Use the entire keyboard, not just the most common characters. Read more about it on my Forgot the Administrator's Password? - Alternate Logon Trick article. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by a little known access hole in Windows XP. In general, passwords written on a piece of paper are more difficult to compromise across the Internet than a password manager, Web site, or other software-based storage tool, such as password managers. What makes a strong password. I've done it myself several times with no glitch or problem whatsoever. The following criteria can help your passwords do so: Resetting a user's or administrator's password on some systems (like Windows XP) might cause data loss, especially EFS-encrypted files and saved.