Boot Order – No Better Tech

HOW-TO RESET WINDOWS PASSWORD | Hirens-BootCD

I think this the easiest method to reset password in Windows 10/11.

You need to know the shortcut to go to Boot Menu to choose the CD or USB with Hirens-BootCD created with.

To reset a forgotten Windows 11 password using Hiren’s BootCD PE, follow these steps. This method works for both local and Microsoft accounts.

Instructions How-To create bootable media see further below at the end.

Boot your computer with Hiren’s BootCD PE — DVD/Optical Disk or USB
Go to Start Menu -> Security -> Passwords -> NT Password Edit
Open your SAM file (It is usually located in C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM)
Click your username and the click ‘Change password’. To set a password, type your password both ‘New password’ and ‘Verify’ fields and then click to ‘OK’. To remove the password, leave both ‘New password’ and ‘Verify’ fields blank and then click to ‘OK’.

🔧 What You’ll Need

A USB flash drive (at least 8 GB) or a DVD-R/-RW/DL
Access to another working PC to create the bootable USB
The latest Hiren’s BootCD PE ISO file
Rufus (a tool to create bootable USB drives) Or DVD Burner Software & DVD Burner Drive – e.g. Ashampoo Burning Studio FREE

🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide

1. Download Hiren’s BootCD PE

Visit the official site: hirensbootcd.org
Download the latest ISO file (e.g., HBCD_PE_x64.iso)

2. Create a Bootable USB with Rufus

Download Rufus from rufus.ie
Insert your USB drive into the working PC
Open Rufus and select your USB under “Device”
Under “Boot selection,” choose the Hiren’s ISO file
Click “Start” and wait for the process to complete

3. Create a Bootable DVD DISK with Ashampoo Burning Studio

Download Ashampoo Burning Studio FREE from https://www.ashampoo.com
Insert your DVD Disk in the DVD RW drive into the working PC
Open Ashampoo and select your Disk Image > Burn Image
Under “Disc Image Path” choose the Hiren’s ISO file
Click “Next” after choose your Burner DVD-RW/-R Drive and “Write” and wait for the process to complete

4. To boot to the Boot Menu

(also known as the One-Time Boot Menu) — without entering BIOS Setup or changing permanent boot order — you need to press a specific key at startup for your PC brand. Here’s a list of common brands and their Boot Menu keys:

✅ Boot Menu Keys by Manufacturer (for one-time boot device selection)

Brand	Boot Menu Key	Notes
Dell	F12	Tap during POST (when Dell logo shows).
Lenovo	F12 or Fn + F12	Some models use the Novo Button (small pinhole button).
HP	Esc → F9	First press Esc, then F9 for Boot Menu.
ASUS	F8	Sometimes Esc is used instead.
Acer	F12	May require enabling F12 Boot Menu in BIOS first.
MSI	F11	Tap at splash screen.
Gigabyte	F12	Standard across motherboards.
ASRock	F11	Tap during splash screen.
Microsoft Surface	Volume Down + Power	Hold Volume Down, press Power, release when logo appears.
Samsung	Esc or F12	Depends on model.
Toshiba	F12	Tap at startup.
Sony VAIO	Assist or F11	Newer models have a physical “Assist” button.

💡 Tips:

Press the Boot Menu key immediately after turning on the PC — start tapping it every second.
If you see the OS loading, you missed the timing — restart and try again.
On laptops with Fn Lock, you may need to hold Fn along with the function key (e.g., Fn + F12).

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My Triple-boot PC – experimental

Windows 11 <==> Unsupported/bypass methods used

3 OSs: Windows 10 Home, Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro

Was single boot Windows 7 Home, after I had upgraded to Windows 10 Home, after dual-boot by installing – bypass restrictions – Windows 11 Home, on another partition, and all this on an HDD 1TB – MBR – 4 Partitions – two OSs.

Recently, I added an SSD and initialized to MBR, thereafter I installed Windows 10 Pro as a triple-boot PC, and just a week before, I upgraded the Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro bypass…

In other words,

After successfully installing the first Windows OS, later the second OS as dual-boot, and lastly, the third to be a triple-boot PC… the initial boot screen is like the screenshot [you will NOT FIND the keywords: “HOME” or “PRO”, instead of the first Windows 11=”On Volume 3″ is Home and 2nd one “On Volume 5” is Pro]: you have the choice to choose one of the 3 installed Windows OS… to boot with the PC 🖥️…

Default boot OS is the first one on the top, here Windows 11 Pro (On volume 5)

In my case, the first OS Windows 10 is the Home version, Windows 11 (On Volume 3) is also Home – a bypass version, and lastly, Windows 11 (On Volume 5) is the Pro version bypassing version, of the restrictions of Windows 11 on old Hardware of this experimental PC.

About my storage hardware: I have a 1TB HDD and a 512GB SSD.

On HDD there are 4 partitions of which two are for Windows 11 and 10 Home versions, the others are system small partitions, and lastly, on SSD I have the Windows 11 Pro bypass version.

Some other notes:

In this screenshot during the Boot process – OSs do not have “Home” or “Pro” instead they have plain Windows 10 or Windows 11… names.

Also, because having two Windows 11 OSs the one first installed is “On Volume 3” and the last installed is “On Volume 5” to distinguish between the PC boot with OS, and it’s putting these labels by itself. The PC does not put “Home” or “Pro” labels and Windows 11 (On volume 5) is the Pro version all others are “Home” versions. If a dual boot system was e.g. Windows 10 & 11 the screen would be without “On Volume X”… because would be self-distinguishable.
Because all OSs are Windows the chosen OS screen is the modern traditional screen. If a Linux OS is installed alongside a Windows dual-boot OS, the screen to choose OS may be black and not blue.

You have 30 seconds to decide the preferred boot OS, and this period can be set up from inside any of Windows’s OS Settings, you can also, set up the default OS, and this default will be the first OS in the list… during boot/post of the PC.

To face the Windows OS many updates at least two per month normally, from Microsoft, I have taken over the following actions in each of my Windows OS:

I have pinned the Windows Settings/Control Panel to the Taskbar to Create a Restore Point.

Also, in this Settings window’s other Tabs, you can set the Default Boot OS of the 3 installed, the Time you must choose an OS, on PC boot, set OS Environment Variables, etc. Settings of the OS you are currently using.

If updating one OS of the three, I make sure it is the default OS, due to some auto restarts during the Windows OS update may require…

As you see in the last two screenshots below, as said and before, you have 30 seconds to decide the preferred current boot OS, you can set this period from inside any Windows OS (same Settings Window but another Tab as Create Restore Point popup Window) and also you can set up the default OS, if don’t choose any OS on boot up process, this default will BOOT and be the first OS in the list… during boot/post of the PC.