Have you got an old Windows XP computer that you've forgotten the password to or (like me) have you got one from eBay that has a password on it that you don't know - then all hope is not lost..
Let me introduce you to Hirens Boot CD!
For a Windows XP laptop you will need to download and burn a CD using version 15.2 or before:
https://www.hirensbootcd.org/hbcd-v152/
You could use Rufus and create a bootable USB stick with UBCD on it but not all retro laptops support this so burning it on to a CD is not only more likely to work but it will make the whole experience more genuine!
Once you have booted from your CD you will have a few choices to make:
If you are comfortable using DOS then choose the Offline NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 Password Changer else choose Mini Windows XP for a GUI..
I tried the DOS utility first and it is very faffy as there's lots of options to check and to be honest, so many steps I have no idea what I pressed and typed so I didn't want to repeat the process to get some screenshots!!
Therefore, I would recommend the Mini Windows XP way!..
Once Windows has loaded, open the Hirens Menu up and navigate to the Passwords/Keys menu and then to the Windows Login option:
Then click on NTPWEdit so we can edit the local user accounts passwords
Click on the (Re)open button to load the local SAM (Security Account Manager) as this is the database where the passwords are stored.
A list of all the local accounts will then be shown so you can now reset the password. I strongly recommend that you don't type anything in as the password simply reset it to a blank one.
Make sure you click on SAVE CHANGES and then you can Shutdown the computer, remove the Hirens Boot CD and load Windows XP as normal.
You can now log in using the account whose password you reset.