If you're starting an old Windows computer, chances are you forgot the password and can't log in. But don't worry, even if you forgot your Windows 11 password, you can get back to your computer. In this tutorial, we have listed an easy way to reset your Windows 11 password without any data loss. With a few CMD commands, you can set a new password for your Windows 11 computer and log back in without worry. On that note, let's learn how to reset your Windows 11 password, even if you don't remember the old password.
How to recover your forgotten Windows 11 password (2022)
We have included a proven method to reset Windows 11 password for both local and online accounts in this tutorial. You don't need a bootable USB drive for Windows 11 to reset the password as many suggest. Just follow the instructions below and you can reset your forgotten Windows 11 password and get your PC back in minutes.
Reset Windows 11 password for your local account
If you created a local account on Windows 11 and forgot the password, you can recover it using Advanced Recovery Options . The process is a bit long, but it's definitely doable. I tested the method below on the stable version of Windows 11 Build 22000.527 (21H2), and it worked without any issues. So go ahead and check out the step by step instructions.
Edit System Files in Windows 11 to Reset Password
1. First, hold down the “ Change ” key on the keyboard and click the “Restart” button in the lower right corner. This will take you to the “Advanced Options” screen.
2. Once you are here, click on “ Troubleshoot ”.
3. Next, click on Advanced options and open “ See more recovery options “.
4. After that, click on “ System Image Recovery “.
5. A pop-up window will now open. You will first need to click "Cancel". After that, click “Next”.
6. On the next screen, click “ Advanced ”.
7. Next, select “ Install Driver ” from the pop-ups that appear on your screen.
8. Now click on “ OK ”. A file browser window will open. Here, click on the drop-down menu and select “ This PC ”.
10. Now select the drive in which you installed Windows 11. I would like to suggest to match the drive size of your C drive to avoid ambiguity. Note that the C drive here is different from where you installed Windows 11. For example, drive D is where I installed Windows 11.
11. Then go to Windows -> System32 folder. Next, look for a file called "Utilman". Rename it to Utilman1and press Enter. For your information, Utilman takes care of opening the accessibility menu on Windows 11 PCs.
12. Now search for “ command ” and rename it to Utilman. You can right-click and refresh the window to see the changes.
13. Finally, continue to click " Cancel " and return to the "Advanced Options" screen. Here, click “Continue”. This will launch you to the Windows 11 lock screen.
Reset Windows 11 Password with Command Prompt
1. Once you are on the Windows 11 lock screen, click on the “ Accessibility ” icon in the lower right corner.
2. Now instead of Accessibility menu, it will open Command Prompt since we renamed cmdto Utilman. In the CMD window, type the command below to display a list of all user accounts on your PC. Write down the account name in the second column.
net user3. Then run the command following the syntax below. Replace accountnamewith the actual account name and add your preferred password in place of the password. It will instantly reset the password on your Windows 11 PC.
net user accountname password
4. Finally, close the CMD window and log in with the new password . This time, you will be able to log into the Windows 11 computer without any problem. So here is how you can recover the account even if you forgot your Windows 11 password.
Reset Windows 11 Password (Microsoft Account Online)
If you linked a Microsoft account online to your Windows 11 PC and forgot the password, you can easily recover it through the company's website. Follow the steps below to reset your password and log back into your Windows 11 PC.
1. Open the Microsoft password recovery page on another PC or mobile and enter your Windows 11 PC related email or username. After that, click “Next”.
2. Now it will show you some options to Verify Your Identity. You can choose your phone number or recovery ID where you will receive the one-time password.
3. Enter the one-time password on the next screen, then you can reset the password on your Windows 11 PC.
4. After that, log into your Windows 11 PC with the new password, and you should get in without any problems.
Forgot Windows 11 password? Recover your PC easily!
This is how you can reset your password in case you forgot your Windows 11 password. As mentioned above, this method works great for local accounts. And if you linked your Microsoft account online to your Windows 11 PC, follow the last method to quickly recover your password. Anyway, it all comes from us. If the Microsoft Store isn't working on your Windows 11 computer, see our in-depth guide linked here. And if you want to factory reset your Windows 11 PC, we have an extensive tutorial for that too. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below.