How to Change Your Computer Password

To change the login password on your computer, open the account settings in Windows or macOS and choose the password-change option. You normally need to enter the current computer password before you can create and confirm a new one.

Before You Change Your Password

First, identify the operating system. A computer with a Start button and Windows logo uses Windows. A Mac has an Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Confirm which user account is active before changing the computer password. In Windows, open Start and look for the account name or picture. On a Mac, open the Apple menu and select System Settings, then Users & Groups. Changing the wrong account will not update the password you normally enter.

Next, determine what kind of password you use:

• A local-account password belongs only to a user account stored on that computer.
• A Microsoft-account password belongs to an online Microsoft account and may also be used for email, cloud services, and other Microsoft devices.
• A Mac login password unlocks the local Mac user account. It is not necessarily the same as the password for an Apple Account.
• A PIN is a device-specific sign-in method. Changing a Windows PIN does not change the Microsoft-account or local-account password.

Save open work before starting. You may need to sign out or restart the computer to confirm that the new password works.

Change a Password on Windows

If you know the current password, use the account settings to change a computer login password in Windows.

1. Open Start, then select Settings.
2. Select Accounts.
3. Select Sign-in options.
4. Under Ways to sign in, select Password.
5. Select Change.
6. Enter the current password when requested.
7. Enter the new password, confirm it, and complete the prompts shown on the screen.

If Password does not appear, the account may be configured to allow only Windows Hello sign-in. In Sign-in options, check whether the setting that requires Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts is enabled. Do not remove a PIN unless you understand which other sign-in method is available.

For a Microsoft account, changing the account password also changes the password for Microsoft services that use that account. Microsoft may direct you through an identity-verification step in the Microsoft account security area. Use only the official Microsoft account recovery process and enter a verification code only on a Microsoft screen you opened yourself.

Change a Password on a Mac

To change the password for the current macOS user account when you know the existing password:

1. Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2. Select Users & Groups in the sidebar.
3. Select the information button beside your user name.
4. Select Change Password.
5. Enter the current password.
6. Enter the new password twice and add a password hint if requested.
7. Select Change Password to finish.

The wording or position of a control can differ slightly by macOS version, but the password control remains under Users & Groups. The Mac login password may be different from the Apple Account password used for Apple services.

If You Forgot the Current Password

If the current password is unknown, use the recovery option for the relevant account. Recovery verifies ownership; it does not reveal the old password.

• For a Windows local account, select Reset password on the sign-in screen after an unsuccessful attempt. Answer the security questions or use a password-reset disk if one was created earlier.
• For a Microsoft account, select I forgot my password from the sign-in or account-recovery process. Microsoft may ask for a code sent to a previously registered recovery method.
• For a Mac, select the question-mark symbol beside the password field, if shown, and follow the available reset message. Depending on the Mac setup, macOS may offer recovery with an Apple Account or a recovery key.
• For a managed work or school computer, contact the organization’s IT administrator. The organization may control password resets and required password rules.

If recovery cannot verify the account, do not use password-cracking tools or instructions that bypass device security. Continue with the official account-recovery choices or ask the device administrator for help.

What to Do After Changing It

Test the new computer password before relying on it. Save your work, sign out, and sign in again with the new password. On Windows, select Sign-in options if the screen defaults to a PIN and you want to test the password instead.

An online-account password change may cause email, cloud storage, browsers, or other authorized apps to request the new password. Update a saved credential only when the app clearly identifies the same Microsoft or Apple account. A local Windows or Mac password change normally does not change unrelated website passwords.

Record the new password in a trusted password manager or another secure place that other people cannot access. Do not place the password in an unprotected note, email, or document named after the account. Keep any recovery key separate from the computer.

Common Password Change Problems

• The Password option is missing: Windows Hello-only settings, account type, or device policy may hide it. Review Sign-in options or ask the device administrator.
• The change is blocked: A work, school, or family-managed computer may enforce administrator restrictions. Only the responsible administrator can change those controls.
• The new password is rejected: Follow the length, character, reuse, and password-history rules displayed by the computer or organization. Check Caps Lock and the keyboard language before trying again.
• The old password still works somewhere: The device may be offline, using cached credentials, or asking for a different account. Connect through the computer’s normal network access and verify the account name shown.
• The PIN did not change: A Windows PIN and password are separate credentials. Return to Sign-in options and select PIN to change the PIN.
• The Mac rejects the current password: Confirm that the correct user is selected and that you are entering the Mac login password, not an Apple Account password.

If you are asking “how can I change my password on my computer,” begin by matching the account name and credential type. That prevents a common mistake: changing an online password when the sign-in screen is actually requesting a local password or PIN.