Resetting Your WordPress Password on Localhost: An In-Depth Guide

As a web developer with over 15 years of experience working with WordPress, I‘ve helped hundreds of users recover when they get locked out of their local WordPress site after forgetting the admin password.

While it‘s a common issue, resetting your WordPress password on localhost is quick and simple if you understand the right database editing techniques.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain:

• How WordPress passwords work on localhost
• Step-by-step instructions to reset your password
• Extra security tips to keep your site protected
• Troubleshooting help if you run into problems
• And additional resources to properly secure your site

After reading this guide, you‘ll feel confident resetting your password and setting up a much more secure WordPress site. Let‘s get started!

Localhost and Reset Issues Explained

Before we dive in, let‘s quickly cover some essential background info.

Localhost refers to running WordPress on your own computer instead of on a live internet server. This allows you to build and test WordPress sites without impacting a real production site.

Many users install WordPress on localhost using MAMP, WAMP, or XAMPP. These packages make it quick and easy to install WordPress locally.

However, there‘s one downside – email sending is disabled in these local servers by default. That means the usual "Lost Password" reset process that emails you a reset link won‘t work on localhost.

So if you forget your password, you‘ll need to use the database to manually reset it instead.

Step-By-Step: Resetting Your Password with phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin provides a quick visual way to edit your database to change your password. Here‘s how it works:

1. Access phpMyAdmin by navigating to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ in your browser.

2. Login using your MySQL credentials. Typically this will be user "root" with a blank password.

3. Select your WordPress database on the left sidebar. Look for "wordpress", "wp_db", or something similar.

4. Click on the "wp_users" table. This stores user data including passwords.

5. Find your admin user account and click "Edit".

6. In the "user_pass" field, delete the existing encrypted password. Type your new password you want to use.

7. Change the "Function" field to "MD5" to encrypt your new password.

8. Click Go at the bottom to save the changes to the database.

That‘s it! Your password is now reset. You can log into your site with your new password.

Resetting your password is as easy as editing the wp_users table

I recommend choosing a very strong password. Even though it‘s localhost, a weak password leaves you vulnerable.

Now let‘s talk more about password security best practices.

Security Tips for Your Admin Password

Resetting your password gives you a chance to start fresh with a more secure password.

But did you know over 15% of compromised WordPress sites are hacked due to easily guessed passwords? Even localhost sites can be vulnerable.

Here are a few best practices to keep your site locked down tight:

• Use a random, unique password – Avoid common words, phrases, or personal info. Using a password manager helps generate super strong passwords.

• Length is key – Current guidelines recommend at least 12-14 characters or more for strong passwords.

• Mix upper and lowercase letters – This exponentially increases possible combinations.

• Add numbers and symbols – This makes passwords much harder to crack.

• Change it regularly – Update your password every 90 days as a best practice.

Securing your WordPress admin account should always be the first priority. A password manager like LastPass combined with two-factor authentication locks down your site on the foundational level.

And utilizing other security plugins like Wordfence provides additional layers of protection.

Now let‘s go over some steps to troubleshoot issues you may run into.

Troubleshooting Password Reset Problems

Resetting your password through phpMyAdmin is usually quick and painless. But occasionally issues pop up.

Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

• Can‘t connect to database – Double check your MySQL connection details in wp-config.php match your phpMyAdmin credentials. Also verify your database server is running.

• Access denied errors – If phpMyAdmin shows "access denied", you may have a permissions issue. Try resetting your MySQL permissions or use another reset method.

• "Unknown database" – You may be selecting the wrong database in phpMyAdmin. Log in to MySQL directly and run SHOW DATABASES to identify the correct WordPress database name.

• Password keeps changing back – Make sure to select MD5 as the password function. Otherwise your password will revert after changing it.

• Locked out of admin – If you can‘t login to wp-admin after resetting, flush your permalinks in the Settings > Permalinks area.

Feel free to reach out in the comments below if any other issues pop up! I‘m happy to help troubleshoot.

Next Steps and Additional Resources

I hope this guide provided a comprehensive overview of how to reset your WordPress password on localhost! Here are some next steps:

• Properly secure your admin and other user accounts with strong randomized passwords.

• Install security plugins like Wordfence for additional protection.

• Learn how to migrate your site from localhost to live server when ready.

• Brush up on general WordPress security best practices.

And a few related resources:

• How to Migrate WordPress from Local Server to Live Site
• Beginner‘s Guide to WordPress Security
• How to Add Wordfence Security Plugin

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help the WordPress community secure their sites.