Joomla provides several methods to reset a forgotten admin password, ranging from built-in recovery tools to database manipulation if backend access is completely lost.
This video explains how to change the administrator password for a Joomla installation if it has been forgotten: Methods to Reset Joomla Passwords:
Front-end “Forgot Your Password” Link: If your administrator email is configured, you can use the standard “Forgot your login details?” link on the administrator login page.
phpMyAdmin (Database Method): This is the most common method for regaining access. Log in to phpMyAdmin and select your Joomla database. Locate the _users table and click Browse. Find your user and click Edit.
In the password field, delete the existing value and type your new password.
Crucial: In the function dropdown menu, select MD5 to ensure the password is encrypted correctly. Click Go to save.
This video demonstrates how to reset your Joomla password from phpMyAdmin: configuration.php Method (Temporary Root Access): Use FTP to download your configuration.php file.
Add public $root_user=‘myname’; to the file, replacing ‘myname’ with your username, then re-upload it.
Log in to the backend using that user, change the password, and then remove the line from configuration.php. If you’d like, I can:
Explain how to create a new Super User if the old account is corrupted.
Show how to fix broken email functionality so the “forgot password” link works.