How to Reset Windows Password (2025 Guide)

It’s a moment of pure panic: you sit down at your computer, ready to work or play, and your password is just… gone. You try every combination you can think of—your dog’s name, your anniversary, your old standby from 2010—but nothing works. Being locked out of your own computer is incredibly frustrating, but it’s not a lost cause. You have options.

This guide will walk you through every reliable method to reset your Windows password and regain access to your account. We will cover solutions for both modern Microsoft accounts and traditional local accounts, providing clear, step-by-step instructions for each scenario. Whether you’ve just had a momentary lapse in memory or you’ve inherited a PC without the password, you’ll find a solution here.

This comprehensive guide will cover:

• Resetting a password for a Microsoft account.
• Resetting a password for a local account using the security questions.
• Using a password reset disk to regain access.
• An advanced method involving a Windows installation USB.
• What to do when nothing else works.

Before You Start: Microsoft Account vs. Local Account

The first and most important step is to identify what type of account you’re locked out of. The method for resetting your password depends entirely on this.

• Microsoft Account: This is the modern standard for Windows 10 and 11. Your username is an email address (like [email protected] or [email protected]), and your account is linked to Microsoft’s cloud services. This is the easiest type of account to recover.
• Local Account: This is a traditional, offline account that exists only on your specific PC. The username is typically a single word (like “Admin” or “John”). These are more difficult to recover if you haven’t prepared in advance.

Look at your login screen. If it asks for an email address, you have a Microsoft account. If it just shows a name, you likely have a local account.

Method 1: Resetting a Microsoft Account Password (The Easiest Way)

If you’re using a Microsoft account to log in to Windows, you’re in luck. The process is simple and can be done from any device with an internet browser, like your phone or another computer.

1. On the locked Windows login screen, click the “I forgot my password” link located just below the password entry field.
2. Windows will guide you to a recovery screen. Alternatively, you can go directly to the Microsoft account recovery page (account.live.com/password/reset) on another device.
3. Enter the email address, phone number, or Skype name associated with your Microsoft account and click Next.
4. Microsoft needs to verify your identity. It will offer to send a security code to the recovery email address or phone number you have on file. Choose the option you have access to.
5. Check your phone for a text message or your recovery email inbox for the code. Enter the code into the verification field on the recovery page.
6. Once your identity is verified, you will be prompted to create a new password. Choose a strong, memorable password that you haven’t used before.
7. After setting the new password, return to your locked PC. As long as it’s connected to the internet, you can now log in using your new password.

What if you don’t have access to the recovery email or phone?
If you can’t access your verification methods, Microsoft provides a more detailed account recovery form. You’ll be asked a series of questions about your account usage, such as recent email subjects, contacts, and past passwords. Be as thorough as possible. If you provide enough correct information to prove your identity, Microsoft will help you regain access.

Method 2: Resetting a Local Account with Security Questions

If you set up security questions when you created your local account on Windows 10 or 11, you can use them to reset your password directly from the login screen.

1. On the login screen, attempt to enter an incorrect password.
2. After the failed attempt, a “Reset password” link should appear below the password field. Click it.
3. The security questions you set up during the initial account creation will be displayed.
4. Carefully enter the correct answers for each question. The answers must be an exact match to what you originally entered.
5. If you answer all questions correctly, you will be prompted to create a new password.
6. Enter your new password, confirm it, and you’ll immediately be able to log in to your account.

Limitation: This method only works if you set up security questions beforehand. If you didn’t, this option will not be available.

Method 3: Using a Password Reset Disk

A password reset disk is a “get out of jail free” card for local accounts. It’s a special file saved to a USB flash drive that you create while you still have access to your account. If you were proactive and created one, now is the time to use it.

1. On the locked login screen, click the “Reset password” link that appears after a failed login attempt.
2. The Password Reset Wizard will launch. Click Next.
3. Insert the USB flash drive that contains your password reset file.
4. The wizard will detect the disk. Select it from the dropdown menu and click Next.
5. You will now be able to set a new password for your account. You can also create a new password hint.
6. Click Next, then Finish. You can now log in with your newly created password.

Key Takeaway: A password reset disk is an invaluable tool. If you regain access to your PC, one of the first things you should do is create one for the future. You can do this by typing “create a password reset disk” into the Start Menu search bar and following the wizard.

Method 4: The Advanced Method (Using a Windows Installation USB)

If the methods above have failed and you’re locked out of a local account with no reset disk or security questions, this advanced technique can get you back in. It involves using a command prompt to replace a system tool with a back door, allowing you to reset the password.

Warning: This method is for advanced users. It involves modifying system files. Proceed with caution and follow the steps precisely.

Part A: Create a Bootable Windows Installation USB

You will need a working computer and a blank USB drive (8 GB or larger) to create installation media for your version of Windows (10 or 11).

1. Go to the official Microsoft software download page for either Windows 10 or Windows 11.
2. Download and run the Media Creation Tool.
3. Follow the prompts to create a bootable USB flash drive. This will download Windows and prepare the drive.

Part B: Boot into the Command Prompt

1. Insert the bootable USB drive into the locked computer.
2. Restart the PC and boot from the USB drive. You may need to press a special key during startup (like F12, F10, or Esc) to open the boot menu and select the USB drive.
3. The Windows Setup screen will appear. Do not click “Install now.” Instead, press Shift + F10 on your keyboard. This will open a Command Prompt window.

Part C: Replace the Accessibility Tool

In the command prompt, you’re going to back up the accessibility manager (utilman.exe) and replace it with the command prompt executable (cmd.exe).

1. First, you need to find which drive letter corresponds to your Windows installation. It’s usually C: or D:. Type C: and press Enter, then type dir and press Enter. If you see folders like “Users” and “Windows,” you’ve found the right drive. If not, try D:, E:, and so on.
2. Once you’re on the correct drive, type the following two commands, pressing Enter after each one:

   move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak
   copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

   (Replace c: with your actual Windows drive letter if it’s different.)
3. If both commands execute successfully, close the command prompt window and reboot the computer, removing the USB drive.

Part D: Reset the Password

1. Let your computer boot normally to the login screen.
2. On the login screen, click the Accessibility icon in the bottom-right corner (it looks like a person in a circle).
3. Because you replaced the file, a Command Prompt window will open instead of the accessibility tools. This command prompt has system-level privileges.
4. To reset the password, type the following command and press Enter:

   net user [username] [new_password]

   Replace [username] with your actual local account username. If your username has a space, put it in quotes (e.g., net user "John Smith" NewPass123). Replace [new_password] with the new password you want to set.

5. If you see the message “The command completed successfully,” you have successfully reset the password. Close the command prompt and log in with your new password.

Final Step: It is highly recommended to reverse the changes you made. Boot from the USB drive again, open the command prompt (Shift + F10), and run this command:
move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

When All Else Fails: Reset Your PC

If none of these methods work, your final option is to perform a full reset of your PC. This will reinstall Windows but will also erase all your installed applications and settings.

Windows provides two options for this:

• Keep my files: This will reinstall Windows but preserve your personal files in the Users folder (Documents, Pictures, etc.). All your programs will be deleted.
• Remove everything: This performs a factory reset, deleting all your files, applications, and settings.

You can initiate this from the login screen by holding down the Shift key, clicking the Power icon, and selecting Restart. Continue holding Shift until the “Choose an option” screen appears. From there, navigate to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.

While forgetting a password is stressful, Windows provides several recovery paths. By identifying your account type and following the correct steps, you can get back into your system and secure your account for the future.