In this tutorial, we will show you the steps to reset WordPress password using phpMyAdmin application. In this chapter, you will learn an advanced method to reset your lost WordPress password from the MySQL database by using phpMyAdmin console of cPanel.
This tutorial is a part of advanced WordPress training, and this method of password reset should be used only if the normal method of recovering WordPress password fails due to some reason. Doing anything wrong can break your site permanently, so proceed with caution.
When to Use phpMyAdmin to Reset WordPress Password?
WordPress already provides a super easy way to reset your password. You can simply go to the login screen and click on the "Lost your password?" link. In the password reset page enter your username or email address to get a password reset email, and clicking on the link provided in that email you can reset your password. For a detailed guidance see our guide on how to recover login password in WordPress.
However, in some rare cases, the above process may fail to reset the password. In some situations like, if you presently don’t have access to the email address or your WordPress blog fails to send an email, then you will not be able to reset your password.
Also, many cheap hosting providers filter out any outgoing message generated from WordPress installation to reduce their server load, hence, you will not receive any password reset link. [This is why we recommend taking hosting services from reputed provides like Bluehost or Siteground or Hostinger.]
In such situations, you will have to reset your WordPress password directly in the MySQL database. The easiest way to access the database and reset the password from within your cPanel is by using phpMyAdmin console.
So, if you are facing similar situation then here is a complete tutorial on how you can reset a WordPress password from phpMyAdmin.
How to WordPress Password Using PhpMyAdmin?
Now we will look into the exact step by step procedure to reset the WordPress password using the phpMyAdmin application available in your hosting account's cPanel.
Step 1: Login to cPanel & Open phpMyAdmin
First, you have to login to the cPanel dashboard of your WordPress hosting account. Then find and click on the phpMyAdmin icon under the database section.
Step 2: Select WordPress Database
After the phpMyAdmin application opens, select the respective database of your WordPress installation from the list of MySQL databases. [Depending on hosting provider this step may vary than what is shown in the screenshot]
Step3: Find the User Table
After selecting the database, you will now see all the tables that are created under your WordPress database. Search for the "{table-prefix}_users" table (usually wp_users) in that list and click on the ‘Browse’ link next to it.
Note: The table name in your WordPress installation may be different if you have given a custom prefix name at the time of installation but the table name would definitely end with "_users".
Step 4: Edit the User Properties
After expanding the WordPress user table, you will see all the usernames that are created under your WordPress blog. Just click on the edit button next to the username for which you want to reset the password.
Step5: Enter New Password
PhpMyAdmin will now show a form pre-filled with all the user information fields.
You will need to erase and replace the value of the "user_pass" field with your new password. Under the function column (left to the password field), select MD5 from the drop-down menu and click on the Go button. Now your password will automatically be encrypted to MD5 format and stored in the MySQL database.
[Caution: DO NOT DELETE the "user_pass" row; only replace the texts of the "value" column]
Congratulations! You have successfully reset your WordPress password using phpMyAdmin.
Now some of you may ask us that why we have selected the MD5 hash to encrypt the password as WordPress uses some other advanced type of encryption. It's because WordPress supports MD5 from its core.
When you will login to your WordPress site using a password stored as an MD5 hash in the database, WordPress will automatically re-encrypt it using the newer encryption algorithms.
We hope that you have enjoyed the above article describing the procedure to reset the WordPress password using phpMyAdmin. Be with us to explore free training on Leading Technologies and Certifications.
Leave us some comments if you have any questions or need further help on resetting the password, we will be happy to help you.
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