How to reset MySQL 8.x password on Windows

Why Do You Need to Reset the MySQL Password?

Sometimes, after installing MySQL 8.x on Windows, you may:

• Forget the root password
• Need to change the root password for security reasons
• Get errors like "Access denied for user 'root'@"

In these cases, you must reset MySQL password on Windows using the init_file method.

Step to Reset MySQL 8 Root Password

Step 1: Stop the MySQL Service

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services list.
• Find the MySQL service (usually named MySQL80 or MySQL).
• Right-click the service and select Stop.
  

  You must stop the service before using init_file; Otherwise, the reset will fail.

Step 2: Create a Password Reset File

• Open Notepad.
• Enter the following line, replacing MyNewPass with your desired password:

ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'MyNewPass';

Save the file as:

C:\resetpassword.txt

Make sure it is saved as a plain text file.

Step 3: Open Command Prompt in MySQL Directory

• Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
• Navigate to the MySQL installation bin folder, e.g.:

cd "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin"

You must run the command from the MySQL directory, otherwise mysqld may not find the configuration file.

Step 4: Start MySQL with init_file

• Run the following command (adjust the paths as needed):

mysqld --defaults-file="C:\\ProgramData\\MySQL\\MySQL Server 8.0\\my.ini" --init-file=C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\resetpassword.txt

• Wait until the command finishes executing.

  Note: Use double backslashes \ in file paths.

Step 5: Test the New Password

• Open a new Command Prompt or MySQL client.
• Log in with the new password:

mysql -uroot -pHannah_newpasswd

If the login is successful, the root password has been reset.

Step 6: Cleanup

• After successful login, delete resetpassword.txt for security.
• Restart the MySQL service in Services by clicking Start.

Tips for Beginners

• Make sure the MySQL service is completely stopped before Step 4.
• Check all file paths carefully; the init-file path must be correct.
• Avoid complex special characters in the password on the first try; use letters and numbers.