How to reset Windows password

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:52:10 +0100

Locked out of your PC ?

If you forget the password of the account on your Windows 10/11 PC/laptop, and you’re not able to log into it, here’s how you can reset your password.

Note: this method probably won’t work if you have BitLocker encryption set up on your PC/laptop.

find a USB stick or CD/DVD which can be used to boot your PC. This could be

a USB stick or DVD which was used to install Windows;
a ‘system repair disk’ DVD created by Windows Backup (in Windows Control Panel).
Or if you have a blank USB stick, you can create your own bootable USB stick using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool which you can download from the Microsoft Windows website . But obviously you will need access to another PC or laptop to do this download & write onto the USB stick.

Boot your PC or laptop from the USB stick or DVD you created in Step 1.

Choose ‘Repair my PC’, then ‘Troubleshoot’ , then ‘Command prompt’. A black Command window should appear.

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How to reset Windows password

Locked out of your PC ?