how to login to new business laptop when password is forgotten

Question

how to login to new business laptop when password is forgotten

Nancy Canestrari 20

I set up a new laptop for my business and must have mistyped my password. I cannot login and there is no option for me to change my password and cannot get into the device

VPHAN 43,155 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-15T19:24:28.5666667+00:00

Hello,

I'm following up to ensure you were able to regain access to your new laptop. As the device has not yet been used for production work, the technically correct resolution is to bypass the locked login screen by initiating a factory reset via the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). By holding the Shift key while clicking Restart from the power menu, you can navigate to Troubleshoot and select "Reset this PC" with the "Remove everything" option. This process completely wipes the erroneous account configuration and reverts the system to the initial Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), allowing you to reconfigure the credentials correctly without battling BitLocker encryption or local security policies.

If the issue has been successfully resolved, please consider accepting the answer as it helps other people sharing the same question benefit too. Thank you!

VP

Answer accepted by question author

VPHAN 43,155 Independent Advisor

Hello Nancy Canestrari,

Since this is a brand new laptop with no critical data on it yet, the most direct and technically sound path to resolve a lost administrator password, especially when the "Reset Password" or "I forgot my password" options are missing from the login screen, is to trigger a factory reset through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue typically arises during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) if a local account was created with a typo, or if the machine has dropped network connectivity preventing a Microsoft Account or Entra ID credential update. Attempting to bypass Windows security to inject a new password violates security protocols and is often unreliable on BitLocker-encrypted drives which are standard on modern business laptops.

To restart the setup process, you need to access WinRE from the lock screen. While holding down the Shift key on your keyboard, select the Power icon in the bottom right corner of the screen and choose Restart. Continue holding Shift until the device reboots into a blue menu screen. Once in the Recovery Environment, navigate to Troubleshoot and select Reset this PC. Choose the option to Remove everything; since you have not been able to log in yet, this will simply clear the erroneous configuration and reboot the machine back to the initial language selection screen. You can then proceed through the setup again, ensuring you verify the password input carefully this time.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

VP

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2 additional answers

Your answer

VPHAN 43,155 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-15T19:24:28.5666667+00:00

Hello,

I'm following up to ensure you were able to regain access to your new laptop. As the device has not yet been used for production work, the technically correct resolution is to bypass the locked login screen by initiating a factory reset via the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). By holding the Shift key while clicking Restart from the power menu, you can navigate to Troubleshoot and select "Reset this PC" with the "Remove everything" option. This process completely wipes the erroneous account configuration and reverts the system to the initial Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), allowing you to reconfigure the credentials correctly without battling BitLocker encryption or local security policies.

If the issue has been successfully resolved, please consider accepting the answer as it helps other people sharing the same question benefit too. Thank you!

VP

Answer 1

EmilyS_726 27,475 Volunteer Moderator

What type of account did you use to set up the computer? Personal Microsoft account (hotmail/outlook.com)? Or local user? Or business email address?

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Answer 2

If you have forgotten the password to your new business laptop and cannot log in, you can try the following steps:

Use the Self-Service Password Reset: If your organization has enabled this feature, you can reset your password using the Self-Service Password Reset wizard. You can access it by visiting https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com if you are using a work or school account.
Contact Your Administrator: If you do not have the ability to reset your password yourself, contact your IT administrator or support team. They can reset your password for you.
Use Security Information: If you have set up security information (like a mobile phone number or an alternate email), you may be able to use that to reset your password.
Contact Microsoft Support: If you are still unable to access your laptop, you may need to contact Microsoft Support for further assistance.

Make sure to have any necessary identification or information ready when contacting support to verify your identity.