The Ophcrack Windows password cracker is the best free Windows password recovery tool available. Ophcrack is fast and easy enough for a first time password cracker with basic Windows skills.
In a Hurry?: Read my review below or skip to the complete step-by-step guide to Ophcrack LiveCD.
Save time and energy by skipping the other tools (even the expensive premium Windows password recovery programs) and download, burn and use the LiveCD version of Ophcrack.
After just a few minutes of running the software, Ophcrack will find all of your passwords and display them on screen! Yes, it's that easy!
- 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 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
- 400MB+ (XP) / 500MB (7/Vista) LiveCD ISO image must be downloaded
- LiveCD ISO image must be burned to a CD before being used
- Some antivirus software may mistakenly flag Ophcrack as malware
- Ophcrack can recover 99.9% of passwords from nearly any Windows installation in seconds.
- The Ophcrack LiveCD option allows for completely automatic password recovery.
- LiveCD method requires no installation in Windows, making it a safe alternative to many other password recovery tools.
- No Windows passwords need to be known to use the Ophcrack LiveCD to crack your Windows passwords.
Ophcrack v3.3.1, in its LiveCD form (currently at v2.3.1), is the best Windows password recovery tool available. Its nearly fool-proof operation, automatic password recovery, and overall speed puts Ophcrack in a league of its own.
To get started, visit the Ophcrack site and click on the Download ophcrack LiveCD button. On the next page, click on either the XP or Vista link to download the correct ISO image file for your operating system. Choose the Vista version for Windows 7 as well. This file may take some time to download.
An ISO file contains everything that should go on a CD or DVD in a single file. The Ophcrack LiveCD ISO file contains Linux, the Ophcrack software, and other files needed to recover passwords. Don't worry about the details - the Ophcrack LiveCD is fully automatic - no Linux experience required.
After downloading, burn the Ophcrack ISO image to a CD. Burning an ISO file is a different than burning a normal file. Check out How to Burn an ISO Image File to a CD or DVD for more on that topic.
After burning, boot to the CD by rebooting your PC with the disc in the drive. Linux will load, Ophcrack will start, and the password recovery will begin.
Ophcrack will locate the users on your Windows system and begin cracking their passwords. The process is automatic - you don't usually need to type or click anything. When the passwords are displayed on screen, write them down. Remove the CD, reset your computer and log on to Windows with your newly recovered password.
The Ophcrack LiveCD requires some preparation but this password recovery tool is by far the best!
