Resetting the Joomla Administrator Password

If you are locked out of your Joomla administrator account, you cannot reset the password by email. Instead, you must manually reset it in the database. On ruachost.com, this can be done using phpMyAdmin in cPanel.

Why Reset the Administrator Password?

• Regain access if you forget your password.
• Recover from a hacked or compromised account.
• Update credentials for better security.

Steps to Reset the Joomla Administrator Password

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

1. Access your hosting account on ruachost.com.
2. In the Databases section, click phpMyAdmin.

Step 2: Locate the Joomla Database

1. In phpMyAdmin, select your Joomla database from the left pane.

   • Typically named username_joomXXX (where username is your cPanel username and XXX is a three‑digit number).

Step 3: Run SQL Query

1. On the top menu bar, click SQL.

2. Copy and paste the following statement into the query box:

   UPDATE users SET password = MD5('NewPassword') WHERE username = 'admin';

   • Replace NewPassword with your new password.
   • Replace admin with the correct username if different.

Step 4: Adjust for Table Prefix

• If your Joomla installation uses a table prefix, add it to the users table.

• Example: If the prefix is jm_, use:

  UPDATE jm_users SET password = MD5('NewPassword') WHERE username = 'admin';

Step 5: Save and Log In

1. Click Go to execute the query.
2. phpMyAdmin updates the database with the new password.
3. Log in to Joomla administrator using the updated credentials.

Important Notes

• Joomla does not allow administrator password resets via email.
• Always back up your database before making manual changes.
• Use a strong password to improve security.
• If multiple admin accounts exist, update the correct username.