forgoten password

Question

i am locked out of a computer due to the previous user is dead

Answer 1

Hello steven,

I’m sorry for your loss, and I understand how difficult and confusing this situation can be.

Have you already tried the Q&A Assist suggestions? In addition, please try the following. To narrow this down, please confirm one point only:

• When the PC starts, does it ask you to sign in with:
  • An email address (for example, Outlook.com / Hotmail.com), or
  • Just a local username (no email shown)?

This determines whether the account was a Microsoft account or a local account, and the recovery paths are different.

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Answer 2

If the computer is locked because the previous user is deceased and the password is unknown, there are only a few supported options, depending on what exactly is locked and what access is available.

1. If Windows is locked at the sign-in screen with a local account

• If there is another local administrator account on the PC, sign in with that account and reset the deceased user’s password:
  1. Open Computer Management.
  2. Expand Local Users and Groups > Users.
  3. Right‑click the deceased user’s account and select Set Password….
  4. Set a new password and then sign in with that account.
• If there is no other administrator account available, the supported option is to reset the PC, which will remove existing accounts and data on that Windows installation. For details, see Reset your PC in the referenced article.

2. If the screen is stuck on a locked session (screensaver lock) If the machine shows a “locked” desktop rather than the main sign‑in screen, and the previous user’s session is still active, use one of the documented methods:

• Method 1 – When the lock screen shows domain\username
  1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
  2. Enter the logon information for the last logged‑on user (if known), then select OK.
  3. When the Unlock Computer dialog disappears, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE again and log on normally with an account that has access.
• Method 2 – When the lock screen does not show who locked the computer
  1. Use the Shutdown tool from the Windows Resource Kit to attempt to shut down the locked computer. The System Shutdown dialog appears, but the computer does not restart.
  2. When the shutdown timer expires, the Welcome to Windows dialog appears.
  3. Before the screen saver activates again, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and log on normally.

If this is a recurring issue caused by a corrupted or remote screen saver, and access to Windows is available via another account, the screen saver can be changed in the registry to a working one (for example, logon.scr) and the secure lock disabled for the default profile:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Go to: HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Edit the Scrnsave.exe string value and set it to logon.scr.
4. Edit the ScreenSaverIsSecure string value and set it to 0.
5. Close Registry Editor.

Important: Incorrect registry edits can cause serious system problems. Back up the registry before making changes.

3. If the account is a Microsoft account and only that user existed If the Windows sign‑in is tied to the deceased person’s Microsoft account and there is no other local administrator account, the only supported way to regain control of the device without that account’s credentials is to reset Windows on the device (which removes existing data and accounts) and set it up with a new account.

If access to the deceased person’s Microsoft account and email is needed (for example, to retrieve data in Outlook.com or OneDrive), Microsoft provides a separate process for “Accessing the account of someone who has died,” which is handled through Microsoft account support and not directly on the PC.

4. If the device itself (UEFI/firmware) is locked If the lock is at the firmware/UEFI level (for example, on a Surface device) and the UEFI password is unknown, the documented option is to work with the organization’s IT administrator if it is a managed device, or use Microsoft’s service and support options (send‑in service, in‑person service center, or self‑repair where applicable). UEFI passwords cannot be bypassed through Windows.

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References:

• Administrator unable to unlock a "locked" computer
• Change or reset your password in Windows
• Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password
• Forgot UEFI password for Surface