Reset your Windows 10 local account password

Use the following instructions to reset your local account password. Your local account signs you in on your device offline, but it doesn’t link to your other devices. For a more complete experience, we recommend you sign in with a Microsoft account to access services like Outlook, Skype, and OneDrive on any of your devices. If you forgot your Windows 10 password, the easiest way to get back into your account is to reset the password for your Microsoft account.

Reset local account password for Windows 10, version 1803 and beyond

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.

Answer your security questions.

Enter a new password.

Sign in as usual with the new password.

Reset local account password for 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.

How Do I Reset My Windows Password?

Reset Your Login Password for Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista

There are only two Microsoft-approved ways to reset a Windows password which are discussed at the bottom of this page. However, there are a number of reasons why one or the other method very often isn’t an option.

Fortunately, there is an «unapproved» but perfectly safe, and very effective, way to reset passwords for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.

How to Reset Your Windows Password

You can reset your computer password by temporarily overwriting the Ease of Access executable with the Command Prompt executable from outside of Windows, enabling that now-overwritten feature from the Windows login screen to open Command Prompt, and then resetting your account password via the net user command.

While this password reset process is fairly involved and requires working from a command line, it’s very much within the ability of anyone reading this.

That said, the process differs in important ways between versions of Windows, mainly due to the different ways the various Microsoft operating systems give you access to Command Prompt from outside of Windows. Because of these differences, we’ve created very detailed password reset tutorials you can follow, specific to which Windows version you’re using:

To use this password reset method, you’ll need access to some sort of recovery or installation media for your version of Windows. Original installation media will work for Windows 10 through Vista. A System Repair Disc is good if you’re using Windows 10, 8, or 7, or a Recovery Drive if on Windows 8. Using installation or recovery media from another computer, yours or a friend’s is fine and won’t break any license agreements with Microsoft—just make sure it matches your version of Windows exactly.

What About Windows XP?

It is possible to make this trick work for Windows XP but it’s not nearly as straightforward as it is with newer versions of Windows due to the way Recovery Console works.

Instead of this trick, see our article I Forgot My Windows XP Password! Can I Do Anything About It? and try one of the other suggestions there.

Microsoft ‘Approved’ Password Reset Methods

There are two preferred ways to reset a Windows password and we recommend that you choose one of these instead of following the procedure above—if your situation allows for it.

If you use Windows 10 or Windows 8 and use an email address to log in, then follow How to Reset Your Microsoft Account Password instead of the advice above. In this particular situation, and only in this situation, this isn’t just the preferred method to use; it’s one of the only ways that work.

If you previously created a password reset disk or flash drive, and know where it is, then use that at the login screen in any version of Windows. If you’re using Windows 10 or 8 with a Microsoft Account (you log in with an email address), you were never able to create a password reset disk and so you shouldn’t have one to try.

See Ways to Find Lost Windows Passwords for a complete list of your password reset, recovery, and other options.

How to Reset Password on Windows 7 with or without Reset Disk

Most of people are usedВ to set a login password on screen or startup to prevent their computer from unauthorized access. However, one of most frustratingВ things is that you lost your Windows 7 password. It is understandable that if you didn’t created a password reset disk before you got locked then it can be a very annoying and pedantic situation since you won’t be able to reset the password for your computer or laptop. In that condition, one of the choices will be to re-install operating system all over again. But believe it or not, this will end up doing much more damage than helping you since it will remove all the important data and documents from your primary disk beyond recovery. So unless your computer contains no important files and information, re-installation of OS is not recommended.

IfВ youВ are unluckyВ enough to lost or forgot login password, don’tВ get discouraged. There are myriad of solutions developed over the years that could help to resolve this issue and we are going to demonstrate several waysВ you can take when you need reset your Windows 7 password without reformatting and reinstallingВ your operating system.

Here, this article gives two ways for your reference.

Method 1: Use Your Windows 7 Password Reset Disk If You Have

A password reset disk will be really an emergency measure if you can’t access to your system, you should note that the password-reset disk must be made before your forgot the password and it only works with Windows 7 local user account. Assuming that you have a previously created password-reset disk, then follow instructions below to reset your Windows 7 password easily.

1) When you entered the wrong password for 5 times, it will present you with a ‘Reset Password’ link at the bottom of login box.

2) Insert your previously created password-disk to your computer, the system will open «Password Reset Wizard», just click Next.

3) Directly select the disk from the drop-down list and type a new password, you need to verify it.

4) Done, now you can simply access to your Windows 7 with the new password.

Don’t think you will never forget your password, I strongly suggest you to proactively create a password reset disk today. However, if you don’t have a preciously created password-disk, В thisВ method doesВ not work asВ well. But the following alternative solutions would be helpful without using password disk.

Method 2: How to Reset Windows 7 Password without Reset Disk

Sometimes you can’t remember the password and also have no disk, one of the most common way is try software to reset your Windows 7 password and get the access to your system. I’ve tested a few Windows password recovery tools and found out iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery is best among them. This program would be the first choice for those who need to get back the lost password, it’s a well-known one preferred by most users. This tool is very effective at resetting forgotten or lost password, including admin password, normal account password.

What’s more, it can reset passwords for Windows 10 /8/7, Vista/XP and Windows Server 2000/2003/2008/2013 at very quickly and appropriately manner. All your need to do is to make a bootable USB or CD/DVD disk with the tool. Then boot your computer with the disk, locate the account you want to remove the password. And finally, click the reset button to unlock the password.

iSeePassword — Windows Password Recovery Pro

• Only 3 steps to reset forgotten Windows local administrator, domain and other user account passwords, No data loss.
• Burn a password reset disk with CD/DVD/USB flash drive on another workable computer.
• Support various brands of desktops, laptops and tablet PCs, like Dell, Hp, Sony, Toshiba, Acer, Samsung and ThinkPad, etc.
• Support Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, etc. and Windows server.

The following tutorial will tell how to reset admin or login password on Windows 7 (Home & Corporate Edition) in more details.

1 Download and Install Windows Password Recovery on a Normal Computer

Download and install the program (Windows or Mac) into another working computer (Windows or Mac) to create abootable Windows password reset disk. After installation, open the program as administrator (Right-click on the desktop shortcut and select run as administrator). You can see the main windows below.

2 Create a Bootable Password Recover Disk with USB Drive or CD/DVD (Take USB for Example)

You need a USD flash drive or CD/DVD at hand before going to the next step. When you run the program, it asks you to choose a media type to make the recovery disk. Click on the media names you current have. In here, I will take USB drive for example.

Click on the USB Device button and you will be promoted to a screen like follows, then select the USB drive from the drop-down list. And click Begin Burning to start writing image files to the USB drive. When the burning is succeeded, a pop up messages says Burning Successfully. It means the password recovery disk is OK.

3 Insert the USB or CD/DVD to the Password-locked Computer and Boot Computer from USB

Insert the USB or CD/DVD reset disk to the computer which password is locked currently. Boot your computer and enter into BIOS settings by typing certain keyboard. This process is different from computer brands. Then choose the option of booting from USB or CD/DVD.

4 Start to Reset Your Password, then Reboot Your Computer

Reboot your computer when the boot ordered has changed. This time, Windows Password Recovery will startup during booting. The main screen is like this. Select the target user, which you want to reset the password. Then click Reset Password button below the user list. Click Yes when a confirmation message pops up.

After resetting the password, the password of target user will be blank. Then click Reboot to let the computer eject the recovery disk and click Yes to restart your computer. Now, the computer will be started up without login password. Feel free to set one when successfully enter into the system.

From the above tutorial, you can see it’s kind of easy to use the program. It guarantees a 100% recovery rate and supports FAT16, FAT 32, NTFS, and NTFS5 file systems. ItВ is quiteВ safeВ as itВ won’tВ damage your system and existingВ data on your computer. In most cases when the first method doesn’t work with you, iSeeePassword Windows Password Reset tool would be a successful strategy, you may think that using this software might be slightly harder than pushing a «reset» button, but it’s just guaranteed to work and you have no choice because you doesn’t have password-disk.

NOTE: If you have another administrator user on that computer, this task will be simplified for you. Otherwise, you will have to do little extra work to achieve your goal. Using program is the easiest and fastest way to regain access your Windows 7 system and with no data loss.

With that in mind, it is very important to select the version that will serve you better according to the setting and audience. We are convinced that this professional version is strong enough to regain your control of Windows 7.

Vicky is a professional Windows technology author with many experience, focusing on computer technology. She’s very much enjoy helping people find solutions to their problems. Her knowledge and passion always drive her to discover everything about technology.

How to Reset Forgotten Password on Windows 10

Windows 10 system has been used wildly over the world due to its perfect functions. As a personal item, we often store some data on the computer. If you forget Windows 10 password, does this mean that your data will be lost? Well, the answer is definitely «No». In addition to the factory resetting the computer, there are still have many ways to reset Windows 10 password for administrator and Mirosoft. Here, we gonna introduce them one by one.

Part 1: 3 Ways to Reset Forgotten Windows 10 Password for Free

Below methods have been tested by our editors, you don’t need to worry if it’s safe. Each mode corresponds to a different user scenario.You should follow the steps step by step to make sure you can reset password on Windows 10 successfully.

1. Using Windows 10 Reset Disk

Password reset disk is the most popular way for resetting Windows password. But, you have to create one before you forgot the password. Didn’t do that? You can also create a password reset disk on locked computer. If you already have one, You can reset Windows 10 password in a short while.

2. Visiting Micorsoft Website

If you are using Microsoft account to login your computer, then you are a lucky guy. By visiting Micorsoft official website you can easily reset lost Windows password.

Step 1: On the sign-in screen of your Windows PC, type your Microsoft account name if you cannot see it. If there are multiple accounts on the PC, choose the one account that you want to find the password, You will see the below page:

Step 2: Select «I Forgot my password» and click Next. It will ask your Microsoft live account credentials which you have to enter, and click Next. You will then see this:

Now, select the one that is handy to you whether your email or our phone number and click «Send Code». Now, in a few moments, you will get a code. Now, you can now enter the code there, and on the next screen, enter the new password.

This time, you have a new password for that particular user account.

3. Entering Safe Mode

Safe mode is the diagnostic mode of the computer operating system which can help you solve most Windows system problem includes reset Windows password. But, different computer have different way to enter safe mode. You have to restart computer and press F8 for seconds to eneter Advanced Boot Option Menu. Then use your arrow keys to select «Safe Mode» and hit «Enter» to reset Windows 10 password.

Part 2: How to Reset Windows 10 Password with PassFab 4WinKey

PassFab 4WinKey is basically designed to reset the forgotten password for Windows. This tool not only allows to reset local account password but also administrator, Microsoft password, etc. As a professional tool, it can save you a lot of time. If you need a Windows password recovery tool you can give it a try.