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.

How to Change Another User’s Password in Windows

Change a Different User’s Password in Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista

There are plenty of ways to get around a lost Windows password but one of the easier ones, assuming, of course, that there’s more than one user on the computer, is to just change the password from within another account.

An Administrator Account Is Required

Changing the password on another user’s account is easy, no matter which version of Windows you have, provided you have an account with administrator-level privileges. See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you’re not sure which of those several versions of Windows is installed on your computer.

When you change a Windows password from outside the account, which is what you’re doing when you change another user’s password, the user you’re changing the password for will lose all access to EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates, and any stored passwords like those for network resources and website passwords. Most users don’t have EFS-encrypted files and the loss of stored passwords probably isn’t a big deal, but we wanted you to know the consequence of resetting a password in this way.

Your Windows account must be configured as an administrator if you want to change another user’s password. If not, you may need to try this Windows password reset trick.

How to Change Another User’s Password in Windows 10 or 8

On touch interfaces, the easiest way to open Control Panel in Windows 10 or Windows 8 is through its link on the Start menu (or Apps screen in Windows 8), but the Power User Menu is probably faster if you have a keyboard or mouse.

On Windows 10, select User Accounts. It’s called User Accounts and Family Safety in Windows 8.

If the View by setting is on Large icons or Small icons, then you won’t see this link. Choose User Accounts instead and skip to Step 4.

Select User Accounts.

Several links down on the Make changes to your user account area of the User Accounts window, select Manage another account.

Select the user you want to change the password for.

If you don’t see Password protected listed somewhere under the username, then that user doesn’t have a password set up and should be able to log in without entering anything in the password field.

Now that you’re in the Make changes to [username]’s account screen, choose Change the password.

Don’t see a Change the password link? This probably means that the user you want to change the password for logs into Windows 10 or Windows 8 with a Microsoft account, not a typical local account. It’s even easier to reset a Microsoft account password. See How to Reset Your Microsoft Account Password for help.

On the Change [username]’s password screen, enter a new password in both the first and second text boxes.

In the last text box, you’re asked to Type a password hint. This step is not required.

Since you’re probably changing this person’s password for them because they’ve forgotten it, it’s fine if you want to skip the hint. After the person regains access to Windows 8/10 again, have him or her change the password to something more private and set up a hint then.

Select Change password to save the password change.

Close the Change an Account window and any other open windows.

Sign out, or restart the computer, and have the person you reset the password for try logging in to Windows 8 or 10 again.

Once logged in, be proactive and either have the user create a Windows 8 or Windows 10 password reset disk or switch to a Microsoft account, either of which will provide an easier way to get a new password in the future.

How to Change Another User’s Password in Windows 7 or Vista

Click Start and then Control Panel.

Click the User Accounts and Family Safety link (Windows 7) or User Accounts link (Windows Vista).

If you’re viewing the Large icons or Small icons view of Control Panel in Windows 7, you won’t see this link. Instead, click on the User Accounts icon and skip to Step 4.

Click the User Accounts link.

Toward the bottom of the Make changes to your user account area of the User Accounts window, select Manage another account.

Select the account that you want to change the password for.

If the words Password protected are not listed under the user type then the user has no password configured, meaning he or she can log in to the account without a password. Obviously, in this case, there’s nothing to change so just let the user know that they don’t need a password and can set one up themselves next time they log in.

Under the Make changes to [username]’s account heading, click the Change the password link.

Enter a new password for the user in the first and second text boxes.

Entering the new password twice helps ensure that you’ve typed the password correctly.

In the third and final text box, you’re asked to Type a password hint.

Since you’re probably changing this user’s password because he or she has forgotten it, you can probably skip the hint.

Click the Change password button to confirm the password change.

Close the User Accounts window.

Log off or restart the computer and then have the user log in to their account with the password you chose for them in Step 7.

Once logged in, have the user create a Windows password reset disk to avoid a problem like this in the future.