John the Ripper Password Cracker Tutorial: How to Use It?

The Password cracker tool has become the need of every user as we all keep forgetting passwords for different accounts. If you are a Windows user, you know the stress of losing the Windows password. Most of the search results put John the Ripper as the best free password cracking tool.

If you have not heard about this tool, this detailed guide is going to be quite interesting for you. From a complete tutorial for using John the Ripper to offering you the best alternative, this blog has everything. Sit tight as we are going to share some exciting features with you.

What is John the Ripper?

This tool is actually a password cracking tool that was released to help IT professionals and common users. The software finds the passwords stored in the local system and also recovers lost passwords. John uses several techniques to crack a password. The use of this tool is complicated for normal users as the tool requires you to have sufficient knowledge of the command line.

If you are a skilled IT professional with a strong grip on the command line, John the Ripper is an excellent choice for you. The lack of GUI is the main factor why many users don’t opt for this tool when it comes to cracking Windows passwords.

How to Use John the Ripper?

Even if you are not an IT professional, a basic John the Ripper password cracker tutorial can be of great help. This whole process may seem overwhelming if you are not on the command line. Instead of using simple and clean graphics, this tool provides the password cracking capability via the command line.

Cracking Password with John the Ripper

There are three different basic modes that are used by the tool to crack passwords, single crack mode, wordlist mode and incremental mode. Single crack mode is the fastest mode, but you may have to choose the incremental mode for a powerful password. These modes use different password cracking techniques.

If you want the tool to use the simple cracking mode, use the given command:

.\john.exe passwordfile

For the wordlist mode, you can use the readily available wordlists, or you can create your own by the following command:

.\john.exe passwordfile –wordlist=“wordlist.txt”

You can also specify the cracking mode by using the relevant parameter for the mode:

.\john.exe –single passwordfile .\john.exe –incremental passwordfile

You can optimize the performance of John the Ripper by using word mangling rules.

Viewing your Output

You can view the list of the cracked passwords by using the show command:

.\john.exe –show passwordfile

Sometimes the list of cracked passwords is pretty long. By using additional parameters, users can simplify the list of cracked passwords. For example, you can view the root users by using the command:

.\john.exe –show –users=0 passwordfile

These methods prove to be quite effective for the security experts in checking and analyzing the strength of the passwords. If you are a common Windows user, these steps may seem overwhelming, but we have some simpler and more effective alternatives too.

John the Ripper Pros and Cons

Despite being the top choice of professionals, this tool is not meant for everyone. So, it is better to have a look at the pros and cons of using John the Ripper.

Pros:

Open source and free password cracking tool
Different types of password cracking techniques are supported
Works fine with all available operating systems

Cons:

Requires deep knowledge of command line
Setting up John the Ripper is a complicated process
Not suitable for common users

Is There An Alternative to John the Ripper?

We are clear about the fact that John the Ripper is not a practical tool if you are not aware of the command line. Is there any other tool to crack Windows passwords without John the Ripper? Well, iToolab UnlockGo (Windows) is the best alternative to John the Ripper.

UnlockGo – Windows Password Recovery is a complete package to reset Windows passwords without writing even a single line of code or using the command line. Users get to reset passwords with just a few clicks. This tool provides the best features to reset the forgotten password.

Reasons to use iToolab UnlockGo (Windows)

Here are some prime reasons to use iToolab UnlockGo (Windows) instead of complicated JTR:

Easy to use graphical user interface with attractive design
No command line or coding knowledge required
Create a password reset disk for Windows in a few clicks
Remove all types of accounts for Windows, including domain accounts, Windows local or admin account
Create different types of accounts without passwords for Windows

How to use UnlockGo (Windows)

The use of this tool is quite simple. Here are some simple steps to follow to reset your Windows password. You can choose other options depending on your requirements.

Step 1: Download and Install UnlockGo (Windows)

The tool can be downloaded and installed from the official site. After launching iToolab UnlockGo (Windows), you can create a reset disk by using a USB or disk. No additional burning tool is required to use and create a reset disk.

Step 2: Boot Locked Computer with Reset Disk

Different computers require different boot device priority settings that you can choose and then press F10 to save the settings. By choosing the right method, you can boot the locked computer with the reset disk that we have previously created.

Step 3: Reset Windows Password with iToolab UnlockGo (Windows)

You will be asked for windows version and then there are four different options given on the screen. You can reset the Windows password by choosing the Reset Account Password option.

The Bottom Line

John the Ripper is not a practical tool for someone who doesn’t know about the command line. On the other hand, if you are a skilled IT professional, you can successfully use this tool to reset your Windows password. You can opt for UnlockGo – Windows Password Recovery as this tool does not require any technical knowledge, and using this tool takes a few minutes only.

This powerful tool, iToolab UnlockGo (Windows), is being used by millions of users worldwide. Give it a try and enjoy the seamless power of one of the best password cracking tools.

John the Ripper Password Cracker for Windows OS in 2024