How to Reset Password on Windows 10?

While setting up a computer, we use a password to protect our data from being accessed by others. It is important to make a strong password also so that it cannot be hacked. Passwords should be changed every 90 days so that it becomes difficult for hackers to log on to our PC or laptop. But in all this, what if you forget your password? You can surely reset Windows 10 password by following simple steps mentioned below.

how to reset password on windows 10

How to reset password on windows 10 without disk or Reset Windows 10 Password without Reset Disk

You can reset your password on Windows 10 by following these steps carefully. Also note that you can reset the password by this method only if you logged on to your PC / laptop via Microsoft Account. So let’s get started.

Now that your PC is locked, you should use a different computer to perform this task. It should have an internet connection.

  1. Open a browser and visit https://account.live.com/resetpassword.aspx (Windows Live password reset website).
  2. Click on log-in and then enter your Microsoft account username, and then click on the “forgot password” link.
  3. On the next screen there will be the “Recover Account screen.” Where you will be shown a few characters (alphabets) will be shown, you have to type it into the box provided below, and then click on the ‘Next.’
  4. On the next screen, which is meant for verification, you will need to choose how you want to receive your security code, whether by email or as a text message. If you chose the text option, you will be asked to type in the last four digits of your phone number. You must have entered the number that you provided while registering your Microsoft account.
  5. You will then receive a text message on your mobile phone, or use a different device to access your email to retrieve the security code.
  6. Now, on your locked computer, enter this code and click on ‘Next’.
  7. You will now be asked to reset the password. Enter a new password and then keep confirming until the password has been reset.

Windows 10 password reset tool

In the above method, you could regain access to your Windows PC if you lost your password by using Microsoft account, but what if you used a normal password? Surely you can reset your password by using Windows 10 password reset tool. These tools are software that helps you recover your password for Windows 10. There are a number of software that allow you do so.

One such software is ohpcrack and it can be downloaded from ophcrack.sourceforge.net and can be run as per directed. This tool will also help in creating a password reset disk or USB for Windows 10 for another computer.

How to factory reset Windows 10 without password

You can factory reset your Windows 10 anytime by following this method carefully. Although there are a couple of ways by which you can do this.

  1. If you are already logged in to the system
  • Go to Start menu, click on “Settings”, and then click on “Update & Security”.
  • Now, click on “Recovery” tab, and then select “Get started” button under “Reset this PC.”
  • Select “Keep my files” or “Remove everything.” (Choose this option and if you select “Remove everything” you will lose all the data.
  • In the final step, click the “Next” button to reset this PC.
  1. If you are on the logon screen
  • Press and hold on “Shift” key, click on the Power button, and then click on “Restart”.
  • On the Choose an option screen, click on “Troubleshoot”.
  • On the Troubleshoot screen, click on “Reset this PC”.
  • Select your user account, enter the password, and then click on “Continue”. If no password set on the user account, click on Continue directly.
  • Click on “Reset” to begin the Windows 10 factory restore process.
  • Factory reset Windows 10 without password with installation disk

If you forgot your Windows 10 password, use installation disk to get into troubleshoot options. 

  1. Create a Windows 10 installation USB disk.
  2. Boot your Windows 10 laptop from the installation disk.
  3. When go to the installation screen, click on Next, and then click on Repair your computer. select “repair your computer”
  4. Click on Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
  5. Select “Remove everything” to remove all of your personal files including your password.
  6. Select the drivers. If you don’t want to remove files from the other drive, select the first option “Only the drive where Windows is installed”.
  7. If you still want to keep your PC, select “Just remove my files”.
  8. Click on “Reset” to factory Restore Windows 10 without password.
  9. During the resetting process, please make sure your laptop is plugged into power.

How to Reset Windows 10 Password Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt is a powerful way besides Windows password recovery tool that can effectively reset Windows password.

Part A – If Windows 10 is accessible with administrative privileges, command prompt can be run easily and reset Windows 10 local admin password.

  1. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) in menu.
  2. Click Yes on pop-up UAC dialog to run command prompt as administrator in Windows 10.
  3. Enter command in Command Prompt window to reset local admin password.

net user <username> <password>

  1. Or create new admin account with command below.

net user <username> /add

net localgroup administrators <username> /add

Part B – When windows 10 computer is locked or Windows 10 admin password reset

Steps to reset Windows 10 password using command prompt:

  1. Prepare Windows 10 installation disc or USB, whichever available. If there is no available Windows 10 installation disk in hand, you can instantly create one with media creation tool on another accessible computer.
  2. Connect installation disk to Windows 10 computer where you want to reset forgotten local admin password. And make computer boot from the disk by changing the boot device by visiting the BIOS settings of your PC or laptop.
  3. After computer successfully boots from installation disk, press Shift + F10 to bring up command prompt.
  4. Then execute command below to replace utility manager with command prompt. Remember to press Enter after each command line. (c:\ is the system drive)

move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\

copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

  1. Remove disk and restart Windows 10 with command “wpeutil reboot”.
  2. Once Windows 10 goes to sign-in screen, please click the Utility Manager at the right-bottom side and Command Prompt will be open instead.

Then you can take net user command to reset Windows 10 local admin password or add new admin account just like on accessible Windows 10

  1. Close Command Prompt and insert installation disk into Windows 10 computer again.
  2. Click the Power icon and select “Restart” at the right-bottom side on login screen.
  3. While Windows 10 successfully boots from installation disk and you see Windows Setup window, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
  4. Type command “copy c:\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe”, press Enter, and then type “Yes” to restore Utility Manager.
  5. Exit command prompt and installation disk now to reboot Windows 10 normally.

While you go to login screen, please select the admin account you have reset password or the new admin account, and you could sign in Windows 10 with them successfully.

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