How to Change Your Computer Login Password

To change your computer login password, open the sign-in settings for Windows or macOS, verify your current password, and enter a new one. If you forgot the password, use the official recovery option for the Microsoft account, Windows local account, or Apple Account connected to the computer.

How do you identify your computer and sign-in type?

First, determine whether the computer uses Windows or macOS. A Windows computer normally has a Start button with the Windows logo. A Mac has an Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Next, identify the account used for the computer login:

• Microsoft account: A Windows sign-in tied to a Microsoft email address and recoverable through Microsoft account verification.
• Windows local account: An account stored only on that computer. The sign-in screen may show a username instead of an email address.
• Apple Account: The online account used with Apple services and, when enabled, to help reset a Mac login password.
• Mac user account: The local account and password that unlock that specific Mac.

A PIN, fingerprint, or face scan may unlock the computer without being the account password. If a setting asks for the current password, enter the full account password rather than the device PIN.

How do you change your password on a Windows computer?

Use Windows account settings when you know the current password and want to change the password on a Windows computer.

1. Open Start, select Settings, and choose Accounts.
2. Select Sign-in options.
3. Find Password, select it, and choose Change.
4. Enter the current Windows login password when prompted.
5. Enter the new password, confirm it, and complete any requested password-hint field.
6. Save the change, lock the computer, and test the new password before restarting.

If the Windows sign-in uses a Microsoft account, changing its password also changes the password for that Microsoft account. The computer may need an internet connection to recognize the new password. A Windows Hello PIN normally remains separate unless you change it under PIN in Sign-in options.

How do you change your password on a Mac computer?

Use macOS system settings when you know the current password and want to change the password on a Mac computer.

1. Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2. Select Users & Groups.
3. Select the information button beside your user account, if one appears.
4. Select Change Password.
5. Enter the current Mac login password.
6. Enter and verify the new password, add a useful hint if requested, and confirm the change.
7. Lock the Mac and test the new password before signing out or restarting.

The Mac login password is not necessarily the same as the Apple Account password. Changing one does not automatically mean the other has changed. If FileVault disk encryption is enabled, follow any additional prompt shown by macOS so the new login password continues to unlock the disk.

How do you reset a forgotten computer password?

How to reset a forgotten computer password depends on the sign-in type shown on the locked computer. Use only the recovery choices displayed by Microsoft, Windows, or Apple.

• Microsoft account: Select the forgotten-password option on the sign-in screen or use Microsoft account recovery on another trusted device. Verify your identity using an available recovery method, create a new password, connect the computer to the internet, and try signing in again.
• Windows local account: After an incorrect attempt, select Reset password if it appears. Answer the security questions created for that local account, then enter a new password. A password-reset disk created earlier can also be used if available.
• Apple Account or Mac user account: Select the question-mark or reset message at the Mac login window. Follow the displayed option to reset with the Apple Account, a FileVault recovery key, or another authorized administrator account. The available choice depends on how that Mac was configured.

If no official reset option appears, do not use password-bypass software. Contact the computer’s owner, administrator, manufacturer support, Microsoft Support, or Apple Support as appropriate. Recovery may require proof that you own or are authorized to use the computer.

What fixes common computer password change problems?

• The current password is rejected: Make sure you are entering the account password rather than a PIN. Check Caps Lock, Num Lock, and accidental spaces. If the password was changed online, connect the computer to the internet.
• Reset options are unavailable: Confirm the sign-in type. Security questions apply only to eligible local accounts, while online accounts use their own identity-verification process.
• The account is locked: Stop repeated guesses and wait for the message on the screen to change. Then use the official recovery process or ask the authorized administrator for help.
• Keys produce unexpected characters: Check the keyboard-language or layout indicator on the sign-in screen. Use the accessibility on-screen keyboard, if available, to verify each character.
• Recovery codes never arrive: Confirm that the masked email address or phone belongs to you, check blocked or filtered messages, and choose another displayed verification method. Do not keep requesting codes rapidly.
• The computer belongs to an employer or school: Contact the organization’s IT administrator. Managed-account rules may prevent users from changing or resetting passwords themselves.

How should you protect your new computer login password?

Create a long, unique password that is not used for email, banking, or another account. A memorable phrase made from unrelated words is usually easier to type accurately than a short, complex password.

Store the password in a trusted password manager rather than in an unprotected note or on paper attached to the computer. Update the recovery email address, recovery phone, security questions, or recovery key options offered for the account. Keep recovery keys somewhere secure and separate from the computer.

After you change your computer login password, test it while you still have access to the settings. This confirms that the new password works and reduces the chance of being locked out after a restart.