DEV Community: Digvijay Singh

How to Reset the PostgreSQL `postgres` Password (Forgot Password Fix)

Digvijay Singh — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:03:50 +0000

For many developers working with PostgreSQL locally, forgetting the postgres user password is very common.

When trying to connect using pgAdmin or psql, you might see an error like:

connection failed: FATAL: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

This guide shows a simple method to reset the password on Windows.

1) Locate the PostgreSQL Configuration File

Navigate to the PostgreSQL data folder:

C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\16\data

Find the file:

 pg_hba.conf

This file controls how PostgreSQL authenticates users.

2) Open pg_hba.conf

Open the file using Notepad as Administrator.

Find these lines:

local all all scram-sha-256
host all all 127.0.0.1/32 scram-sha-256
host all all ::1/128 scram-sha-256

3) Temporarily Disable Password Authentication

Change scram-sha-256 to trust.

local all all trust
host all all 127.0.0.1/32 trust
host all all ::1/128 trust

Save the file.

This temporarily allows login without a password.

4) Restart PostgreSQL Service

Press Windows + R

Type:

services.msc

Find the service:

 postgresql-x64-16

Restart the service.

5) Open SQL Shell (psql)

Search for:

SQL Shell (psql)

Press Enter for all default values:

Server [localhost]:
Database [postgres]:
Port [5432]:
Username [postgres]:

6) Reset the Password

Run the command:

ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'newpassword123';

Example:

ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'MySecurePassword';

If successful, you will see:

ALTER ROLE

7) Restore Security

Go back to pg_hba.conf and change:

trust

back to:

scram-sha-256

Restart PostgreSQL again.

8) Connect Again

Now connect using pgAdmin:

Username: postgres
Password: newpassword123
Port: 5432

The connection should work successfully.

✅ Final Notes

Use trust only temporarily

Always restore scram-sha-256

This method works for most local PostgreSQL installations on Windows

Customizing the Django Panel: A Step-By-Step Guide

Digvijay Singh — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:17:12 +0000

In this guide I'll walk you through how to modify and extend Django default admin panel/interface, making it more user-friendly.

1. Set up the Project:

Start by creating a brand new project and app in Django

django-admin startproject myprojectname
cd myprojectname
python manage.py startapp developerscommunity

** Note**
Do not forgot to add your app ti the INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py

2. Run migrations:

python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

3. Resgister Models in Admin Panel:

 Register of models is compulsory to see it in django admin 
 interface

  from django.contrib import admin
  from .models import DevCommunity

 admin.site.register(DevCommunity)

Above Steps will lead you to Django Admin Panel Now comes the customization part

4. Customize the Admin Panel:

class CustomAdminSite(admin.AdminSite):

will appear at the top-left corner

site_header = "Dev Admin"

will show in the browser tab

site_title = Developer Admin Portal

will be displayed on the admin home page.

index_title = "Welcome to Developer Community"

custom_admin_site = CustomAdminSite(name="dev_admin")

  #All code at one place
  class CustomAdminSite(admin.AdminSite):
     site_header = "Dev  Admin"
     site_title = Developer Admin Portal
     index_title = "Welcome to Developer Community"

  custom_admin_site = CustomAdminSite(name="dev_admin")

5. To register:

  #Finally register
  custom_admin_site.register(DevCommunity)

Django File Structure for Developers

Digvijay Singh — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 18:19:14 +0000

This django file structure guide will walk you through the essential elements of a django project.

Contents

Project Root Directory
Project Directory (e.g., you_project_name)
Applications (Apps)
Templates Directory
Static Directory
Media Directory
Virtual Environment (venv/)

1. Project Root Directory

This directory contains the entire Django project. It contains

- manage.py: It is a command line utility that allows us to interact with project. Mainly use to start development server, create apps, run migrations etc.

- Project Folder (Your Project name folder): It contains setting and configurations of our project.

2. Project Directory (e.g., you_project_name)

This is a folder that has configurations for our Django projects. It include files like:

- init.py:

- settings.py: Contains setting for our projects such as configurations, database settings, installed apps, allowed hosts, middleware.

- urls.py: It contains URL for our projects (Routing requests for our views).

- asgi.py:

- wsgi.py:

3. Applications (Apps):

- models.py: It contains Data Structure for you project or we can say app's data/ structure of the database.

- views.py: Business logic (handling requests and responses)

- urls.py: your app specific url

- forms.py: structure and validation logic for the forms

- admin.py: Django admin panel(Dashboard) by registering the models (by creating a superuser and login to the Django's admin)

- apps.py:

- migrations/: Contains database migrations files.Each time you make any changes to your database you will see a new file with some random naes in this folder (e.g. 0001_initial, 0002_model_you_made_or_changes, ...)

4. Templates Directory:

- base.html:This contains shared code which is common in many files for example headers, footers which you want in your multiple pages.

*- other files that extend from base.html for specific views *: Lets say login.html, home.html etc.

5. Static Directory:It contains static files such as CSS, JavaScript, images. App specific directories or global one (as per your requirements).

6. Media Directory: User uploaded files for example documents, any other files may be a profile picture of a user etc.

7. Virtual Environment (venv/): Make a habit of creating a virtual environment for each of the django project to isolate project dependencies. It is important to note that it is essential for project specific packages without disturbing any global environment.

your_project_name/
│
├── manage.py
├── your_project_name/
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── settings.py
│ ├── urls.py
│ ├── wsgi.py
│ └── asgi.py
│
├── your_app_one/
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── admin.py
│ ├── apps.py
│ ├── models.py
│ ├── views.py
│ ├── urls.py
│ └── migrations/
│
├── your_app_two/
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── admin.py
│ ├── apps.py
│ ├── models.py
│ ├── views.py
│ └── migrations/
│
├── templates/
│ ├── base.html
│ └── home.html
│
└── static/
├── css/
└── js/

Conclusion
Understanding file structure before starting any projects in any language is very crucial and essential for efficient project development. I hope now it becomes easier for you all to navigate and manage your code bases.

Please feel free to comment your thoughts or any tips.
If you want all essential django commands at one place please comment

BONUS

Commands that you should know for manage.py

    **1. python manage.py runserver ** : To start the server

    **2. python manage.py makemigrations** : Creating new 
         migrations on the changes made in your models.

    **3. python manage.py migrate ** : Applying or unapplying 
         migrations
    **4. python manage.py createsuperuser**: Access to django 
         admin panel