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.

Quick Ways to Get into Windows If Forgot My Windows Password

«Actually I forgot my Windows password. So, i would like to know how to log into my user account. I neither have any password reset disc nor want to re-install Windows again. Please help. Its urgent.»

This would be simple if you have created a Windows password reset disk before you forgot Windows password. Another way of getting into Windows is to recover Windows password using Ophcrack or Cain & Abel, but these free password cracking software are not easy to operate, and may take several hours or a few days to crack your password if it’s complicated.

How to access your locked computer if you need to use the computer urgently? Here I’ll show some quick ways to help you get into Windows when you forgot Windows password.

Method 1: Reset Windows Password in Safe Mode

On Windows, there is a hidden account named Administrator. Most of the time, this account has no password set. That means that you can start your computer with this account, open the Control Panel to delete or change the password of any users and fix your problem.

Boot your computer and immediately press on the F8 key repeatedly until your computer displays the boot menu.

With the arrow keys, choose Safe Mode and press the Enter key.

On the home screen, click on Administrator. If you have no home screen, type Administrator and leave the password field as blank. If you can’t log in as you have ever changed the password, please refer to Method 2 to reset your forgotten password.

Click on the Start menu in the bottom left corner, go in the Control Panel, then in User Accounts you can change any user passwords easily.

Method 2: Reset Windows Password Using Password Reset Software

Comparing with free password cracking software, Windows password resetting software is much more easier and effective. With the PCUnlocker utility we can instantly reset lost or forgotten passwords on any Windows systems, including both 32-bit and 64-bit OS.

1. Download the self-extracting Zip file of PCUnlocker package.
2. Uncompress the package, there is a ISO image: pcunlocker.iso . Burn it onto a CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
3. Boot your locked computer from the newly burned CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
4. Wait until the boot process is finished. When a window pops up with all your Windows user accounts, select the target one to reset the password you forgot.

Re-installing Windows is always an option, but we consider it as a last resort. It’s recommended to backup all important data and files before formatting your hard drive.

6 ways to get past Administrator password on Windows 7

On all versions of systems including the Windows 7, you can set a password for your user account to prevent the unauthorized accessing. But if you are the only user of your home computer and are tired of tying in the password to log into computer, or forgot your user account password to log on system, you can follow the ways below this article to get past Windows 7 password and bypass the startup screen.

Way 1: Turn on Automatically Log On at startup in Netplwiz

1. Log into your Windows 7 PC with current password, click on Start Menu , type in «netplwiz» on the search box and click on it to open User Accounts dialog.

2. On the User Accounts dialog, select your administrator account, and uncheck the check box beside «Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer» . And then click on Apply .

3. On the Automatically Log On dialog, enter the user name, current password, confirm password, and click on OK.

(If the user account doesn’t have a password, leave this field empty.)

Way 2: Remove Windows 7 password from Control Panel

If you are using the Administrator account, and it is the only user on your Windows 7 computer, you can remove the password from your Administrator user account, and then you can login automatically without typing password to override the logon screen.

1. Log into Windows 7 PC with your administrator account, click on Start Menu , and click on Control Panel to open it.

2. Click on User Accounts and Family Safety >> User Accounts >> Remove your password .

3. Enter the current password and click on Remove Password button.

Way 3: Get around Win 7 password from Local Users and Groups

If you forgot your user account password but still can get into system with other user account with administrator privilege, you can get into system with the other user account, and then remove your user account password from the Local Users and Groups to get past Windows 7 logon screen.

1. Press «Windows +R» keys to open Run dialog, type in «lusrmgr.msc» and press Enter to open Local Users and Groups .

2. Double-click on Users . On the right panel, select your user account, right-click on it, and select Set Password .

3. Click on Proceed to continue. On the following dialog, leave the New password and Confirm password text box empty, and click on OK.

And now the password for your user account is deleted, later on, you can use your user account to log into Windows 7 without password.

Tips: The Local Users and Groups is only available on Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

Way 4: Bypass Windows 7 administrator password in Safe Mode

If the built-in Administrator account is enabled and have no password, then you will be able to get into the Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and then help to remove your user account password with the built-in administrator account.

1. Restart computer, and press F8 key repeatedly, you will go to the black and white screen, select Safe Mode with Command Prompt .

2. When go to the logon screen, click on the Administrator account to get into. The Command Prompt will pop up as soon as getting into system.

3. Type in the command to remove and bypass Windows 7 password for your user account. See the command on the following screenshot.

If you forgot the administrator password and are locked out of the Windows 7 computer, the methods above won’t be able to help you to get past the logon screen. Follow the two methods below that may help you to get past the administrator password on Windows 7.

Way 5: Clear Win 7 admin password with Offline NT Password tool

1. Go to the site: https://pogostick.net/

2. Download the password reset CD/USB bootdisk by clicking the link (see the picture below).

3. Create a bootable CD/USB bootable disk following the instructions on the downloading page.

4. Insert the bootable CD/USB disk into your Windows 7 computer on which you need to get past the windows password.

5. When the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor black and white screen appears, you just need to follow the instructions to clear your user account password.

For more detail on using the Offline NT Password tool to remove password, see Clear password from Windows 7 laptop with bootable disk.

Way 6: Empty Win 7 Administrator password with a reset disk

If you have prepared a Windows 7 password reset disk before, you can use it to reset Windows 7 password easily. Do not have a password reset disk? Create one now.

1. Go to an accessible PC, download and install the tool — Cocosenor Windows Password Tuner Standard.

2. Start this application after installation.

3. Insert a USB or CD, and follow the instructions to create a Windows password recovery disk.

4. After the password recovery disk is created, insert it into your Windows 7 problematic PC. And then set the PC to boot from the password reset disk.

5. If boot right, the Windows 7 password recovery process will come up. Follow the steps on the screen to set your administrator account password to blank.

6. And then you will get past the Windows 7 logon screen without typing password.

Note: Without the password, just like your from door does not have a lock, so that everyone who can reach it, can access too. If don’t want the unauthorized people to enter your PC device, it is a good idea to set a password on your user account. But after setting the password, remember to create a password reset disk, or write your password on a notepad and keep it to a safe place.