Is it possible to require a password for using a Windows 10 computer?

Question

I have a second computer in my home that is used by a roommate. He has lot of visitors whom he does not want messing with the computer. (I fully support that!) He says he set up a password that is required to login to the computer, but he has forgotten it.
I didn't realize that is a feature of Windows 10. If it is, then I expect that there is a way for him to recover the password. I just want to tell him Yes or No: it is possible or it isn't. *I do not want to know his password, nor even know how to recover it. I just want to refer him to a Microsoft Article, if there is one.
*Thanks for you help.

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible to require a password (or other sign-in method) to use a Windows 10 computer, and Microsoft provides guidance on both using and recovering sign-in credentials.

On Windows 10, users can sign in with a password, PIN, or Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, or PIN). These options are managed under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. If a user forgets the password or PIN, Microsoft documents how to reset them, depending on whether the account is a Microsoft account or a local account:

• For general sign-in and recovery options (password, PIN, Windows Hello), see the guidance under User Account Access in Windows, which explains sign-in and links to:
  • Reset a Windows local account password
  • Reset a PIN when not signed in
  • Troubleshoot Windows Hello issues
• For Surface and other Windows devices, Sign in to and out of your Surface also explains using passwords, PINs, and other sign-in options, and links to:
  • Manage user accounts in Windows
  • Change or reset a password in Windows

These articles confirm that requiring a password (or equivalent sign-in method) is a built-in feature, and that there are official recovery/reset paths your roommate can follow without sharing the password with anyone else.

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References:

• User Account Access in Windows
• Sign in to and out of your Surface