How to reset windows 10 password without logging in

Have you ever found yourself in a panic because you can’t remember your Windows 10 password? Maybe you’re rushing to access important files for an upcoming meeting, or perhaps you’ve purchased a second-hand laptop without the login credentials. Regardless of the scenario, being locked out of your device can be incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, there are methods to reset your Windows 10 password without logging in, allowing you to regain access to your system and get back to what you need to accomplish.

To reset your Windows 10 password without logging in, you can use a password reset disk if you created one beforehand, or you can boot from a Windows installation media to access the recovery options and reset the password.

To reset your password using Windows installation media, follow these detailed steps:

1. Create Windows Installation Media: If you don’t have a Windows installation disk or USB drive, you can create one by downloading the Microsoft Media Creation Tool from another device. Use it to create bootable installation media for Windows 10.

2. Boot from Installation Media: Insert the USB drive or DVD into your locked computer and restart it. Press the appropriate key (like F2, F12, ESC, or DEL) to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings and set your computer to boot from the USB drive or DVD.

3. Access Command Prompt: Once the installation media loads, select your language preferences and click “Next.” On the next screen, look for “Repair your computer” at the bottom left corner. Click it, then go to “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt.”

4. Replace Utilman.exe with cmd.exe: In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands to back up the original Utilman.exe file and replace it:

move C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.bak

copy C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe

This will allow you to open Command Prompt from the login screen.

5. Restart Your Computer: Remove the installation media, and restart your computer normally. At the Windows login screen, click the Ease of Access icon in the lower right corner; this will open a Command Prompt window instead of the utility manager.

6. Reset Your Password: In the Command Prompt, type the following command to reset your password (assuming your username is “YourUsername”):

net user YourUsername NewPassword

Replace ‘NewPassword’ with your desired password.

7. Revert Utilman.exe: After you’ve logged in with the new password, repeat the process to restore the original Utilman.exe:

move C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.bak C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe

Following these steps should help you regain access to your Windows 10 device without needing to log in first, allowing you to manage your settings and files as needed.