How to Perform Windows 10 System Restore But No Password

Want to perform Windows 10 System Restore but no password? Don't worry! There are two other ways to help you perform a computer restore without a password. Remember to back up important files in advance.

By @Yuka Last Updated October 30, 2024

User Case: Can't Remember Password to Run System Restore

   
   
   

“As per the description in the subject line, I can't find a way to recover the account password for my system to enable system restore to run in safe mode. I have a laptop/pc running the latest version of Windows 10. So far, I've tried all my passwords which don't work, incl: generic passwords in case there was a default password, none of which worked. Any assistance would be helpful. Cheers.”

       

- Question from Microsoft Community

Windows 10's System Restore is an important backup feature included in the operating system. It lets you create restore points before installing any new applications, drivers, and Windows updates. If something you install on your computer starts causing problems, you always have the option to go back to a previous restore point and get your computer back up and running.

Some users have reported that when they try to use System Restore in Win 10, it requires them to enter their password, but does not accept their current Windows 10 password. This issue is preventing them from doing a System Restore. So many users ask if they can factory reset Windows 10 without a password.

In this guide, we will show you how to do a Windows 10 System Restore (no password).

2 Effective Ways to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password

If you are performing a system restore, but Windows 10 System Restore will ask for a password. If you forget the login password, don't worry, the following two methods can also help you restore your computer to the previous state.

#1. Factory Reset Windows 10 by Reset This PC Option

This reset option will reinstall the Windows operating system and keep your personal files such as photos, music, videos, or personal files. However, it will remove the applications and drivers you have installed and also the changes you have made to the settings.

If you want to perform a Windows 10 system restore but have no password, you can easily reset Windows 10 to factory settings from the login screen via Reset this PC function.

  1. At the login screen, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. After holding the key, click on the Restart option under the Power menu in the bottom right corner of the screen.

  1. This will restart Windows 10 and then take you to the Advanced Options menu. Click on the Troubleshoot option to continue.

  1. In the Troubleshoot menu, click the Reset this PC option.

  1. You can choose to save your files or completely reset Windows 10, deleting all files and settings. To save your files, click the Keep my files option. Otherwise, click Remove everything.

#2. Factory Reset Windows 10 via Windows Installation Media

If you don't have or have forgotten your password to perform System Restore on Windows 10, you can get help from Windows Installation Media. For more details, read on.

๐Ÿฅฏ Note: The installation media will help you to perform a fresh install of Windows 10, which means that all existing data and files on your PC will be lost. Therefore, it is recommended that you back up the important files on your computer before doing the factory reset to avoid any data loss.

  1. Download the Windows 10 installation media from the Microsoft website. You also need to prepare a USB flash drive at least 8 GB.
  2. Launch this tool, Accept the terms, choose Create installation media for another PC and click Next. Follow the prompts to create an installation USB installation media.

  1. This will take some time to complete. Once complete, insert the installation media into your computer and restart your computer.
  2. Press a special key (usually Delete or F2) to boot into the BIOS and modify the boot sequence so that your computer will boot from the installation media.
  3. On the Windows installation screen, you will need to select the language, your time and currency format, and the keyboard or input method. Once you are ready, click the Next button. On the next screen, click Install now.

  1. When you are asked to enter your product key, simply click Skip. Windows 10 will automatically get activated after a new installation.
  2. Select the type of Windows 10 installation. Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) here. This will ensure that Windows 10 is reset to factory settings.

  1. Select the drive where you want to install Windows in the next phase. If you have multiple partitions, you may need to delete and recreate them first. Select Next to continue.

  1. The Windows 10 installation process begins with your computer rebooting several times to copy Windows files, getting files ready for installation, installing features, and installing updates. After the whole process is successful, you are done factory resetting Windows 10 without password. This also applies to Windows 11 factory reset without password.

Securing Data Before Factory Resetting Windows 10

When performing a system restore, you will encounter various problems. The most common one is forgetting the password for System Restore. You can factory reset your computer by other means, but you may lose all your data and settings. Although Reset this PC offers you the option to keep your files, accidents can inevitably occur.

To be on the safe side, it is still recommended that you back up the important files on your computer before resetting it. With the help of a third-party software - AOMEI Backupper Standard. You can easily backup your computer to a different location. The most popular one today is to back up your data to the cloud, which is not only good for you to view your files on a cloud but also good for you to restore from the cloud.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

>>> To backup important files on Windows 10, you just need to go to AOMEI Backupper Standard's Backup -> File Backup. Then follow the prompts to select the files or folders you want to back up.

๐Ÿง Tips: ๐Ÿช Many cloud services offer you free space to use, such as OneDrive (5 GB FREE), Google Drive (15 GB FREE), Dropbox (2 GB Free), Amazon S3 Standard (5 GB FREE), etc. AOMEI also provides its own cloud for users - AOMEI Cloud. After you register your AOMEI account, you can use 1TB storage space for free for 15 days. ๐Ÿช In addition to backing up to cloud services, you can also back up to external hard drives (HDD or SSD), USB drives, network drives or NAS. ๐Ÿช When your computer is running well, you can create a system backup and make a bootable media in advance. When one day your computer encounters some serious problems like a system crash, you can use this system backup and bootable media to recover your computer quickly.

Final Words

If you want to perform a Windows 10 system restore but have no password, refer to this article for help. However, before performing the operation, it is recommended that you create a backup of the important files on your computer in advance.

The third-party software mentioned in the article not only helps you backup your computer but also provides you with cloning, synchronization, restoration, and other functions. More features are worth exploring on your own. Download it and try it out!