The software is free and open-source, which is a big advantage both in terms of cost and transparency. There’s also a brute-force mode for simple passwords. These tables can be downloaded for free from the Ophcrack website. It cracks passwords based on “rainbow tables”, which uses less processing time than a brute-force attack. Ophcrack currently supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10.

Ophcrack will locate Windows user accounts and automatically recover the passwords. Instead, you can download an ISO image directly from the website to be burned onto a CD or flash drive, and boot from either of these to access powerful password recovery options. There’s no need to install Ophcrack on a separate device. It’s designed for average users with little knowledge of cracking passwords, so even novices can follow the simple step-by-step instructions. The latest update also brought the password recovery for bcrypt hash.Ĭan’t recover passwords longer than 14 charactersĪ well-known name in the password recovery business, Ophcrack is one of the best freeware solutions available.

While somewhat costly and like all solutions, not guaranteed to work in every case, this is a good place to start for a robust password recovery application with a good track record. The Kit Standard Plus version (priced at about $200 / £180 / AU$300) can also unlock password managers like LastPass (opens in new tab), 1Password (opens in new tab), Dashlane (opens in new tab), and Keepass (opens in new tab), as well as recent Windows local accounts, server accounts, and Microsoft Live ID accounts. The cost for this kit is around $50 / £45 / AU$75. The software can grant you quick access to a wide variety of file types, either through brute force attacks or Passware’s “Instant Recovery” method, as well as general Windows passwords.

The Basic kit works on Microsoft Windows Vista, and Windows 7/8.x/10/11, as well as on Mac. The Basic, Standard, and Standard Plus kits are all intended for home use, although there are Business and even Forensics solutions available, depending on how difficult the job is. Passware is a leading password recovery software developer that has a success rate of about 70%, which is quite good, considering the task at hand.

1password alternative open source