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On Windows 10, 8.1, and Windows 8, there are two types of user accounts: Online accounts and local accounts. Online accounts are linked to Microsoft accounts. When creating a Microsoft account, you can synchronize settings, personal files, and data just like Google/Microsoft/Apple accounts on mobile phones. Therefore, resetting an Online account is quite simple and easy to do. If you haven't created one, you can create a Microsoft account now.
However, with the admin account on Windows 10 being a local account, the reset process is not simple at all. In this guide, Mytour will show you how to restore the admin login password on Windows 10/8.1/8/7 in case of forgetting the computer password or losing the login password.
Overview of the Steps to Recover Lost or Forgotten Windows Admin Login Password
Typically, when you forget your computer password, you can reset the login password using traditional methods. However, you can also seek the assistance of third-party applications instead of resetting the login password to accomplish this.
Reset Windows Admin Password
1. Recover the Admin password associated with the Microsoft account.
2. Manually bypass the offline Admin password.
3. Reset the password using iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Pro.
4. Recover the forgotten Admin password using PCUnlocker.
The steps to reset the admin account linked to Microsoft and reset the offline admin password are not overly complicated. Even users with little experience can accomplish this.
Steps to reset forgotten online Admin login password
This method applies only to Windows 10, so Windows 7 users can skip this method. You can reset the account password just like you reset the admin account password. If you forget the admin login details, simply reset the admin account password and try logging in with the new password.
Here are the steps:
- First, ensure that your computer/laptop is connected to the Internet. If you're unsure how to do this, simply click on the network/wifi/airplane icon on the login screen and connect to any available network.
- Utilize another computer or laptop, access the password reset page.
- Choose I forgot my password, then click Next.
- Enter your email address and click Next.
- Next, select the method you want to use to reset your Microsoft account password and follow the on-screen instructions.
- After resetting, you can log in to your Windows 10 computer's admin account with the new password.
How to recover forgotten Local Administrator account password
Suppose in case you forget or lose the admin password not connected to a Microsoft account. And your computer cannot connect to the Internet. Furthermore, you cannot reinstall or reset Windows. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Replace Utility Manager with Command Prompt
All you need is a Windows 10 Bootable USB or DVD. The purpose of using this Bootable USB is not to reinstall the Windows operating system.
- First, insert this Bootable USB or DVD into your computer.
- Restart your computer and press the F12 key to select the boot drive. On some computer models, the key to perform these actions may be the F8 key.
- Next, choose to boot from the USB drive or DVD, depending on which Bootable drive you have inserted into the computer.
- Wait until the Setup window appears.
- On the Setup window, press the Shift + F10 key combination to open Command Prompt. If this method is not available, you can click on Repair =>Troubleshoot =>Command Prompt.
- On the Command Prompt window, type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor window.
- In the Registry Editor window, locate and select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Then from the menu, click on File =>Load Hive.
- Now a new window similar to File Explorer appears on the screen. From here, navigate to the Windows installation drive. Typically, it's drive D or E. On this window, drive C is reserved for the system.
- Right-click in the black area and select Open Command Window Here.
- Enter the following commands:
cd windows\system32
ren utilman.exe utilman.exe.old
copy cmd.exe utilman.exe
- Close all windows and disconnect any Bootable drives, then restart your computer.
Step 2: Activate the Hidden Admin Account
If you've forgotten the password for your admin account, you'll need to create a new admin account to reset the forgotten or lost admin password.
- On the login screen, click the Ease of Access / Utility button to open the Command Prompt.
- All you need to do now is activate the hidden admin account on Windows. To do this, run the following command in the Command Prompt window:
net user administrator /active:yes
- Restart your computer. You should see the new user name as Administrator on the login screen. Simply select the newly created user name - Administrator and click Sign in.
Important Note:
If you lose access to this hidden admin account, you'll need to create another admin account using different commands.
Step 3: Reset User Account Password
After activating the hidden admin account, the next step is to reset the lost or forgotten user admin password.
- Now you'll have access to the desktop. Press Windows + X to open the Power User Menu. From here, select Computer Management.
- In the Computer Management window, navigate through the following path:
System Tools =>Local Users and Groups =>Users
- On the screen, you'll see a list of users on the computer. Right-click on the username you want and select Set password. A warning window will appear, click Proceed to continue.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set a new password.
Here are 2 methods commonly used by many users to reset or recover the Admin login password.
Note: After resetting the password, you should undo any changes you made with cmd.exe and utilman.exe.
Using third-party tools to recover admin password, log into Windows
If you're busy or lack experience and don't want to tweak the system to reset a forgotten or lost Windows 10 admin login password, you can seek help from third-party software tools.
There are many available software tools you can use to recover a lost or forgotten admin login password. However, using these software tools may require you to pay a small fee. Two of the 'budget-friendly' software tools that Mytour wants to introduce to you are iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Pro and PCUnlocker. With these two 'budget-friendly' software tools, you can easily crack a lost or forgotten Windows password.
Reset Windows password with iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Pro
Simply use iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Pro to create a Bootable CD or Bootable USB drive and reset the forgotten Windows 10 password or unlock the account.
iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Pro is one of the most effective solutions to reset or bypass all types of Windows account passwords, including user accounts, Admin accounts, Active Directory accounts, and Domain Admin accounts.
Step 1: Download and install iSeePasword Windows Password Recovery Pro iSeePasword Windows Password Recovery
You need to prepare a USB flash drive or CD/DVD recorder to perform the next steps. In this guide, Mytour is using a USB flash drive.
Step 2: Create a Bootable USB drive or Bootable CD/DVD drive
Insert your USB drive into your computer and allow the software to recognize the USB drive. Next, select your USB flash drive from the USB driver list menu, and choose Burn USB.
This action will initiate the process of burning the ISO image file onto the USB flash drive you just inserted. Once the process is complete, a message 'Burning Successful' will appear on the screen.
Note:
It's recommended to use a blank USB flash drive because the software will erase all data currently on the USB flash drive. The same applies if you use a CD/DVD to burn the ISO image file.
Step 3: Begin the resetting process on the locked computer
Insert the USB flash drive that you just burned the ISO image file into the locked computer. Restart the system and select Boot from USB Drive from the Boot Option Menu to initiate the process.
The program will automatically start and will prompt you with a window like the one below:
Choose the username as Administrator and click Reset Password, then click Reboot.
Step 4: Complete the process. Now you can log in to your Windows 10 computer without needing a password.
Use PCUnlocker to recover forgotten passwords
PCUnlocker is one of the simplest solutions to reset forgotten passwords. Its 'selling point' is its simplicity and reliability, designed with a good intuitive GUI interface.
This software is primarily used by novice users, computer repair technicians, and even experts to address password and login issues, including:
- Forgot the password for the only admin account on your Windows 10 computer?
- Disabled all admin accounts and unable to log in to Windows?
- Windows account locked out after multiple login attempts?
- Forgot admin privileges and need to grant access to a guest or standard user?
- Windows denies access to your account due to an invalid group policy installation?
- Need to switch from a Microsoft account to a local user account without locking Windows?
PCUnlocker works on all versions of Windows, from Windows XP to Windows 10 Creators Update. Additionally, PCUnlocker also supports the latest UEFI firmware installed on most computers running Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8.
Use PCUnlocker to 'unlock' Windows in case you forget your Microsoft account password. You can download PCUnlocker here: Download PCUnlocker
Step 1: Prior to unlocking your computer, first create a PCUnlocker Live USB (or CD) from another computer.
Download the ISO image of PCUnlocker, then install the ISO2Disc software for creating a bootable USB - ISO2Disc.
Step 2: Insert a USB drive (requiring a minimum of 1GB capacity) and run ISO2Disc. Click Browse to locate the PCUnlocker ISO file you just downloaded. Select the Burn to USB Flash Drive option, then choose your drive and click Start Burn to format and create the Live USB.
Step 3: The next step you need to do now is to set your computer to boot from the USB drive. When you first turn on your computer, quickly and repeatedly press a specific key (such as F2, F12, F8, DEL, ... depending on your computer's brand) to access the BIOS/UEFI screen. Here you will have options to boot your computer from the USB drive.
Step 4: Once your computer has booted from the USB drive, you will see the PCUnlocker screen listed among all the local accounts on the Windows 10 system. In the example below, you can see the email address of the Microsoft account displayed under the Description column, next to the linked local account. Simply select that local account and choose Reset Password.
Step 5: You will be prompted to set a new password and the program will convert your Microsoft account to a local account. In this example of resetting the Windows login admin password, Mytour sets the password to blank, then you click OK.
A message will appear on the screen stating that the password has been successfully reset.
Step 6: Remove the USB drive and restart your computer. Now you can log in to your Windows 10 computer with the local account you just converted.
These are the methods to reset the Windows admin login password in case you forgot or lost the password. If you encounter any issues during the setup process, feel free to leave a comment and Mytour will try to help you resolve those errors.
