HowTo: Recover WordPress Password

Through a MySQL command line
(replace all details in bold with your own data)

1. Type “mysql -u root -p” (Logs in to MySQL)
2. Enter your password at the prompt.
3. Type “use name-of-database” (Select your WordPress database)
4. Type “show tables LIKE ‘%users’;” (Finds the WordPress user table)
5. Type “SELECT ID, user_login, user_pass FROM name-of-table WHERE user_login = ‘username‘;” (Observe the encrypted password)
6. Type “UPDATE name-of-table SET user_pass=MD5(’new-password‘) WHERE user_login = ‘username‘;” (Updates the database with the encrypted password)
7. Type “SELECT ID, user_login, user_pass FROM name-of-table WHERE user_login = ‘username‘;” (To confirm password was changed)
8. Type “exit” (Exits the MySQL client)
9. Login to WordPress and using your username and new password.

If you don’t have this type of access or if this is too difficult for you, you can ask your web host to do it for you and once you have your new password, login and change the password to something you know and can remember.