How to Reset a Forgotten Windows Password on Your Own PC (2026)

Short answer: If your PC uses a Microsoft account, reset the password online at account.live.com/password/reset from your phone and sign back in. If it uses a local account, use your password reset disk or the security questions on the lock screen. This guide is only for regaining access to a computer that belongs to you.

A quick but important note before anything else: everything below is for your own machine, or one you have clear permission to fix. Bypassing a password on someone else's computer is a different thing entirely and I do not cover that. With that said, I have been locked out of my own laptop more than once, and here is exactly how I get back in without wiping my files.

First, work out which account type you have

Modern Windows 10 and Windows 11 sign-ins come in two flavours, and the fix is completely different for each.

• Microsoft account: you log in with an email address (Outlook, Hotmail, or similar). This is the easy case.
• Local account , a username that exists only on that one PC, with no email attached.

If you cannot remember which you set up, try the Microsoft reset first. It only works for Microsoft accounts, so it is a quick way to tell.

Method 1: Reset a Microsoft account password

This is the route I use most because it needs nothing but another device.

1. On your phone or another computer, go to account.live.com/password/reset.
2. Enter the email address you use to sign in to Windows.
3. Choose how to receive the security code (email or text) and enter the code.
4. Set a new password.
5. Go back to your locked PC, make sure it is online, and log in with the new password.

Because the PC checks your credentials against Microsoft's servers, the new password works on the lock screen straight away as long as the machine has an internet connection.

Method 2: Use a password reset disk (local accounts)

Windows has a built-in feature that lets you create a rescue key on a USB stick before you get locked out. If you made one, recovery is trivial.

1. At the lock screen, enter any wrong password once. A Reset password link appears.
2. Insert your reset disk USB stick and click that link.
3. Follow the Password Reset Wizard and set a new password.

The catch is you have to create this disk in advance. If you are reading this after being locked out, skip to Method 3. If you are reading it as a precaution, go make one now: search the Start menu for Create a password reset disk.

Method 3: Answer local account security questions

On Windows 10 (version 1803 and later) and Windows 11, local accounts can have three security questions. If you set them up:

1. Type a wrong password on the lock screen.
2. Click Reset password.
3. Answer your three security questions and set a new password on the spot.

Method 4: Official recovery tools and reinstall

If none of the above apply, the safe, legitimate options are Microsoft's own recovery paths. You can boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (hold Shift while clicking Restart, or interrupt boot three times) and use Reset this PC with the "Keep my files" option. As a last resort, a clean install with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool gets you a fresh, secure system.

Method	Works for	Keeps your files?	Needs prep in advance?
Microsoft online reset	Microsoft accounts	Yes	No
Password reset disk	Local accounts	Yes	Yes
Security questions	Local accounts	Yes	Yes
Reset this PC (keep files)	Any	Files yes, apps no	No
Clean reinstall	Any	No	No

A non-obvious tip

The best fix is the one you set up before disaster strikes. Right now, while you can still log in, do two things: link your local account to a Microsoft account (Settings > Accounts > Your info > Sign in with a Microsoft account instead) and turn on BitLocker or Device Encryption. A Microsoft-linked account means you can always reset online, and it takes five minutes today versus a lost afternoon later.

Frequently asked questions

Will resetting my Windows password delete my files?

The Microsoft online reset, a reset disk, and security questions all keep your files intact. Only a clean reinstall erases data, and even "Reset this PC" has a Keep my files option. If your drive is encrypted with BitLocker, keep your recovery key handy before doing anything drastic.

I have a local account and never made a reset disk. What now?

If you also never set security questions, your safest legitimate option is Reset this PC with the Keep my files choice from the Windows Recovery Environment. It removes installed apps but preserves personal files.

Is it legal to use password recovery tools?

Regaining access to a computer you own is completely fine. Using these methods on a device you do not own or have permission to access is not, so only do this on your own machine.

How do I avoid ever being locked out again?

Sign in with a Microsoft account so you can always reset online, or create a password reset disk for a local account. A password manager also stops you from forgetting in the first place.