What to Do If You Forget Your Windows 7 Password

Several options for recovering your Windows 7 password

So you forgot your Windows 7 password? Hey, it happens. We're supposed to make strong passwords so they're difficult to guess, but sometimes we make them so complicated that we forget them ourselves.

As of January 2020, Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows 7. We recommend upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 to continue receiving security updates and technical support.

Try one of several ways to find your Windows 7 login password that has somehow slipped your mind.

Lifewire / Ashley Nicole DeLeon

Let's work through the ideas one by one, starting with the easiest:

Use Your Windows 7 Password Reset Disk

Right now is the time to use that Windows 7 password reset disk that you created. Congrats to you for being proactive!

It's possible, however, that you don't have a password reset disk, either because you didn't know the feature existed or you never thought you'd actually forget your password (both very common things!).

Either way, once you do get in with one of the other ideas below, be sure to come back to that link above and make one right away.

Are you sure you've actually forgotten your password? Before moving through the rest of these ideas, make sure a few things are true: 1) that caps lock is off (unless your password is all uppercase), 2) that you're trying to log in to your account and not another user's, and 3) that you're typing your Windows password, not the one that goes with your email or some other account.

Have an Administrator Change Your Windows 7 Password for You

If other people that have accounts on your computer, one of them may be configured with administrator-level access. Since those with administrator privileges can manage the passwords of all the users in Windows, this person would be able to change your password for you from within their account.

Clearly, if you're the only person that has an account on your computer, which is probably the situation for many of you, then this trick isn't going to do you any good.

Change Password screen in Windows 7 Control Panel

Reset Your Windows 7 Password With This Trick

There's a way to reset your Windows 7 password with nothing but the tools and software you already have at your disposal. This is a nifty little trick that anyone can pull off. The worst you'll have to do is boot from a disc or flash drive and use Command Prompt a few times.

Considering the fact that you likely don't really have a password reset disk or a second administrator on your computer, and you probably already have a headache trying to remember what you set your password as, this trick will be the solution for most of you.

Hack Your Windows 7 Account With a Password Recovery Program

If you've tried guessing, there are no other users on your computer, the last trick didn't work for some reason, and you are sure you don't have a Windows 7 password reset disk lying around, then it's time to try something a bit more complicated.

There are software tools designed to recover or reset/delete your Windows password. They are called Windows password recovery programs, or Windows password reset programs. They can sometimes be difficult to use, but if you truly have forgotten your password, and you can also follow some simple directions, there's an excellent chance that one of these programs will get you back into Windows.

Still Can't Find Your Windows 7 Password?

If you've tried everything above, and that lost Windows 7 password really is lost for good, then you'll need to perform a clean installation of Windows 7, a process that will erase everything on your computer.

It's a drastic, and obviously destructive step, but if you want your computer back, you'll need to consider this option if everything else has failed.

What to Do After You Reset Your Password

Forgetting your Windows 7 password, and having to walk through various steps to reset it, definitely isn't fun. So, you'd be wise to take advantage of whatever methods possible to avoid having to reset your password again in the future.

Beyond the password reset disk method mentioned above, you could save your new password in a password manager. So long as you use one with mobile access, you can refer to the password manager app any time you need to remember your Windows password.

Something you can do instead is set up Windows to automatically log in each time your computer starts. This definitely isn't ideal if security is a concern, because then anyone can get into your computer, but if you don't share your PC anyway, doing this will stop you from having to remember your password.

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