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Windows 10 system recovery requires a password. How to easily reset a forgotten password on any version of Windows

Hello everyone! Today you will learn how to reset your password on Windows 10. Nowadays, each of us uses computers. We set passwords that further help us store personal information. However, very often computer users forget or lose their password information. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it. Nowadays it is almost impossible to meet a user who has not had to recover a password. As you can see, losing password data is a common thing.

This OS is quite common. It is used both on a computer and on a laptop. Below we will describe options that will definitely help you. In addition, the options described do not depend on the type of account used.

Before starting the procedure, I advise you to try entering the password again with the Caps Lock button turned off, and also enter it in all keyboard layouts. Such frauds help some users solve the problem.

Changing the password using the built-in Administrator account

You can reset the local administrator password using administrative methods. Everything is fine, but the system will have to be loaded using a flash drive or disk.

The most common option is to boot from a flash drive.

The media needs to start downloading. At the language selection step, hold down two keys at the same time: Shift + F10. So, you will launch the command line.
Now you will need to run two commands simultaneously: diskpart and list volume. After each command, press Enter.

Now you need to remember the letter of the partition on which the operating system was installed. After that, type “Exit” and then press “Enter” again. In my example, the required drive is indicated by the letter “C”; in all subsequent commands I will enter it.

move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe
copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

Now you will need the “wpeutil reboot” command, which will reboot the PC. Next, we enter the system installed on the computer.

Attention: if you are using some other tool instead of the installation disk, then copy the cmd.exe file to the system32 folder and save it under the name utilman.exe.

After the system boots, an authorization window will appear. You will need to click on the Accessibility icon. In the window that appears, enter the command: net user Administrator /active:yes

The word "Administrator" may vary depending on the language.

After successfully executing the command, select the “Administrator” account and log in without entering a password.

Now right-click on “Start” and select “Computer Management”. Expand the "Local Users" section and select "Users".

Find the name you need user and in the menu click “Set password”. In the window that appears, select “Continue.”

Set a new password.

Don’t forget to write down your new password on a piece of paper so that you don’t have similar problems in the future.

Resetting the password via the command line

This method is less effective, but it is the one that will allow you to reset your password fairly quickly. Here you will also need to download the OS. I looked at the example with a flash drive in the previous version. Now I propose to act without a flash drive, that is, use the installation disk.

You will also need to enter the command Shift + F10, then repeat the above steps and stop at the step when the authorization window appears.

You need to find the accessibility icon, enter in the line net user Administrator /active:yes, then restart the PC. Click on "User". In the search, enter “PC Management” and select the desired account. Right-click to bring up a menu with a password line. Set a new password and save all changes.

Resetting your Microsoft account using an online service

If you need to reset a Microsoft account that has already been logged into on one of the available devices and at the same time, this device has a connection to the global network, then this method is just right for you.

Go to the corporation's website;
Select one of the suggested options: “I don’t remember my password”;
Enter the email address or mobile phone number specified during registration;
Follow the instructions that will appear on the screen.

By the way, you must have access to the specified postal address or number. After the process is completed, connect to the global network and enter a new password through the lock screen.

Resetting the password on the tablet

Here the principle of all actions comes down to using the same command; you do not need any program. However, initially the device must be started from a bootable SD card.

Resetting the password via BIOS

You can reset your Windows 10 login password using the BIOS.

Turn off the power to the PC and open the system cover;
There you can see the CMOS battery. If you temporarily remove it, all BIOS parameters will be reset to zero. Password is no exception.

It's the same with laptops. You need to close the jumpers that are located with CMOS.

Conclusion

Thus, in my article I told you about how to reset the password on Windows 10. If the user has forgotten the password, then he should not worry, since solving such a problem is easy and simple. After reading the article, you understood this yourself. I hope that you will not have any difficulties in resolving this issue. Thank you all for your attention, bye everyone and don’t forget to ask your questions in the comments!

Each of us sooner or later has problems with passwords! A familiar picture. You sit down in front of your computer in the hope of finishing urgent work, try to enter your Windows 10 login credentials and then realize to your horror that you absolutely do not remember your password!

The first thing that comes to mind is that you need to work less at night... You go through dozens of options and nothing, there was no access, and there is no access!!! And then an idea comes - you need to reset your Windows 10 password! I think many people remember how to do this in older versions of "windows", but how to do this in the new one?

Fortunately, the reset procedure in Windows 10 is largely similar to the same procedure in Windows 8 and older versions of this OS. Although with some minor reservations. In this review article, I will introduce you to the basic methods for resetting your password. They are suitable for both Microsoft Live accounts and local accounts.

1. Use the Password Reset Tool to recover your Microsoft Live account password

The first and most obvious solution is to use the standard reset function available on the special Microsoft password recovery service. A window opens on the service page asking why you can’t log into Windows 10? You will be asked to choose one of three options. In our case, the very first one is suitable - “I don’t remember my password.” But this is only if, when installing the system, you linked your account to the Microsoft account authorization network service.

I won't go into detail about this reset option. I will only note that the official password reset procedure in Windows 10 is standard and you must be prepared to undergo verification. To do this, you will need to provide your personal data, such as E-mail and phone number.

If this option doesn't suit you, no problem. Microsoft accounts are still not popular in our area. Fortunately, there are other ways that will help you regain control of your computer. Alternative ways to restore access in Windows 10 are not so obvious and use different workarounds. Let's look at them one by one.

2. Reset Windows 10 password via password reset disk

Using a Password Reset Disk is another standard way Microsoft has implemented to regain control. The only disadvantage of this method is that the disk must be created in Windows 10 in advance, even before access is lost.

By creating a Password Reset Disk, you can easily regain access to Windows 10. In the near future I will devote a separate article to this method.

3. Use alternative authorization methods to reset the main password

Perhaps you still have access to the operating system through alternate authentication? Using a PIN code, a pattern code or through a second account? If so, then you have a chance to log in in a roundabout way and reset your Windows 10 password through the command line.

Log in to the system using one of the alternative methods, press the Windows logo key and the X key at the same time. Find the “Windows PowerShell (administrator)” item in the list of available system tools and run it. PowerShell is an updated edition of the command line shell, but with expanded capabilities.
Type the following in the utility window:

net user "account_name" "new_password";

Instead of "account_name" enter the name of your account,

Instead of “new_password”, enter the new password (the quotes must be removed).

Success will be indicated by the message “Command completed successfully”

4. How to reset your password on Windows 10 via MSDaRT

The DaRT (Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset) toolkit has been released by Microsoft for quite some time and helps IT specialists restore computer functionality. DaRT functionality also includes the ability to reset your password. To do this, you need to boot your computer from the DaRT Recovery CD and run the built-in Locksmith Wizard utility. It is in this utility that you can restore login for any Windows 10 account.

Unfortunately, the DaRT toolset is not free. This utility is available only to Microsoft enterprise customers, TechNet Plus and MSDN subscribers.

5. Reset the Windows 10 password using the PCUnlocker utility

The PCUnlocker utility allows you to unlock a Windows computer that would be locked due to a forgotten password. It is a boot image that must be written to a CD or flash drive using one of the appropriate programs. For example, UltraISO or Rufus. After booting from such a disk, you will see a complete list of local accounts used in the current installation of Windows 10.

Select the required account from the list and click on the “Reset Password” button.
The program will check the status of the selected account and offer you one of the options to solve the problem:

Remove the password if the Windows account was protected by it,

Connect the associated Microsoft account to the local account,

Raise the rights of a standard or limited user to administrator level,

Activate your account if it has been disabled,

Unblock a blocked account and so on...

Once you reset your password and sign in to Windows 10, be sure to set a new one and make sure you don't forget it in the future.

6. Reset your password by rolling back Windows 10

If you don't want to use any additional software to restore access, or if your hard drive is encrypted with BitLocker, you can use another technology. Simply roll back Windows 10 to a previous state that stores old data. Select the appropriate restore point and follow the standard steps to roll back Windows 10 system files to older versions. But remember that you will then have to reinstall software installed after the date the restore point was created.

So what did we get in this article? I quickly walked you through how to reset a Windows 10 password that you forgot or lost the hint for. In the future, I will try to take a deeper look at each of the mentioned methods so that you do not have problems accessing the new OS.

A Windows login password is one way to protect personal data. But if the user has forgotten the security key for the account and cannot log in, then security becomes an obstacle that must be urgently eliminated.

There are several ways to reset your password. The choice of method depends on the type of profile. If the user has forgotten the password for a local account, a Live CD or Windows installation media will be required to restore access. If you have lost the access code for your Microsoft account, you can resolve the problem on the corporation’s website.

Microsoft password reset

If you use a Microsoft profile to log in, you can quickly recover your password on the official website. To do this, you will need another device with Internet access. To begin regaining lost access to your Microsoft account, go to the page and select " I do not remember the password».

Enter the email address that was used as the account name. Specify the characters from the picture.

To verify your identity, you must receive a security code. If you have the phone number at hand that was used to create your Microsoft account, send an SMS with the code to it or call it. After this, all that remains is to enter the received security code, reset the old password and install a new key. If you can't access your phone, click " This data is not available».

Enter a different email for contact. A Microsoft security code will be sent to it. Copy it from the letter.

After entering the security code, you need to answer questions regarding the personal data associated with your Microsoft account.

Correct answers will convince the system that you are the true owner of the account. The old password will be reset and you will be able to specify a new security key.

Local account access

If the user has forgotten the password for a local account, then to restore access you will need a Live CD or media with a Windows 10 distribution. To create installation media you will need:

Flash drive.
Another computer with Internet access.
The Media Creation Tool utility, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.

Connect the installation media to the computer that is using the locked account and boot from it. When the language selection window appears, click Shift+F10 to call the console.

Important: If Command Prompt does not appear, select your language, then go to System Restore and proceed to troubleshooting. There, open advanced options and proceed to use the command line.

Determine the letter of the partition on which Windows 10 is installed. To do this:

Enter the command " diskpart».
Execute " list volume».
Look up the Windows volume letter by identifying it by size.

Typically, the system partition is assigned the letter C. After defining the volume, exit the DISKPART utility by entering the command " exit».

There is no need to close the command line; you will need it to run the following queries:

move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe
copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

To restart your computer, use the command " wpeutil reboot" After restarting, you need to boot not from the installation flash drive, but from the system partition. In the Windows login window, click on the button Special parameters" After replacing the system files, it will launch the command prompt.

To reset a forgotten password, follow the query " net user Sample new_password" If your username has more than one word, put it in quotation marks. If you don't remember how to spell a username, display a complete list of accounts with the command " net users" After changing your password, you can easily access your local Windows 10 account using the new security key.

Reset via built-in administrator

Instead of resetting your password via the command line, you can remove it using the built-in Windows 10 administrator.

Important: To use this method, you must have Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional edition installed.

Run the command line using the above algorithm with replacing system files. Execute " net user Administrator /active:yes" In the English version of Windows, instead of " Administrator» write « Administrator" After the computer restarts, a built-in profile with administrator rights will appear in the list. Go into it, right-click on “ Start" and run the utility " Computer management».

Expand the item " Local users", select the item " Users" Click on the profile you can't log into and select " Set a password».

Click Continue and enter your new account password. After completing these steps, the old access code will be reset, you can disable the built-in administrator by running “net user Administrator /active:no”. To get your system files back in place, run Command Prompt again via System Restore and run two commands:

del c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.
move c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

Now when you click on the button " Special abilities» a list of additional functions will appear on the password entry screen rather than launching the command line. There are other ways to reset your password - through the registry editor, using third-party programs. However, the methods described above are official, so it is recommended to use only them.

As in the previous version of the OS, in Windows 10, when logging in, two methods of user authorization are used - through an account with Microsoft and through a local account. Next, we will tell you how to reset the administrator password in both cases, if the latter has forgotten it, and how to create a disk, a special flash drive or other media whose capabilities allow you to restore account data.

Changing your local account password

To reset a Windows 10 user password, you will need an installation or boot disk. You need to go into command line mode:

You can get to the command line easier if, when logging in from the installation drive, when a window appears with the ability to select a language, press Shift and F10 at the same time. If this method does not work, you will have to proceed as described above.

After the window opens, enter sequentially (pressing Enter each time):

diskpart,
list volume.

These entries will display a list of HDD partitions. You need to select from them the disk with Windows 10 installed and remember the partition letter. Moreover, this will not necessarily be the letter C. The system partition can be designated, for example, by the letter D, which we will use to enter the following commands:

move d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman1.exe;
copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.

Let us remind you that instead of entering punctuation marks at the end of each line, you need to press Enter. With these steps, we simply copied the cmd.exe file in the system32 system directory and changed the name to utilman.exe.

If, after executing the above commands, you see messages about the successful movement and copying of files, then enter the line wpeutil reboot, after which the computer will reboot. Next, you need to download Windows 10 in the usual way, for which you remove the installation disk from the DVD drive or the flash drive from the USB connector.

Once the download is complete:

In the user authorization window, select the special icon. opportunities located at the bottom right.
On the command line write:
- net user name password, where you need to enter the login to your account in Windows 10 as the name, and the combination of characters that you will use further as the password.
Press Enter.

If the administrator's name is more than one word, enter it in quotes. If necessary, you can remember it by entering the command net users - a list of each user in the system will be displayed.

Creating a password reset disk

You can provide in advance the possibility of resetting the password for the administrator account in Windows 10, however, only local, before the user forgets it. For this purpose, a special medium is created - it can even be a floppy disk:

Insert the drive into the drive;
Go to the user account component by opening “Start” and clicking on Control Panel;
In the left column, follow the link that creates an administrator password reset disk;(5)
A special wizard will open, following whose instructions you can create the tool you need.

It is important that the flash drive is not formatted during operation; no information is deleted from it. A new file userkey.psw will simply be created, which, if necessary, can be transferred to a disk or any other medium - it will work exactly the same.

Using the created drive in Windows 10 is also easy. For this:

A flash drive or disk created for resetting the administrator password is inserted into the USB port or drive, respectively;
Incorrect account information is entered in the form;
Below the input form you will then see a link to reset your data.

A special application will open, and as a result of following the instructions, your account information will again become available to you.

Account recovery application

A simple free program Online NT Password & Registry Editor can also be used for this. To place it, you can use a regular flash drive, which can be easily used if necessary. An ISO image of burning to disk or files for transferring to USB can be downloaded from http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html.

Go to it and do the following:

If your Windows 10 password is forgotten and cannot be recovered, you can reset it. The reset instructions are no different from those we used on older versions of the Microsoft operating system, with the exception of some features. However, it can be used by owners of different types of accounts used to log into the system.
But before you use the instructions, make sure that the password is entered correctly. You may not have forgotten it, but you are entering it incorrectly - uppercase or lowercase letters, Russian or English alphabet. If this does not help, proceed to the instructions, performing each step correctly.

Reset your Microsoft account password online

If you sign in using a Microsoft account, you can reset your password in real time. To do this, you need to connect to the network, for example, by clicking on the connection icon, and go to the official resource of the OS manufacturer. And even if your computer is locked, you can change the password from any other device, even a tablet or smartphone. The password for logging into the system is reset in several steps and is not difficult even for an untrained user of the system.

Copy into the address bar of your browser: https://account.live.com/resetpassword.aspx. Select the option regarding password recovery. The system will ask you to provide an email address or phone number. Enter the characters from the picture and follow all the instructions step by step. If you do everything correctly, your Microsoft account will be restored.

If the phone and email associated with the account are not lost, the recovery process is quick. In the last step, you will connect to the network and create a new password for your account.

Changing the password for a user using the built-in Administrator account

There is another way to change your password. To use it, you must have one of the following disks at hand: an operating system with full access, loaded from removable media, an OS distribution kit of any version (from 7 to 10), a USB flash drive for recovery. We'll show you how to change your password using a system recovery disk.

The first thing to do is boot the operating system from removable media. When the language selection appears on the monitor, you need to open the command line with a key combination Shift + F10. If the manipulations do not lead to anything, first select “Language” and then “OS Restore”. We need "Advanced options", which are selected in "Troubleshooting". From "Advanced Options" go to "Command Prompt".

Enter these two commands in the same sequence and press the appropriate key (Enter):

diskpart
list volume

The executed commands will open all partitions of the hard drive for you. Look at which partition the operating system is located. The letter may be different since you booted from the command line. To determine the OS partition, focus on its size. Wherever the size is larger, there the system is located. For example, for us this is section D, for you everything may be different. Therefore, put your letter in the teams.

Write on the command line Exit and execute it using the Enter button. Use the following commands, changing the letter of the operating system partition if necessary:

1st. move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe
2nd. copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
3rd. After correctly executed commands you need to reboot. This can be done using the same command line by running: wpeutil reboot.

Now, when booting the OS, use the system disk, not removable media.

If you did not use the distribution disk, but something else, you should use the command line to copy cmd.exe, moving it to the folder with the OS (System32), and then call it by a different name - utilman.exe.

After the OS has booted from the disk on your computer, you must enter a password. But you don’t know him, so you need to use the “Special Features”. Clicking on the icon will take you to the Command Line.

This is where we will change the password by entering the following command: net user user_name new_password. Don't know your OS username? Type net users on the command line and you will see the names (name). If there is more than one word in the OS username, enclose each word in quotation marks.

The second option for resetting the Windows 10 password (with the command line already running, as described above)

There is another way to change a forgotten password. Owners of Windows 10 can use it only in two editions - Corporate or Professional. This method is not applicable for the Home version.

On the command line, specify the following one command, depending on the interface language (English or Russian):

net user Administrator /active:yes
or
net user Administrator /active:yes

When you run this command or when the computer reboots, you will be able to select a user. Select the PC Administrator account and, without entering a password, wait for the OS to load. This will take some time.

When the system boots, enter the menu " Start" and go to " PC control" Select " Local users" and separately " Users».

Select the user whose password you do not remember by clicking on it. And specify a new password by clicking on the corresponding menu item. The system will warn you about dangers and vulnerabilities. Check them out and move on.

Now enter a new password in the special field, having previously saved it more securely.

The second method, which we just discussed, is not suitable for all types of accounts, but only for a local account. If your account is from Microsoft, use another method, the very first one. If that method is not feasible for some reason, use this one, but taking into account some nuances. A new PC user is required to apply it. Log in as Computer Administrator and create it.

After successfully applying the second method, use the command line again to disable the built-in PC Administrator entry.

And again, on the command line, specify the following one command, depending on the interface language (English or Russian):

net user Administrator /active:no
or
net user Administrator /active:no

That's not all. If you remember, you renamed cmd.exe to utilman.exe. The renamed file must be deleted from the OS folder (System32). And from the title utilman2.exe remove the number " 2 ", that is, the file should look like this: utilman.exe. The only catch is that these actions are not always feasible within the system itself. In this case, you will have to use the Command Prompt again, running it in OS Recovery mode. That's it, you have returned to the original settings and can log into Win 10 using any account and with a new password.

Another way to reset Windows 10 password

There is a third way to reset your password. To use it, you also need one of three removable media: a system distribution kit, a disk for changing the registry, or a drive with OS recovery tools.

To demonstrate the method, we will use a USB flash drive with the latest OS version. Follow eight steps:

After a successfully completed operation, exit the Registry, Command Prompt and Operating System Installer one by one. Boot the OS from the system disk. At boot time, a command line will appear where you can reset the password.

Run the commands: