How to change or recover Joomla Administrator password

Nice post  
 
I change my pass in 1 minute...

Since joomla 1.5 the method is different :  
 
The password is now composed of two parts :  
- a salt 
- a crypted password  
 
You can find this in the JUser class (method bind) 
 
$salt = JUserHelper::genRandomPassword(32); 
$crypt = JUserHelper::getCryptedPassword($array['password'], $salt); 
$array['password'] = $crypt.':'.$salt; 
 
So now, to update a password, you have to generate a salt, then crypt your password with the salt and store in your table :  
 
cryptedPassword:salt

Thanks a lot! This helped me recover my admin password after the site got hacked.

Thanks so much for this help! I wasn't able to get it to work initially by following the instructions, but was able to go into the jos_users table where I saw that the user name had been changed to Hacker *** so I edited the table and copied the alpha numeric string your code generated and pasted it into the password field and changed the user name back. Now I'm in and I've changed the password to a longer, hopefully less easy to hack password using a password generator. 
 
This was a lifesaver! Thanks!

My admin log on became corrupted somehow. 
 
I used the link above: http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?t=10985  
 
Logged into cPanel 
selected MyPHPAdmin 
selected my database 
selected jos_users 
selected "browse" in top navigation 
clicked on the pencil icon to edit 
copied the "hash code" from the joomla form link for the word "admin" 
pasted in the password field 
clicked "go" in the bottom right of the form 
 
went to my joomla log on screen 
 
typed in "admin" in the password field and I was able to log on. 
 
Then I went to my Joomla User manager and changed my password to something more secure. 
 
Now I can get back on. Hope the step by step helps. I don't know a lot about MyPHPAdmin but this seemed to work. 
 
Thanks for your page it was recommended to me by the tech support people at my host

I was able to get the "code" generated for the encrypted password and stick it directly into the MySQL user file using edit. Worked great

This did not work for me... 
 
But this did. 
http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?t=10985 
 
FYI for people having trouble.

I tried this and it didn't work ... but something else did!!! I had installed iJoomla Ad Agency, tested a banner using my Super Admin password. Unfortunately, it locked me out of the back door. I went to the iJoomla website for help and found that I should have created a different user--it negatively adjusted User 62 in PHPMyAdmin, which was my Super Administrator. 
 
THE FOLLOWING FIX WORKED FOR ME: 
 
Thanks. That was only part of the answer but it got me down the right path. 
 
Here is a step by step to fix this: 
 
There are 4 tables to view and/or edit in order to manually change a user's access level. 
 
_core_acl_aro_groups 
_core_acl_aro 
_core_acl_groups_aro_map 
_users 
 
a. In the _core_acl_aro table find the user you want to change. Presumably it's "Administrator". 
Note the value from aro_id field for that user. Also not the "value" field. 
 
b. Go to _core_acl_aro_groups and note the group_id value for "Super Administrator" 
 
c. Then go to the _core_acl_groups_aro_map table and find the record with the SAME aro_id found in step a. 
Change the group_id for that exact record to the same group_id value found in step b. 
 
d. Now finally go to the _users table and find the record matching the "value" noted from step a. The name should match that which you are trying to change through this process. Change the "gid" to the same value found for group_id in step b.

Thanks, works like a charm!

Puzzled how my original password was "lost" since I have it recorded and have used it recently. 
 
However, the script worked like a charm! (A little SQL knowledge on my part helped, since name and username were different than the default).

If I saw you web site before I could have saved my own. some pepole spread chaos when there able to do that, hopefully, there is people like you, to fix that kind of trouble, thank of you I have fixed the web site of a friend who was hacked by turkish guys. So... 
 
Thank you superman!

I made the mistake of using the default username "Administrator". My admin's name was different. Once I changed that in the code it worked perfectly.  
 
Thanks a million!

thannks so much. My password changed for no reason and i was scared someone hacked in or something. this worked perfect! thanks so much!

lost my password

Thanks thanks thanks... 
Someone hacked my admin pword. 
I saw so many other processes that were all complex. 
This was simple, easy, and it worked. 
It is bookmarked 

http://www.itie.mng.net/eOffice/  
i can't enter this link... help me!!! it's important for me!! help  
and send me password or user name!!!

UPDATE example_users SET password=MD5('yourpassword') WHERE name = "Administrator"; 
 
For example_users, put jos_users or others (yours). 
 
For 'yourpassword', put any password, example: 'mousecatdog'. 
 
For name, you can leave 'Administrator' or any other name you have chosen from before (this is not the login username (not "admin"). 
 
After, click go then go to your website and login and you can change to another password if you want. 
 
Try this if the form method of this page doesn't work for you. or (you can't get it to work) 
 
PS. you can also change name = "" to usertype = "", and put "Super Administrator" in between quotes.

Hi i am very happy to get my password to the help of you. my site www.hyperrig.net admin panel not working due to lost my password but currently its working fine. again thanks.

You are Great, many many thanks. unfortunately i lost my admin password & i recover this to the help of you & now its working fine. My site is Risk Management Software

very simple and just two min. and you can restore your blocked hacked or forgetten joomla admin password 
 
http://www.joomlaaa.com/Our-Products/restore-your-joomla-admin-password-online.html 
try it and tell me !!!!

If this doesn't work, try this exploit instead: (version 0080801-core-password-remind-functionality.html

The MD5 trick doesn't work in Joomla 1.5. So I was very relieved finding your solution. Thanks to your Google top rating !! 
 
Dennis from The Netherlands

Thank you so much for sharing this script. It worked great the first try.

This is a good fix, I did have to read the replies though in order to understand exactly how to do it. Jos_Users could show up differently in your db like in our case it was rwc_users. Great fix though worked like a charm. 
 
Jeremy Thompson 
www.revolutionwebstudios.com

I've tried the script, I've changed it to 'Administrator' to 'Super Administrator', I've opened up the users and pasted the password numbers generated by the program and still no luck in accessing the administrator panel. Help?

you need to go to site config, error reporting and set it to "Simple"

i ran it..it worked, i logged in but now..i see thsi error 
 
Warning: asort() expects parameter 1 to be array, string given in /mnt/w0911/d15/s28/b02e4a6e/www/triniexpressions.com/includes/joomla.php on line 5074 
 
Logout admin 
Trini Expressions / com_admin

Thanks, I spent ages ignoring this problem and when I finally faced up to trying to fix it, your clear instructions were perfect.

I had my password. But today it did not work, though it was the same4 password i was using since 1 year. 
I search and found your page. Excelent . I reset the password. Without it i would have suffered a lot. Thank you from my heart.

 
Thanks heaps, it seemed simple but the other help sites I read made it seem hard. Thanks for writing simply and succinctly!

Tried and verified the content of the users table and had been changed. However I am nit able to get in as administrator. Maybe Jooml 1.5 needs other changes as well in the configuration.php file? 
 
Emile

Thank you for the useful code. I was a able to change my password with no issues. Thanks again!!!

Hello! 
 
I lost my password I know backup backup backup just when I was my vista barf crash However whas able to fixe it with this tutorial god bless. 
Pierre

Hey! 
 
I tried above but thereafter I went to my website freshlightltd.com and it started to say This site is temporarily unavailable. 
 
It just happened right after I pushed the Go button in Sql! Does anyone a way to make this undone? 
 
Thank you so much in advance!:D 
 
Regards, 
Leon

You need to write a password before generating the sql. You can do it now, it will override the blank password you have set by mistake

UPDATE jos_users SET password='3e7b906dadf044a086d4db2d48d12ba5' WHERE name='Administrator'; 
 
 
could i get my password from this?

I have used your recovery form to change the password, but i have made a big mistake...i have generated and excecuted sql string but i havent type ANY password... so now the password has changed but i have no idea what it is, i have tried empty, typeyournewpasswordhere but nothing roks. 
 
ANY IDEA?  
 
plase help

i updated the password fro phpmyadmin correctly but i can't login... 
What i have to put in the configuration.php in the var secret field?? 
Any Ideas??? 
 
thanks

well done guys - really appreciate your knowledge 
 
peter

Thanks a lot for this, and thanks Wazrik for the idiots guide - I needed it!

people trying to login are using the word Administrator as the user name. its not Administrator, its Admin.

Seriously reccommended if you ever get stuck ! it just works as per the instructions. Nick

Can someone recover my password for me. I don't have the first inkling of what to do. I just know how to change things with the joomla program.

Thanks, your programme was of great help as one always forget to write down passwords! 
I am trying to generate passwords automatically for my users, but the generated codes do seem to be recognized when login in. Could you kindly send me the code behind the generation of your code? For your generated password functions correctly? 
Thanks in advance.

Excellent - the other solutions were OK but this was the clearest and neatest. Well done!!

The password is stored in the MySQL database jos_users table password field 
I did this to chang my password 
1. login to control panel 
2. Find ( php my admin ) and click on it 
3. Look for the word ( Databases )click on it 
4. WARNING if you have more then one website on the server you must first fined the one  
the one you want to reset the password on. there ending with (_joomla )(if you need help ask) 
5.find ( jos_users ). To your right in the size section there will be a number with (KiB)ending in blue 
click on it  
6.Now on top look for ( Browse ) Click on it 
7.You can now see all the users and the user names. In the (usertype) finde (super administrator) 
go to its right and click on Edit  
8.copy and past this code over the old code in the password section 
21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3 the code means ( admin )the new password  
9 I used the same name for both the username and name  
10. go to login and type the name you used and for the password type in ( admin )

It took me a little while before i got it that there are now super administrators. 
Then it just worked fine. 
Thanks a lot. 
Mark

This is a great tool. For whatever reason my password was changed in dBase file. When I decrypted the MD5 encrypted password it came up as nothing.  
 
My only stumbling block was the fact I changed the title administrator name to something else but I kept changing it to the user id. Once I figured out that I needed to use the name I changed the administrator to everything worked fine. 
 
Please keep in mind I have NO SQL knowledge what so ever.  
 
Thanks, 
 
~Dale

I have to insert that sql code everytime i want to log in my admin panel, theres a worm that got stucked in my site, it was phpbb forum or sth, ive already errased that fake module... by the way im using joomspanish 1.0.13... the SQL works, BUT... this worm keeps resetting my admin user and password, so that makes so annoying redoing all that sql code again! what can i do to change for good my password without having to apply that sql code everytime i have to log in? 
 
 
THANKS! waiting for your replies!

greatest help i have ever received....this script is awesome...keep it up

lol, thank you! Well for beginners like me! It would of been nice to tell us where in phpmyadmin! 
I knew it was sql because of the image above. But i thoyght i had to click on jos_users or something! 
 
Here are step by step instructions. 
1. Make up a password!  
2. Use the password on this site to generate the code, now copy this code 
3. Go to ur hosting provider or cpanel, find ur mysql section.  
4. Then find one of ur databses, and click myphpadmin 
5. Right after u get into ur myphpadmin site click "SQL" 
6. Now paste ur code in main box u see 
7. highligh password on the right, and click go 
8. now go to ur web site,click administrator or ( www.yoursite.com/administrator/) 
9. Type in admin as USERNAME and for the PASSWORD type in the password u provided earlier  
10. press ENTER and u should be in!!

Do I need to change the jos_ users 
 
Or does admistrator go in the usernane or do I use the last one created

Hi I just want to say thank you for this script, because I lose my Pass and I was scared already, not being able to get in to my administrator so, I used the form above and It worked out beautifully  
 
Thanks a lot! 
 
Alex