have stored here, these could be congesting the Start menu's search results and/or reducing its performance. Clicking the Advanced button in Indexing Options opens a window with a tab where you can also add or remove file extensions that are indexed, which may also aid in improving the speed or accuracy of your search results. Remove Internet search results from the Start menu You can mostly disable the web results from the appearing in the Start menu with a few changes in the Group Policy Editor. Although Internet results won't be directly listed in Start searches, there will still be an option on the bottom to "see web results," which will open said results in a new pane alongside the Start menu. If you're on Home edition of Windows and don't have the Group Policy Editor, here's a guide on installing the utility along with a third-party software recommendation that brings group policy functionality to any version of Windows. Search for gpedit.msc to open the Group Policy Editor, from which you can navigate to the Start menu's web search settings by going to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search... Then enable the following policies: (double-click on them for the option) Do not allow web search Don’t search the web or display web results in Search Don’t search the web or display web results in Search over… There's also a whole section of Group Policy settings for customizing the Start menu and Taskbar. Go to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar Windows interface performance tweaks Disabling animations for menus and windows can improve performance on lower-end machines and Windows is visually snappier without these settings enabled. We've included a gif demonstrating the speed difference of opening and closing OpenShell with and without one of these performance animation settings enabled ("Fade or slide menus into view"). Launching this settings menu is also a good example where searching from the Start menu isn't always the best way to find files and settings. We're going to "Performance Options" and yet searching the Start menu for "performance options" and alternative names only produces web results. Instead, you must search for "advanced system settings." Other ways to reach these settings: From the Control Panel: System > Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows > Visual Effects tab... From This PC: Right click This PC > Properties > Advanced system settings > Advanced tab > Performance Settings... Better software for searching Windows Even if you tailor the search index along with making configurations such as removing app ads and Internet results, searching from the Start menu is still slower and less flexible than many standalone alternative applications. Some of these recommendations can do a lot more than search for files around Windows, while all of them are generally faster at finding results and the results presented are often more relevant. Everything Demonstrated in the gif above, this tool completes its initial index scan in less than a minute (even on a Windows 10 pen drive loaded in a virtual machine), after which searching for files and folders is instantaneous. Doesn't have extra "launcher" features such as an integrated calculator or command prompt, but is still highly configurable. Of note, Tools > Options > Keyboard > Toggle window Hotkey will let you set a keyboard shortcut for opening and closing the software (we use Ctrl + Space) Wox Also fast at searching for files around Windows, and in fact, Wox uses an "Everything" plugin for this functionality. Additionally, the software has plugins for doing math, launching URLs, running system commands and more by typing directly into the launcher. We've had the most experience with Launchy over the years, though development has stopped on this tool. However, these two and Hain appear to be about equal in terms of overall features and functionality. OpenShell (Formerly Classic Shell) - If you're unfamiliar with this go-to Start menu replacement, the software opens a new interface on top of the default Start menu with a design that looks more like the one from Windows 7. Among other improvements, OpenShell is better about presenting desktop settings than the default Windows 10 Start menu. For instance, as mentioned earlier, searching for "performance options" on the Start menu doesn't list anything while OpenShell quickly shows the desired results for this query. A question for you instead of a bonus... When we search for something from the Start menu in Windows 10, Microsoft includes recommended app downloads from the Windows Store -- in fact we only received Windows Store recommendations when searching for "test." We disabled the setting "Occasionally show suggestions in Start" located in Settings > Personalization > Start along with making many other attempts to remove these app recommendations from our results, yet they were still included. "Other attempts" included an assortment of group policy and registry settings as well as different Windows utilities. Does anyone know how to completely remove Windows Store app recommendations from the Start menu's search results? Article: TechSpot

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Bottom line: Asus will begin a “comprehensive corporate transformation” at the beginning of next year, enabling them to focus more on gaming and power user markets and how they relate to emerging technologies such as AI. As part of this shift, Asus' 11-year CEO Jerry Shen will step down and create a new company. Shen revealed the news in an interview with Business Next, where he said that both himself and Asus are ready for something fresh. During his time at the company, he led the charge on many fan favorites, such as the original Eee PC (an early ultrabook), the Zenbook, Transformer and Zenfone lines. He’ll become CEO of a new “AIoT” (Artificial Intelligence + Internet of Things) company called iFast, of which Asus has a 30% stake. As of January 1st, Asus will have two co-CEOs: PC business head S.Y. Hsu and global customer service lead Samson Hu. Other than a general focus on gaming, the main purpose of the restructure is to completely rework the company’s mobile division, at a “loss of inventory” cost of $160 million. According to Asus Chairman Jonney Shih, the current mobile market is a “bloody battlefield” that’s overpo[CENSORED]ted by budget Chinese options. While Asus’ Zenfones have been well received for the last few years, they’ve been criticised for mimicking other phones, such as the iPhone X, too closely. While Asus will start afresh, they confirmed to Gadgets 360 that they’ll keep the brand name. Key to Asus’ new strategy will be the development of their overkill Republic of Gamer's phones. The first generation of ROG phone came with a 90Hz OLED screen, 8GB of RAM and an “overclocked” Snapdragon 845. It did a respectable job of being a gaming phone but failed to convince reviewers that a gaming phone was even necessary. According to Asus, however, mobile gaming hardware is a lucrative market in Asia, where the ROG phone has seen reasonable success. Asus even suggested that they were considering releasing an entire lineup of ROG phones in the near future, with some specifically targeting the emerging “mobile esports” market.

You just bought a new laptop, built a new desktop PC, or are simply clean installing on a new solid state drive, good for you! Gotta love the taste of a fresh new machine, but now you have to get back to productivity zen by recovering your files and installing programs. Not sure which ones? Well, let us help. We've compiled a list of essential programs to get you started. From security utilities to productivity tools, and many suggestions for the areas in between, with a special emphasis in great free software you can download right away. Browse the Web + One Essential Add-on Windows user: Download Chrome or try Opera. MacOS user: Try Opera or keep Safari. Use Chrome if didn't like Opera. Windows 10 offers Edge, a serviceable browser that's kept getting better with every release, however you'll rarely find power users favoring it over Chrome or Firefox. Meanwhile, macOS offers Safari, a very solid browser by most standards, especially if you live in Apple's ecosystem and perhaps the reason a sizable share of Mac users (~40%) don't look beyond it. And yet the default choice for most remains Google Chrome. What used to be a speedy browser, nowadays gets bugged down like most others, but thanks to its myriad of extensions and cross-platform support, we'd still call it the best browser for most users. Chrome is great for Android users, too, as you can natively sync across devices. Then there's Firefox which is long time contender that's got up to speed for the most part. If you're up for a little experimentation, Opera remains a slick and feature rich browser that is based on Chrome's engine. Same goes for Vivaldi (from the original makers of Opera), it's not as polished as Opera on the UI front, but is very customizable and offers many power user friendly features. Add a Password Manager Top pick: Lastpass It’s a fact that many people still use terrible passwords. Even those that prefer something harder to crack than “123456” often have the same login credentials for several sites. There’s also the problem of forgetting which passwords go with which websites. A password manager is an essential add-on, we'd recommend you start with one of these (if you haven't already made your choice): Lastpass, 1Password, KeePass or Dashlane. Also worth mentioning, there's a new open source alternative in town called Bitwarden. We've yet to review it extensively but many early adopters love it. Cloud Storage & Backup Start here: Use Dropbox free for documents and other essential files, sync between devices. Google Photos for family memories and sharing. For more storage: Choose and pick between the four big: Dropbox, OneCloud, iCloud or Google Drive. Full backups: Use a paid service to back up all your data to the cloud. It's relatively inexpensive. Cloud storage and backup are a must-have in your toolbox. There is nothing more convenient than accessing data from any place or device, and having that data sync across devices. Backing up and restoring information has never been smoother either, and even though there's a huge array of options we've long been spoiled by Dropbox's ease of use. Dropbox offers 2GB of free cloud storage which is not much, but you can earn up to 18GB via referrals and a few other tricks (... cough). For most users we often recommend using this along with Google Photos, which allows you to save an unlimited amount of photos and videos, including automatic backups from your smartphone, then put on the Google cloud and made easily searchable. We love the service. If you have bigger storage requirements, we'd look at all the best alternatives and the different pricing tiers before making the decision. Major alternatives to Dropbox include Microsoft OneDrive, which is integrated into Windows 10, Google Drive and Apple's iCloud. Odds are you already rely in one (or more than one) of these four. Luckily competition for cloud backup has been fierce for a few years and prices have come down a little. Finally, for full backups, there are better suited alternatives than the above. First of all, you get specialized backup software, file versioning, and often unlimited storage so you can offload terabytes of data and remain at ease. Recommended cloud backup providers include Backblaze, IDrive, SugarSync, Carbonite and SOS Online Backup. Messaging Windows user: WhatsApp and Hangouts for video. MacOS user: Built-in iMessage and FaceTime will get you covered. WhatsApp to reach everyone. For work: Slack or Microsoft Teams. For gaming: Discord or TeamSpeak. Information is power but having the right information at the right time is even more important. The most ubiquitous personal messaging platforms are WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, though only the former offers native desktop applications. iPhone/Mac users will be happy to use the integrated iMessage, however not everyone may be available in the platform. For video calls Skype remains one of the more po[CENSORED]r options but honestly, we kind of hate it these days, it's a convoluted mess. Google Hangouts can be used free for voice and video calls, several people can join on a single meeting and because it's web-based it works across all platforms. In fact, if you're running Chrome there's nothing you need to do to join a meeting. It's not perfect but it works. Information is power but having the right information at the right time is even more important. The most ubiquitous personal messaging platforms are WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, though only the former offers native desktop applications. iPhone/Mac users will be happy to use the integrated iMessage, however not everyone may be available in the platform. For video calls Skype remains one of the more po[CENSORED]r options but honestly, we kind of hate it these days, it's a convoluted mess. Google Hangouts can be used free for voice and video calls, several people can join on a single meeting and because it's web-based it works across all platforms. In fact, if you're running Chrome there's nothing you need to do to join a meeting. It's not perfect but it works. A second good alternative is Viber, offering similar voice and video capabilities, with an added spin on security. Unlike Hangouts, Viber offers native applications for Windows, macOS and even Linux, as well as Android and iOS. It's always fun to stay in touch with family and friends, but if you need to collaborate in a workgroup then Slack is the most po[CENSORED]r platform for that purpose. The free plan works well for small groups, and there are paid options (per seat) if you have bigger storage and history requirements, as well as more security control. Alternatives include Cisco Spark and Microsoft Teams, the latter is a likely candidate if you're already paying for an Office 365 subscription. And if you're interested in having all your different communication services in one place you can try Franz. For gaming communication, you can go old school with TeamSpeak or modern with Discord. Steam is also offering a more robust in-game chat solution this year. Security If you know what you're doing, both Windows and macOS come with decent security out of the box. Common sense should be enough for power users, while the average user may want to add another layer of protection that won't turn into a burden for your system. Malwarebytes is the first tool you should consider. A veteran specializing in preventing malware and rootkits attacks, it's great and free for personal use. There's also VirusTotal.com which you can use to scan downloaded files for threats before you open them. Gaming For gaming we have to recommend Steam first and foremost. Valve's killer gaming platform does an awesome job at being a one-stop shop for most PC gaming. It's a great hub and gaming communication platform, also known for its sales. Do note however that certain franchises are absent from Steam, namely games from the likes of EA, Ubi, and Blizzard. Here are download shortcuts for Origin, Uplay and GOG Galaxy. Also, Fortnite, Minecraft and League of Legends. Multimedia Unless you're invested in Apple's ecosystem, music streaming is synonymous with Spotify, so you can download that here. YouTube is another great place to discover music, not just the latest releases but finding old live performances of your favorite artists. For watching your favorite movies there's VLC Player. If you just want to press play and go, VLC has that going for it. But it's also a powerful player with support for subtitle synchronisation, video filters, and equalization, should you need that. Many people swear by MPC-HC (Media Player Classic) though it's no longer actively developed, in its place an open source fork has emerged, called MPC-BE. Other worthwhile mentions: PotPlayer and KMPlayer. Also, to be fair, Windows 10's built in player works well and supports a variety of formats, too. Last time we checked, it saved battery when playing movies on a laptop, so we certainly wouldn't discard it. On Macs we also like to use MPV and Movist, although the latter is not free. If you are using your PC to act as a hub for streaming content around the house, check out Plex. Office Suite + Email Microsoft Office remains the king of office productivity and some are not having as hard a time justifying a subscription to Office 365 if you need it for work and if you take advantage of most of the apps and included perks like 1TB of OneDrive storage. Now, as you are likely aware, free alternatives abound here. Mac users get iWork out of the box, which is a great way to get started on documents, spreadsheets or presentations. On the Windows side, some of our writers swear by LibreOffice, while others simply hate it. The open source office suite offers all the basics (and then some) but at zero cost. Same goes for WPS Office Free. Google Docs is the default choice for browser-based office apps, sharing and collaboration. If you like to use a desktop email client, outside of the stock OS options and Outlook, we like Postbox, eM Client and Mailbird. Meanwhile, Airmail is Mac only.

Coming to the aid of a fellow forum member, TSers recently shared around a dozen ways to handle a lost Windows password. We were so impressed with the list that we've decided to editorialize some of it for easier access. We've included five of what seem like the most approachable ways for resetting or recovering your Windows password along with abridged instructions on how to execute them and some alternatives toward the end. Before moving on, if you log into Windows with an online Microsoft account (offered as the default during setup since Windows 8), you can likely just reset it online at Microsoft's site using another device with Internet. #1 Use a command prompt to change your password from the Windows login screen How it works: Swaps the Utility Manager on your Windows login screen for a command prompt, from which you can change the forgotten password. What it works on: Your offline Windows account. Doesn't require extra software though an installation disc might be handy for the first step. Windows XP users can skip past step 3. To put a command prompt on your login screen you'll need to use a separate command prompt from your Windows installation disc, a recovery drive/partition or by accessing the 'Advanced Startup Options' some other way. After testing, nothing has been as reliable or easy as simply booting off a Windows disc/USB drive, which you can set up without having a license: Download Windows 10 - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: After booting off the installation media and reaching the first prompt for your language, region etc. you can simply hit Shift + F10 to make a command prompt appear. Step 1: Swapping the Utility Manager for a command prompt Assuming you've made it to a command prompt, enter the two lines below to create a backup of the Utility Manager and then overwrite it with cmd.exe. Note that "?" should be your Windows drive letter. To list all your drives launch DiskPart by typing diskpart and then enter list volume. move ?:\windows\system32\utilman.exe ?:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak copy ?:\windows\system32\cmd.exe ?:\windows\system32\utilman.exe Reboot. Now when you click the Utility Manager on your login screen, it should launch cmd.exe. Step 2: Changing your password At the command prompt on your login screen, enter the following line to set a new password on your account (USERNAME is your account name and PASSWORD is the password you'd like to apply): net user USERNAME PASSWORD Example: net user George bestpassw0rd -- also, typing net user alone will list the accounts if you can't remember your username either. Bonus: From the command prompt on your login screen, enter control userpasswords2 for a GUI-based account manager. Step 3: #&@!... That didn't work! You still have options. In the command prompt, enter the text below to enable the default administrator account (requires a reboot): net user administrator /active:yes -- /active:no when you're done with the account later After rebooting you should see the Administrator account listed and it shouldn't need a password to log in. Retry step 2 from a command prompt within this elevated account. These steps are less involved on Windows XP: Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt (reboot your PC and tap F8 as it's starting up but before Windows loads to see the option) Tap control + alt + delete twice at the login screen for the option to type in a username and enter Administrator which should provide access to a command prompt where you can view Windows accounts by typing net user and apply a new password via net user USERNAME PASSWORD (example: net user Bill bestpassw0rd) Reboot and try the new password #2 Official Microsoft DaRT disk How it works: Offers TechNet subscribers a "Locksmith" tool using the familiar Windows GUI to set a new password on the account(s) of your choosing. What it works on: The DaRT version number typically matches the copy of Windows it works on (DaRT 10 is for Windows 10 etc.). Based on the Windows Preinstallation Environment, DaRT (Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset) is an official Microsoft utility suite that includes a registry editor, file explorer, crash analyzer as well as tools to restore files, repair disks, scan for viruses and more. Among them is a straightforward utility that should have a new password applied to your Windows account after a few clicks and may be less spooky than software such as Ophcrack. Professionals with access to volume licensing for Microsoft products can also download the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, which is another boot disk that contains a copy of DaRT. Download Microsoft DaRT - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: Open "Locksmith" and follow the prompts. #3 Offline NT Password & Registry Editor (Chntpw) How it works: Gives you a bootable environment outside of Windows to edit the password in your SAM file. What it works on: The local account of any NT-based Windows operating system, which includes Windows 2000 through Windows 10 (excluding fully encrypted NTFS partitions). This might be the most used password recovery tool considering it's included with po[CENSORED]r boot disks and Linux distros such as Hiren's Boot CD, Kali Linux and Trinity Rescue, which calls its password tool "winpass" but it's actually just a script that launches NTpasswd/Chntpw. Assuming you have one of those solutions around, that might be the quickest path to accessing Windows again. If you're familiar with one of them but don't have it handy, here are the download links and quick setup instructions for each one mentioned: Download Hiren's Boot CD - Setup instruction - Quick navigation: Launch Offline NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 Password Changer from the main menu > choose your Windows installation > Edit user data and passwords Download Kali Linux - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: Mount your Windows drive > go to MS SAM (cd /media/win/Windows/System32/config/) > enter chntpw -u [username] SAM > choose clear or edit password Download Trinity Rescue - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: Press enter to run Trinity > Windows password resetting > Interactive winpass > choose your Windows installation > Edit user data and passwords If you'd rather go straight to the source, you can also download and boot from only the password recovery tool itself: Download Offline NT Password & Registry Editor (Chntpw) - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: Press enter to boot when prompted > choose your Windows installation > 'Password reset (SAM)' > Edit user data and passwords > Enter the desired user's RID > Clear (blank) user password #4 Ophcrack LiveCD How it works: Provides a bootable environment that uses LM hashes through rainbow tables to brute force your Windows password, which is provided once discovered. What it works on: Windows (both local and Microsoft accounts), Linux and Mac OS X Perhaps the second most notable password recovery tool and maybe the most memorable by name, Ophcrack will also require you to download an ISO and put it on a bootable disk or drive, though it uses different technology than Offline NT/Chntpw so it could make for a fantastic backup solution and may even be worth trying first. Although it's commonly flagged by antiviruses as being a potential threat, Ophcrack isn't loaded with malware. The subject is addressed on the software's FAQ section, which notes that the installer includes a tool called "pwdump6" by Fizzgig that often turns up as a false positive, typically because of the files "samdump.dll" and "pwservice.exe" -- again though, neither pose a known security risk. Download Ophcrack LiveCD - Setup instructions - Usage guide/tips - Quick navigation: Enter Ophcrack Graphic mode - automatic > Double click Launcher on the LiveCD desktop > Search for tables and start Ophcrack #5 iSeePassword How it works: Provides a boot disk with a clean GUI that shows detected Windows users and their passwords along with the ability to reset them. What it works on: Windows XP through 10 including Server editions etc. with separate tools for passwords on MS Office, iTunes, PDFs and RARs. In the event that you'd like to pay for your mistake, iSeePassword charges ~$30 for a "Password Recovery Bundle" that covers more than just Windows and although you'll still have to make a bootable disc/drive to load the software, it will display everything you need in the first window that appears so there isn't any navigation once you're in -- perhaps the only perk of going paid. Buy iSeePassword - Setup instructions - Quick navigation: None! Is that quick enough? Article: TechSpot

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