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I forgot my password to log in to my PC, how do I reset it for access

Stan Griep 5 Reputation points
2026-04-30T15:18:23.1+00:00

I forgot my password to sign in to my PC. I currently have Windows 10 and apparently cannot upgrade to Windows 11 on my old computer. But I still need to sign in to get to all my old files. Help please!!! -Stan

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Security and privacy

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  1. AI answer

    2026-04-30T15:18:38.3733333+00:00

    Follow these steps depending on how the account is set up on the Windows 10 PC.

    1. If the PC uses a Microsoft account to sign in

    This is the case if an email address (like outlook.com, hotmail.com, etc.) shows on the sign-in screen.

    When not signed in (stuck at sign-in screen)

    Use one of these options:

    1. At the Windows sign-in screen, select I forgot my password and follow the prompts.
    2. At the sign-in screen, select Sign-in options > Web sign-in, follow the prompts to sign in, then select Forgot my password.
    3. From another device (phone or another PC), go to Reset password and complete the reset. After resetting, return to the PC and sign in with the new password.

    When already signed in (for future changes)

    1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options (or use this shortcut: Sign-in options).
    2. Under Password, select Change and follow the instructions.
    3. If the current password is forgotten, select Forgot my current password and follow the verification steps to create a new one.

    2. If the PC uses a local account (no email shown on sign-in)

    Reset local account password when not signed in

    1. At the sign-in screen, select the password entry button (the password field).
    2. Select OK, then Reset password.
    3. Answer the security questions configured when the account was created.
    4. Enter a new password and sign in.

    If a password reset disk was created earlier, select Use a password reset disk instead and follow the instructions.

    Reset local account password when signed in

    1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options (or Sign-in options).
    2. Under Password, select Change and follow the instructions (the old password is required).
    3. If the password is forgotten, select I forgot my password, answer the security questions, and set a new password.

    3. If signing in with a PIN and the password is forgotten

    If a PIN still works:

    1. Sign in with the PIN.
    2. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
    3. Under Password, select Change and follow the steps.
    4. If the password is forgotten, select Forgot my current password and complete the verification to create a new one.

    If none of these options appear or the reset fails, use another device to reset a Microsoft account password as above, or follow the local account reset steps with security questions. Once the password is reset, access to files on the old PC will be restored when signing in successfully.

    References:

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  2. DaveM121 881.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-04-30T15:57:04.1466667+00:00

    1

    If you log into Windows 10 with a Microsoft Account, use the steps on this page:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/reset-a-forgotten-microsoft-account-password-eff4f067-5042-c1a3-fe72-b04d60556c37

    2

    If you log into Windows 10 with a Local Account, use the steps on this page:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-windows-10-local-account-password-86912508-e584-37cc-86eb-6e9b0542b5ba

    3

    If neither option is working to resolve the password problem, then because this is a Microsoft Forum it is against the Code of Conduct for us to provide a method to bypass a Windows 10 Password, I hope you understand.

    If you need to gain access to the files on the PC, then you will need to take the drive out of it and connect the drive up to another PC to copy off the files.

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