How to Reset Windows 2008 Server Local Administrator Password

1. You will need local access to the machine, bios set to allow boot from cd and windows 2008 server install disk.

2. Boot server from install disk, choose install, and select option 2 to launch the windows 2008 recovery console, select your installation and open command line

3. Rename c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe to utilman.bak

4. Copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe to c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe\

5. Reboot server from hard drive into windows 2008 server

6. From the login screen, click the "?" button on the bottom right.  This should open a command window.

7. Type: "net user administrator newPa$$" (replace newPa$$ with your own password)

8. Reboot back to windows 2008 server recovery console and rename utilman.exe back to cmd.exe and utilman.bak to utilman.exe.

9. Reboot and your password is reset.