Reset Windows 10 Password Without Logging In: Four Effective Methods
11 June 2024 Technology Manager of Test Dept.
Summary
Discover how to reset your Windows 10 password without logging in. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for various methods, ensuring you can regain access to your system effortlessly.
Table of contents
Resetting your Windows 10 password without logging in might sound challenging, but it’s entirely possible with the right steps. Whether you’ve forgotten your password or you’re helping someone else, there are various methods to regain access. One efficient way is to use the default administrator account. In the following section, we’ll guide you on how to utilize this account by booting into Safe Mode.
Tips:The methods memtioned below are mainly focus on resetting password for local accounts. If you want to reset the password for Microsoft Account, please refer to Difference Between Microsoft Account and Local Account in Windows 10.
When you forget your Windows 10 password and can’t log in, one of the most efficient methods to regain access is by using the default administrator account in Safe Mode. Certain Administrator accounts come enabled with an empty password by default. This vulnerability can be exploited. If the built-in Administrator account is unavailable, please try the methods described in the following chapter.
Tips:Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that allows users to troubleshoot Windows without loading third-party software or drivers, which can often be the cause of various system problems.
To utilize the default admin account, you first need to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode. If you can’t log into any account, you can force Windows into Safe Mode using the method of interrupting the normal boot sequence. Here’s how:
1. In the login screen, Click the power button. Holding down the Shift key, and click “Restart“.
2. The safe mode start screen will present you with the following options: Continue, Troubleshoot, or Turn Off Your PC. Choose “Troubleshoot“, then “Startup settings” from the troubleshooting menu.
3. Click the “Restart” button to proceed.
4. After clicking “Restart” you’ll be brought to a prompt screen that asks you to choose a number for the troubleshooting option you’d like to use. In this case, please click “F4″ to continue.
Once Windows has booted into Safe Mode:
1. Select Administrator account on the login account.
Note : If the Default Administrator require password, please try other methods below.
2. Click on the Start button and type cmd in the search field.
3. Right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. In the Command Prompt window, type
net user user_name *
and press Enter. This command will clear the login password for your selected account. Please replace user_name with your desired account name.
In this chapter, we will guide you on how to use third-party tools like Renee PassNow to reset your Windows 10 password without logging in. Renee PassNow is a reliable and user-friendly software designed specifically for password recovery and system maintenance. It can help you regain access to your computer quickly and efficiently with out logging in Windows with a bootable rescue media.
Tips:If your account is Microsoft Account, Renee PassNow will convert this account to Local account. After resetting login password, you need to connect your account to your Microsoft Account again.
Step 1: Download and install Renee PassNow on another accessible computer. Visit the official Renee PassNow website and follow the instructions to complete the download and installation process.
Renee PassNow – Professional Windows System Rescue Tool
Remove Windows Login Password 3 steps for whole password remove process.
Recover the files Recover the deleted files without Windows system.
Transfer the data Transfer the important files of the computer with system.
Fix Windows startup error Fix various Windows startup failures or crashes.
Erase disk Completely erase disk files which will not be restored.
Remove Windows Login Password 3 steps for whole password remove process.
Recover the files Recover the deleted files without Windows system.
Transfer the data Transfer the important files of the computer with system.
Step 2: Prepare a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD. Launch Renee PassNow and insert your USB drive or CD/DVD into the accessible computer. In the Renee PassNow interface, select the Create USB option.
Step 3: Create bootable media. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD. Once the process is complete, remove the bootable media from the accessible computer.
Step 4: Boot your locked computer from the bootable media. Insert the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD into the locked computer and restart it.
Access the BIOS or Boot Menu by pressing the appropriate keys (usually F2, F12, Del, or Esc) during startup. Select the bootable media as the boot device.
Common Server:
| Server Type | Enter boot menu method |
|---|---|
| DELL | Press the F12 key repeatedly before the Dell logo appears on the screen. |
| HP | Press the F9 key multiple times when the HP logo is displayed. |
Common Computers:
| BIOS Name | Enter boot menu method |
|---|---|
| ASRock | DEL or F2 |
| ASUS | DEL or F2 for PCs, DEL or F2 for Motherboards |
| Acer | DEL or F2 |
| Dell | F12 or F2 |
| ECS | DEL |
| Gigabyte / Aorus | DEL or F2 |
| Lenovo (Consumer Laptops) | F2 or Fn + F2 |
| Lenovo (Desktops) | F1 |
| Lenovo (ThinkPads) | Enter then F1 |
| MSI | DEL |
| Microsoft Surface Tablets | Press and hold Power and Volume Up buttons |
| Origin PC | F2 |
| Samsung | F2 |
| Toshiba | F2 |
| Zotac | DEL |
| HP | Esc, F9 for "Boot Menu", Esc, F10, Storage tab, Boot Order, Legacy Boot Sources |
| INTEL | F10 |
Step 5: Use Renee PassNow to reset the password. Once the computer boots from the bootable media, you will see the Renee PassNow interface. Select the PassNow function and follow the on-screen instructions to reset the password for your Windows 10 account.
Click “Clear Password” to clear the login password for target Windows account.
Step 6: Restart your computer. After the password reset process is complete, remove the bootable media and restart your computer. You should now be able to log in to your Windows 10 account without password.
Congratulations, you have successfully reset your Windows 10 password using Renee PassNow. This method is straightforward and efficient, ensuring you regain access to your computer without logging in Windows 10.
Tips:You may try to use “Create new account” to create a new Administrator account to regain access to your computer. (new account name will be “reneelab” and the password is “123456789“)
For more advanced methods, continue reading the next chapter about Method 3: Utilize the Command Prompt in Windows Installation Media for password reset.
One efficient way to reset a Windows 10 password without logging in is to use the command prompt available through Windows Installation Media. Below are the detailed steps to guide you through this process.
Step 1: First, you need a Windows installation disk or a bootable USB drive that matches the version of your installed operating system.
If you do not have a Windows Installation media, you may download Windows Installation Creation Tools here:
| Windows Version | Download Link | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Windows XP | https://isoriver.com/windows-xp-iso-download/ | - |
| Windows 7 | https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/products/windows-7 | PC with a working Internet connection, a blank USB flash drive or DVD with at least 8 GB of available storage space, a product key |
| Windows 8/8.1 | https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows8 | Same to above |
| Windows 10 | https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10 | Same to above |
| Windows 11 | https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 | Same to above |
Step 2: Insert the Windows installation disk or bootable USB drive into your computer. Restart your computer and boot from the installation media. To do this, access the BIOS settings by pressing the appropriate keys (usually F2, F12, Del, or Esc) during startup and change the boot order to prioritize the installation media.
Step 3: Once the Windows Setup screen appears, select your language preferences and click on “Next”.
Step 4: On the next screen, click on “Repair your computer” located at the bottom left corner.
Step 5: In the System Recovery Options, select “Troubleshoot” and then choose “Advanced options”.
Step 6: From the Advanced options menu, select “Command Prompt”. A command prompt window will appear.
Step 7: In the command prompt window, you need to find the drive where Windows is installed. Usually, it is the
C:
drive. To identify it, type
diskpart
and press Enter. Then type
list volume
and press Enter. Identify the correct volume for your Windows installation and note its letter.
Step 8: Exit diskpart by typing
exit
and pressing Enter. Now, type
c:
(replace c: with the drive letter you noted) and press Enter. Then type
cd windows\system32
and press Enter.
Step 9: Rename the Utilman.exe file to back it up by typing
ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak
and press Enter. Next, copy the cmd.exe file and rename it to Utilman.exe by typing
copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe
and press Enter.
Step 10: Close the command prompt and restart the computer. On the login screen, click the Ease of Access icon at the bottom-right corner. This should now open a command prompt window.
Step 11: In the command prompt, type
net user
to see a list of all accounts. To reset the password for a specific account, type
net user [username] [newpassword]
and press Enter (replace [username] and [newpassword] with the actual account name and the new password you wish to set).
Step 12: After resetting the password, close the command prompt and log in to your Windows account using the new password.
By following these steps, you can successfully reset your Windows 10 password using the command prompt from Windows Installation Media. This method is reliable and can help you regain access to your computer without losing any data.
For more advanced methods, continue reading the next chapter about Method 4: Utilize the Ophcrack to Retrieve Password without Logging In.
Resetting your Windows 10 password can be accomplished using a variety of methods. One particularly effective method involves using a tool called Ophcrack. Ophcrack is a free open-source program that uses Rainbow Tables to retrieve passwords from the hashes found in the Security Account Manager (SAM) file on a Windows system.
Tips:Ophcrack and Renee PassNow are both rescue CDs that allow you to reset your Windows 10 password without logging in. However, Ophcrack recovers your password, while Renee PassNow cleans it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Ophcrack to reset your Windows 10 password without logging in:
Step 1: Download the Ophcrack LiveCD from the official website. Ensure you download the correct version (Windows XP/Vista/7 or later). Also download the correct Rainbow table data file.
Step 2: Burn the Ophcrack LiveCD ISO file to a CD/DVD or create a bootable USB drive. You can use tools like Rufus or UNetbootin to create a bootable USB drive.
Step 3: Insert the bootable CD/DVD or USB drive into the locked computer. Restart the computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing the appropriate key (usually F2, F12, Delete, or Esc).
Step 4: Set the boot priority to CD/DVD or USB (depending on your media type) and save the changes. The computer should now boot from the Ophcrack LiveCD.
Step 5: Once Ophcrack has loaded, it will automatically start scanning the SAM file for user accounts and their corresponding password hashes.
Step 6: Ophcrack will use Rainbow Tables to crack the password hashes. This process may take some time depending on the complexity of the passwords.
Step 7: Once the password is retrieved, it will be displayed on the screen. Note down the password and restart your computer.
Step 8: Remove the Ophcrack LiveCD or bootable USB drive and boot into Windows. Use the retrieved password to log in to your account.
Using Ophcrack is a powerful method for recovering passwords without logging into Windows. It is especially useful when you have no other means of resetting your password.
In conclusion, resetting your Windows 10 password without logging in can be accomplished through various methods, including using the default admin account in Safe Mode, third-party tools like Renee PassNow, command prompt via installation media, Ophcrack for password retrieval, and accessing your Microsoft account online. By following these step-by-step instructions, you can effectively regain access to your system without hassle.
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