How To Reset Forgotten Admin Password on Windows

Hi there! Are you stuck trying to log in to your Windows computer because you forgot the administrator password? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. But fortunately, there are some ways to reset the forgotten administrator password on Windows. In this article, we’ll go over some methods you can use to regain access to your computer. So, let’s dive in!

How To Reset Forgotten Admin Password on Windows

Here are a few methods that you can try to reset forgotten admin password.

1. Using Microsoft Account

If your Windows account is linked to a Microsoft account then you can directly reset your Administrator password.

1. Go to the Microsoft Account Reset Page from HERE

2. Now enter your registered email address and click on ‘Next’

3. Now you need to verify your account by authenticating the security code that will be sent to your phone number or email.

4. Now enter the security code that you can have received either on your email or phone number.

5. Now follow the instructions to create a new Admin password. Once you have entered the new password twice and click on Next.

6. Now you can log in to your Windows system using the newly generated password.

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2. Use the Password Reset Disk

A password reset disk can come in handy if you had created a password reset disk for your administrator account before forgetting the password, then you’re in luck! A password reset disk is a small file that you create on a USB drive or a CD/DVD that can be used to reset your password. Here’s how you can use it.

1 . On the Windows login screen, select your Admin account for which you have forgotten the password. And since you have forgotten the password, you will see an error message stating “Password is incorrect, Try Again”

2 . Now on the login screen, click on ‘Ok’ and now you will see the “Reset Password” option.

3. Now click on “Use a password reset disc instead“

3 . Follow the Password reset Wizard and select the drive where your password reset disk is located. And click on ‘Next’

4 . Now enter a new password and confirm it.

5 . Click on “Finish” and you should be able to log in with your new password.

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3. Use Another Administrator Account

In case you have an additional admin account, or there is another user who has an admin account and can log in, you have the option to utilize that account for resetting your password. The Control Panel can facilitate this process whereby you can select the account you wish to reset the password for under “Change account type,” input a new password, and then hit “Change password.”Here are a few steps you can use,

1. Log in to your computer using the other administrator account.

2. Open the Control Panel and navigate to “User Accounts”.

3. Click on “Manage another account”.

4. Select the account you’re locked out of.

5. Click on “Change the password”.

6. Enter a new password and confirm it.

7. Click on “Change Password” and you should be able to log in with the new password.

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3. Using Windows Installation Disk

1. The first step here is to create a bootable Windows Installation Disk. Here is an official guide from Microsoft to do so.

2. Now you need to boot using this new Windows Installation Media. The common method is to restart your computer and press F12 as soon as the system turns on. But these trigger keys may vary depending on the make of your motherboard.

3. Now select the device to boot from and let the Windows installer load and start the installation process.

4. Now press “SHIFT + F10” to open command prompt.

5. Enter the following commands and make sure you are aware of the current Windows installation directory. In most cases it must be “c:” but make sure to double-check. Once you are sure, enter the following command:

cd /d C:

cd Windows\System32

5. Windows includes an accessibility feature that allows you to reset the admin password. Type the following commands:

rename utilman.exe utilman1.exe
rename cmd.exe utilman.exe

6. Now exit the command prompt, close the Windows installer and restart your system.

8. Now the window boots into the Lockscreen, here click on the ‘Accessibility’ icon at the bottom right. And with this, a command prompt window will open up. Type the following command to set a new admin password.

control userpasswords2

9. A new popup window appears, click on ‘Reset Password’ button.

10. Here set a new password for your admin account. And click on OK.

Now the new login password should work.

4. Use the Command Prompt

In earlier versions of Windows, gaining access to the Command Prompt from the login screen was a simple process of running the renamed shortcut. However, due to the intervention of Microsoft Defender, extra measures are now necessary. For those on old versions of Windows 10 or using Windows 8 or an earlier version, pressing ‘SHIFT’ key five times while on the login screen would bring up a Command Prompt.

In contrast, for modern versions of Windows 10 or Windows 11, accessing the Command Prompt requires a reboot into Safe Mode. To achieve this, you would first click on the Power menu located in the bottom-right corner of the login screen, hold the Shift key, and click Restart. If a warning appears, indicating that restarting may cause individuals to lose their work, click Restart Anyway.

Upon restarting, the advanced settings menu would appear. Click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings, then select Restart.

After the reboot, you would have to indicate the preferred startup option. Pressing the 4 key would select Enable Safe Mode, which would load Windows with the essential drivers and services only, thereby preventing Microsoft Defender from obstructing the workaround.

1. Restart your computer and press the F8 key repeatedly to enter into the “Advanced Boot Options” menu.

2. Select “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” and press Enter

3. Once you’re in the Command Prompt, type “net user” and press Enter.

4. This will display a list of all the user accounts on your computer. Identify the account for which you want to reset the password.

5. Type “net user [account name] * ” and press Enter. Make sure to replace “[account name]” with the name of the account you want to reset the password for.

6. You’ll be prompted to enter a new password for the account. Type a new password and press Enter.

7. Retype the password and press Enter.

8. Type “exit” and press Enter to exit the Command Prompt.

9. Restart your computer and log in to the account with the new password.

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How to Avoid Losing Your Windows Password in the Future

Forgetting your administrator password can be a frustrating experience, but there are some preventative measures you can take to avoid this in the future. Here are some tips.

Create a password reset disk

As mentioned earlier, creating a password reset disk can save you a lot of trouble in case you forget your password.

Use a password manager

Using a password manager can help you create and store strong and unique passwords for all your accounts, including your Windows administrator account.

Also Read: Best Random Password Generators

Write down your password

If you’re not comfortable with using a password manager, then you can write down your password and store it in a safe place. Just make sure that nobody else can access it.

Create a backup administrator account

Creating a backup administrator account can give you an alternate way to log in to your computer in case you forget the password for your main administrator account.

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