Ophcrack v3.6.0, in its LiveCD form (currently at v3.6.

0), is simply the best wa

y to recover a Windows password. Its nearly fool-proof operation, automatic pass
word recovery, and overall speed puts Ophcrack in a league of its own.
The Ophcrack LiveCD requires some preparation but this password recovery tool is
by far the best.
After just a few minutes of running the software, Ophcrack will find all of your
Windows passwords and display them on screen! Yes, it's that easy!
What I Like:
Software is freely available for download online
Passwords are recovered automatically using the LiveCD method
No software installation is necessary to recover passwords
No knowledge of any existing passwords is necessary
Ophcrack works with Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
What I Don't Like:
Some antivirus programs mistakenly identify Ophcrack as a Trojan or virus (s
ee Guide Review below)
649 MB (8/7/Vista) / 425 MB (XP) LiveCD ISO image must be downloaded
LiveCD ISO image must be burned to a disc before being used
Passwords greater than 14 characters can not be cracked
Major Ophcrack Features:
Opchrack will crack passwords for Windows 8 (both local and Microsoft accoun
ts), Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
Ophcrack can recover 99.9% of passwords from Windows XP, usually in a matter
of seconds. Any 14-character or smaller password that uses any combination of n
umbers, small letters, and capital letters should be crackable.
Ophcrack can recover 99% of passwords from Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows V
ista. A slower "dictionary attack" is used in these versions of Windows.
The Ophcrack LiveCD option allows for completely automatic password recovery
.
LiveCD method requires no installation in Windows, making it a safe alternat
ive to many other password recovery tools.
No Windows passwords need to be known to use the Ophcrack LiveCD to crack yo
ur Windows passwords.
How To Use Ophcrack LiveCD
Below is a summarized how-to for Ophcrack. However, I highly recommend my step b
y step guide with screenshots if you're not familiar with Windows password recov
ery software and need a more detailed walkthrough.
To get started, visit the Ophcrack site by clicking the Visit Their Web Site lin
k above the User Reviews at the bottom of this page.
Once you're there, click on the Download ophcrack LiveCD button. On the next pag
e, click on either the XP or Vista/7 link (use the Vista/7 one for Windows 8 and
don't worry about the third "without tables" option) to download the correct IS
O image file for your operating system. This file may take some time to download
.
An ISO file contains everything that should go on a disc in a single file. The O
phcrack LiveCD ISO file contains SliTaz (a Linux distribution), the Ophcrack sof
tware, and other files needed to recover passwords. Don't worry about the detail
s: the Ophcrack LiveCD is fully automatic so you need no Linux experience whatso
ever.
Important: Some antivirus programs unnecessarily identify one or both of two fil
es included in Ophcrack as a Trojan or other kind of malware - samdump.dll and p
wservice.exe. Both of these files are part of an open source program called pwdu
mp which is included with Ophcrack and is necessary for it to work. The pwdump p
rogram is classified more or less as "evil" since it can be used to extract pass
words... which of course is exactly what you're trying to do.
So don't worry about your antivirus program's flagging of these files (as long a
s it's just these files). Ignore it and continue on with the process:
After downloading, burn the Ophcrack ISO image to a blank disc - a CD, DVD, or B
D will work. Burning an ISO file is a different than burning a normal file. Chec
k out How To Burn an ISO Image File to a CD, DVD, or BD for more on that topic.
After burning, boot from the disc by rebooting your PC with your newly created C
D, DVD, or BD in the drive. Linux will load, Ophcrack will start, and the passwo
rd recovery will begin.
Ophcrack will locate the users on your Windows system and begin cracking their p
asswords. The process is automatic - you don't usually need to type or click any
thing. When the passwords are displayed on screen, write them down.
Remove the disc, reset your computer, and then log on to Windows with your newly
recovered password!
Once you're back in to Windows, change your password to something you'll remembe
r this time and then create a password reset disk to avoid ever having to do thi
s again.
Response To Some Negative Ophcrack User Reviews
"Thanks for the comments about Ophcrack being infected with a Trojan, virus,
or spyware. Fortunately, this is not actually the case. Some antivirus programs
identify software included with Ophcrack as malware, which it is not. See the I
mportant call-out in my review above for more information." - Tim Fisher
Having Problems Using Ophcrack?
Did you have problems running Ophcrack or did Ophcrack not find your Windows pas
sword? Try another free Windows password recovery tool or maybe even a commercia
l Windows password recovery tool.
Also, be sure to check out my Windows Password Recovery Programs FAQ for answers
to the most common questions I get about these tools.