How Do I Reset My Windows Password?

If you don't have a password reset disk, try this Command Prompt trick

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on July 19, 2023

There are only two Microsoft-approved ways to reset a Windows password, which are discussed at the bottom of this page. However, there are a number of reasons why one or the other method very often isn't an option.

Fortunately, there is an "unapproved" but perfectly safe, and very effective, way to reset passwords for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.

How to Reset Your Windows Password

You can reset your computer password by temporarily overwriting the Ease of Access executable with the Command Prompt executable from outside of Windows, enabling that now-overwritten feature from the Windows login screen to open Command Prompt, and then resetting your account password via the net user command.

Yes, I understand that this sounds complicated, and while the whole process is fairly involved and requires working from a command line, I still believe it's very much within the ability of anyone reading this.

Windows 10 blue logo
Microsoft

That said, the process differs in important ways between versions of Windows, mainly due to the different ways the various operating systems give you access to Command Prompt from outside of Windows. Because of these differences, we've created very detailed password reset tutorials you can follow, specific to which Windows version you're using.

See what version of Windows you have if you're not sure, and then follow the appropriate guide:

To use this password reset method, you'll need access to some sort of recovery or installation media for your version of Windows. Original installation media will work for Windows 11 through Vista. A System Repair Disc or a Recovery Drive can also be helpful, depending on your version of Windows. Using installation or recovery media from another computer, yours or a friend's is fine and won't break any license agreements with Microsoft—just make sure it matches your version of Windows exactly.

What About Windows XP?

It is possible to make this trick work for Windows XP, but it's not nearly as straightforward as it is with newer versions of Windows due to the way Recovery Console works.

Instead of this trick, see our article I Forgot My Windows XP Password! Can I Do Anything About It?, and try one of the other suggestions there.

Microsoft 'Approved' Password Reset Methods

There are two preferred ways to reset a Windows password. I recommend that you choose one of these instead of following the procedure above—if your situation allows for it.

If you use Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 8 and use an email address to log in, then follow How to Reset Your Microsoft Account Password instead of the advice above. In this particular situation, and only in this situation, this isn't just the preferred method to use; it's one of the few ways that work.

If you previously created a password reset disk or flash drive, and know where it is, then use that at the login screen in any version of Windows. If you're using Windows 11, 10, or 8 with a Microsoft Account (you log in with an email address), you were never able to create a password reset disk and so you shouldn't have one to try.

See Best Ways to Find Lost Windows Passwords for a complete list of your password reset, recovery, and other options.

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