How to change account password using Command Prompt on Windows 10

When you need to change your local account password, you can also use Command Prompt, and in this guide, you’ll learn how on Windows 10.

On Windows 10, if you suspect that your password has been compromised, selected a weak password, or if you have been using the same password for a long time, it is a good practice to change your Windows 10 account password to something different and difficult for someone else to guess.

If you have a local account without a Microsoft account, there are multiple ways to change your password, but one quick way is to use Command Prompt.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to change your local account password on Windows 10.

How to change account password using Command Prompt

To change your local account password with Command Prompt, use these steps:

Open Start on Windows 10.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to view all the available accounts and press Enter:

Type the following command to change the account password and press Enter:

In the command, make sure to change USERNAME with the account name that you want to update.

Command Prompt change account password

Type a new password and press Enter.

Type the new password again to confirm and press Enter.

Once you complete the steps, sign out and sign back into the Windows 10 account to start using the new password.

If you have an account linked to your Microsoft account, the steps outlined above won’t apply. In this case, you need to follow these steps to change your account password.

Although this guide focuses on Windows 10, these steps should also work on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

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Change pc password with command prompt

Welcome , today I’m working with the command prompt on Windows 10 , I like to know if it is possible to change my pc’s password with this and how can I do it. Thank you

3 Answers 3

Yes you can. You need administrative privileges and you need to know your username.

From the command prompt, enter the following command, and replace with your actual username:

Then enter the new password.

Do note, it will not ask to reconfirm your password, so any typo can mean the end of logging in.

1. Change Local Password from Command Line

2. Change Domain Password from Command Line

Note: Be sure to run this from an elevated command prompt.

Important: You will need AD level permission to change your own password apparently via this method so this command may more easily be usable by domain admins; otherwise, further AD permissions.

Error

3. Alternatively

You can press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Change Password for a GUI method to change your own password on a domain PC when you’re not a domain admin.

Change or reset your Windows password

If you forgot or lost your password for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7, you may be able to change or reset it. To get started, choose your version of Windows from the Select Product Version drop-down menu.

If you already know your current password and want to change it

Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options . Under Password, select the Change button and follow the steps.

Reset your Windows 10 local account password

If you’ve forgotten or lost your Windows 10 password for a local account and need to sign back in to your device, the below options might help you get up and running. For more info on local standard vs. administrative accounts, see Create a local user or administrator account in Windows 10.

Windows 10 version 1803 and later

If you added security questions when you set up your local account for Windows 10, then you have at least version 1803 and you can answer security questions to sign back in.

After you’ve entered an incorrect password:

Select the Reset password link on the sign-in screen. If you use a PIN instead, see PIN sign-in issues. If you’re using a work device that’s on a network, you may not see an option to reset your password or PIN. In that case, contact your administrator.

Note: If you don’t see security questions after you select the Reset password link, make sure your device name isn’t the same as your local user account name (the name you see when you sign in). To see your device name, right-click Start in the taskbar, select System, andscroll to the Device specifications section. If the device name is the same as your account name, you can create a new administrator account, sign in as an administrator, and then rename your PC (when you view your device name, you can also rename it).

Answer your security questions.

Enter a new password.

Sign in as usual with the new password.

Windows 10 before version 1803

For versions of Windows 10 earlier than 1803, local account passwords can’t be reset because there are no security questions. You can reset your device to choose a new password, however this option will permanently delete your data, programs, and settings. If you’ve backed up your files you’ll be able to restore your deleted files. For more information, see Recovery options in Windows 10.
To reset your device, which will delete data, programs, and settings:

Press the Shift key while you select the Power button > Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen.

On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.

Select Remove everything.

Warning: Resetting your device will permanently delete data, programs, and settings.

Reset your Microsoft account password you use to sign in to your computer

On the sign-in screen, type your Microsoft account name if it’s not already displayed. If there are multiple accounts on the computer, choose the one you want to reset. Below the password text box, select I forgot my password. Follow the steps to reset your password.

Troubleshoot problems signing in

If you’re still having trouble signing to your account, see more solutions in Troubleshoot problems signing in.

Reset your password

Note: If you’ve forgotten your Windows 10 password, see Reset your Windows 10 local account password.

If you’ve forgotten your Windows 8.1 password, there are several ways to retrieve or reset it:

If your PC is on a domain, your system administrator must reset your password.

If you’re using a Microsoft account, you can reset your password online. For more info, see How to reset your Microsoft account password.

If you’re using a local account, use your password hint as a reminder.

If you still can’t sign in, you must reinstall Windows. For Windows RT 8.1, contact your PC manufacturer.

More help with passwords in Windows 8.1

If you forget or lose your password, see Reset your password above to reset or recover it.

If you think your Microsoft account password has been compromised or stolen by someone with malicious intent, we can help. For more info, see When you can’t sign in to your Microsoft account.

If you’re signing in to only your local PC, yes. However, we recommend that you keep your PC more secure by using a strong password. When you use a password, only someone who knows it can sign in. If you want to sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, a password is required. For more info, see Can I sign in to Windows without a password? To learn more about Microsoft accounts and local accounts, see Create a user account.

Stronger passwords contain a variety of characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols or spaces. A strong password should also be something that is difficult for a stranger to guess or crack. It shouldn’t contain a complete word, or easy-to-find details like your real name, your user name, or your birth date.

If you’re signing in to a Microsoft account, your password is limited to 16 characters. For more info about Microsoft accounts, see Create a user account.

You can update your password regularly to keep it more secure. If your PC isn’t connected to a domain, follow these steps:

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)

Tap or click Accounts, and then tap or click Sign-in options.

Tap or click Change your password and follow the instructions.

If your PC is connected to a domain, your system administrator might manage how frequently you must change your password. To do so, choose one of the following:

If you’re using a keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, tap or click Change a password, and follow the instructions.

If you’re using a tablet, press and hold the Windows button, press the power button, and then tap or click Change a password and follow the instructions.

It depends on whether you’re using a third-party email address. If your email address ends in outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com, or another Microsoft service, changing the password for your Microsoft account also changes it for that email service.

But you can use any email address for your Microsoft account, even an email address from a third-party web-based mail service like Google Mail or Yahoo! Mail. When you choose a password for your Microsoft account, it doesn’t change the password you might need to use to sign in to web mail on a third-party site.

Create a picture password to sign in with gestures instead of by entering characters.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)

Tap or click Accounts, and then tap or click Sign-in options.

Under Picture password, tap or click Add, and then follow the instructions.

When you choose a password for your user account, it’s important to pick something you can remember. You’re going to need it again later!

Of course, you can also write your password down and keep it in a safe place. Taped to the underside of your laptop or the inside of your desk drawer is probably not a good idea, however. If you do write your password down, be sure to keep it separate from your PC.

For added security, use different passwords for different purposes. For example, it’s a good idea to keep distinctly different passwords for a social networking account and your online bank account.

If you do forget or lose your password, there are still several things you can try to reset or recover it. For more info, see Reset your password above to reset or recover it.

Reset your password

My computer is on a domain

Select the Start button , select Control Panel, select User Accounts, select User Accounts, and then select Manage User Accounts. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

On the Users tab, under Users for this computer, select the user account name, and then select Reset Password.

Type the new password, confirm the new password, and then select OK.

My computer is in a workgroup

If you type the wrong password when you attempt to log on, Windows displays a message that the password is incorrect. Select OK to close the message.

Select Reset password, and then insert your password reset disk or USB flash drive.

Follow the steps in the Password Reset wizard to create a new password.

Log on with the new password. If you forget your password again, you can use the same password reset disk. You don’t need to make a new one.

Note: If an administrator resets your password, you might lose access to some of your files.

Change your password

Press Ctrl+ Alt+ Delete, and then select Change a password.

Type your old password followed by a new password as indicated, and then type the new password again to confirm it.

Note: If you are logged on as an administrator, you can create and change passwords for all user accounts on the computer.

Warning: If you use an administrator account to change a password for another account, any encrypted files or e mail messages for that other account will no longer be accessible to the person who was using that account.

Change user password in Windows 10, via NET USER command?

The solution is simple to change user password in Windows 10 , via NET USER command, without knowing the current password!

But you can also change quite regularly via «User Accounts» password!

1.) Change user password in Windows 10!

Please enter the command » net user » , then they see all Windows-10 User Accounts.

Then type in the command (in this case for the administrator account): «net user administrator *
And now enter the new Windows 10 password and retype the password to confirm the password.

PS: Attention! The newly entered password is not displayed in the CMD, the text cursor always stays in the first position! By confirming the password, you know if you entered it correctly.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.0074]
(c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

User accounts for \\W10_RP

————————————————
Administrator Guest Nenad
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>net user Administrator *
Type a password for the user:
Retype the password to confirm:
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>

PS: Attention! The newly entered password is not displayed in the CMD, the text cursor always remains in the first position! By confirming the password, you know whether you typed it correctly.

How to Change Your Password in Windows 10

2.) How to Change Your Password in Windows 10 control userpasswords2!

Please run [Windows-Logo+R] the command control userpasswords2 and select the account, click the Button Reset Password (. see Image-1)

Here you also have the ability to not only change or reset passwords, use this list to allow or deny users access to the computer and to change other user settings.