How to Reset a Forgotten Windows 10 Password

You can reset a forgotten Windows 10 password from the sign-in screen, but the correct steps depend on whether you use a Microsoft account or a local account. Reset a Microsoft account online; reset a local account with security questions, a password reset disk, another administrator account, or Windows recovery options.

Do not use third-party password-removal tools. They can expose personal data, damage the Windows installation, or leave the computer less secure.

Before You Start: Is It a Microsoft Account or a Local Account?

A Microsoft account uses an email address to sign in and can be recovered through Microsoft. A local account exists only on that computer, so its recovery options are stored on the device.

Check the name shown on the Windows 10 sign-in screen. An email address usually indicates a Microsoft account. A simple username may indicate a local account, although Windows can display a person's name for either type.

• If you normally enter a PIN, select Sign-in options and try the password option. A Windows Hello PIN is different from the Microsoft account password.
• Check that Caps Lock is off and that the displayed keyboard language matches the keyboard you are using.
• Connect the computer to the internet before resetting a Microsoft account password. Windows must be able to confirm the changed password.
• If another account appears on the sign-in screen, make sure you selected the account whose password you intend to reset.

How Do You Reset a Microsoft Account Password?

Use Microsoft's account-recovery process when the Windows 10 username is an email address connected to a Microsoft account.

1. On another connected device, open {site} and find the option for a forgotten password or account recovery. You can also select I forgot my password from the Windows sign-in screen when that option appears.
2. Enter the email address, phone number, or Skype name associated with the Microsoft account.
3. Choose an available identity-verification method. Microsoft may send a security code to recovery contact information already attached to the account.
4. Enter the requested code and follow the prompts to create a new password.
5. Return to the Windows 10 computer, confirm that it is online, and sign in with the new Microsoft account password.

If a verification code does not arrive, check that the displayed destination matches a phone number or email account you can access. Check the email account's junk folder, request another code through the recovery screen, or use a different offered verification method. If none of the listed methods is available, choose Microsoft's account-recovery option and provide the requested account information.

How Do You Reset a Local Account Password?

Windows 10 may let you reset a local account password by answering the security questions created for that account.

1. Enter a password once at the Windows sign-in screen.
2. Select Reset password when it appears.
3. Answer each security question exactly as it was set up.
4. Create and confirm a new password, then use it to sign in.

If you previously created a password reset disk, connect that USB drive and select Reset password. Follow the Password Reset Wizard, choose the reset disk when prompted, and create a new password. A password reset disk is specific to the local account for which it was created; an ordinary recovery drive or Windows installation USB is not the same thing.

What Can You Do With No Reset Disk and No Recovery Options?

If a local Windows 10 account has no usable security questions and no password reset disk, Microsoft does not provide a supported way to retrieve the old password. Try these options in order:

1. Check Sign-in options. If a PIN, fingerprint, or other configured method still works, sign in and change the local account password from Windows Settings.
2. Ask an authorized administrator who already has an account on the same computer to reset the locked local account. Resetting a password this way can make some encrypted files, stored credentials, and personal certificates inaccessible.
3. If no administrator can sign in, use the Windows Recovery Environment to reset the PC. From the sign-in screen, hold Shift while selecting Power and Restart, then choose Troubleshoot and Reset this PC.

A Windows 10 reset is different from a password reset. Searches such as “how to reset Windows 10,” “reset Windows 10,” “reset on Windows 10,” or “reset of Windows 10” often refer to reinstalling the operating system.

If you must reset the computer, Windows may offer Keep my files or Remove everything. Keeping files still removes installed applications and settings, while removing everything deletes personal files as well. Read every confirmation screen before continuing. This is the supported last resort for anyone searching “how to reset computer Windows 10,” “how to reset computer with Windows 10,” “reset computer Windows 10,” or “Windows 10 reset” after all account-recovery methods have failed.

What Should You Do After Resetting Your Windows 10 Password?

At the sign-in screen, select the correct account and enter the new password. For a Microsoft account, make sure the computer is connected to the internet and use the password rather than an old PIN unless Windows specifically requests the PIN.

If the new password is rejected, restart the computer and enter it carefully. Confirm the keyboard layout, Caps Lock setting, and number keys. If a Microsoft account password works on Microsoft's account page but not in Windows, reconnect the computer to the internet and try again. You can also select another configured sign-in method, enter Windows, and review the account's sign-in options.

How Can You Keep Your Windows 10 Account Accessible?

Prepare recovery methods while you can still sign in.

• For a local account, create a password reset disk from Control Panel and store the USB drive securely. You do not need to make a new disk each time the password changes.
• Keep the local account's security-question answers memorable but difficult for other people to guess.
• For a Microsoft account, maintain a current recovery email address and phone number in the account's security information.
• Set up more than one supported sign-in method in Windows, such as a password and Windows Hello PIN.
• Keep a separate backup of important files. Account recovery and file recovery are different problems, and resetting the computer can remove data.