Is Windows password stored in the registry?

Yes, Windows password hashes are stored in the registry in a hashed format. The exact location of the password hash depends on the version of Windows you are using.

In Windows 10, for example, the password hash is stored in the SAM (Security Accounts Manager) registry hive, which is located in the %SystemRoot%\system32\config directory. The password hash is stored in the SAM hive as part of the user’s security identifier (SID).

However, it’s important to note that the password hash is not stored in plaintext, but is instead hashed using a one-way cryptographic algorithm. This means that it is not possible to recover the original password from the hash, but it can be used to verify whether a given password is correct.