Forgot Windows 11 Password? What Should I Do?

User Case

“Hello everyone! I recently had a problem with my new laptop and I'm taking it in for repair, so I found my previous laptop and wanted to use it instead. But I forgot its password. What can I do to get into Windows and use it?”

In our normal work and life, there are many people who will use more than one computer. Most people set a password for their computer to protect their data privacy and security. However, there are some people who will encounter the situation of forgetting Windows 11 password. This problem is not a big one, you will soon be able to access Windows and then use your computer normally by following the methods provided below.

How to Reset Forgotten Windows 11 Password

Forgetting your Windows 11 password can happen if you haven't used your computer for a long time or if you have a new password that is hard to remember. In this tutorial, we will show you 5 easy ways on how to reset Windows 11 password.

Method 1. Use Security Questions

You will need to add security questions and answers to your account when you create a local account during the initial setup of Windows 11. If you remember the answers to your security questions, they will help you reset your Windows 11 password in case you forget it.

1. Go to the Windows 11 login screen, then click the Reset Password button, which appears under the password entry box after a failed login attempt.

2. The screen will display the three security questions you have set up. Answer these questions and press the Enter key when you are done.

3. Enter the new password you want and press Enter. Windows 11 will then automatically log you in with your new password.

Method 2. Reset Microsoft Account Password Offline

Can't sign in to Windows 11 with your Microsoft account because you forgot Windows 11 password? You can try resetting your Microsoft account password.

1. Go to your Windows 11 login screen and click the I forgot my password link under the password entry box.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to verify your account using your relevant email address or phone number.

3. After successful authentication, you will see the Reset your password screen. You can then immediately set a new password for your Microsoft account.

4. Once your account password has been successfully reset, click Sign in and you will be able to log in to Windows 11 with your new password.

Method 3. Use the Command Prompt

You can also reset Windows 11 password by using Windows Command Prompt (CMD). Check how to do it below.

#1. If you have another user account

1. Log in to your Windows 11 computer with another user account. Press Windows + S to open the Windows search box. Type cmd and right-click the Command Prompt application. And select Run as Administrator.

2. At the Command Prompt screen, you can type the command and then press Enter:

• net user accountname newpassword

🔐 Note: Replace "accountname" with the exact user account name for which you forgot the login password. Replace "newpassword" with the new password you want to set for that account.

3. You can then log out of your current account and log in to your Windows 11 computer with the account you just changed your password to.

#2. If you don’t another user account

If you do not have another user account, you can boot your computer into Safe Mode and then use the Command Prompt to reset the Windows 11 password. Please see the steps below.

1. On the login screen, you can click on the power icon in the lower right corner. Then hold down the Shift key and click Restart. This will start your computer into the Windows Recovery Environment.
2. Click Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.
3. Press F6 and boot your computer into Safe Mode and the Command Prompt screen.

4. At the Command Prompt screen, enter the command: net user username newpassword, and press Enter.
5. You have changed the password for Windows 11. You can boot your computer to normal mode and log in with the new password.

>>> Tip: You can also create a new administrator user account in Windows 11 using CMD to solve the problem of forgetting your Windows 11 password. You can type the following command line. Replace "username" and "password" on the command line with the exact username and password you want to set for the new account.

• net user username password /add
• net localgroup Administrators username /add

Method 4. Use Password Reset Disk

Besides the above method, Windows Password Reset Disk is also one of the easiest ways to reset a forgotten Windows 11 password. When you create a password for the local administrator in Windows 11, it is necessary to create a password reset disk to prevent the password from being forgotten. Then put it in a safe place. When you forget Windows 11 password, you can easily reset the administrator password using the password reset disk.

1. Insert your Password Reset Disk and select the Reset password option under the password box.
2. If you have added security questions to the user account, scroll down and select Use a password reset disk instead.

3. Password reset wizard will appear, click on Next.
4. Then select the password reset disk you inserted and then click Next.

5. Type a new password and retype it to confirm. Click Next.

6. In the next window, click Finish and remove your Password Reset Disk from your computer. You can now log in to Windows 11 with your new password.

Method 5. Reset PC or Restore System to Unlock Windows 11 Computer

If you have forgotten Windows 11 password and cannot reset it, you can try to restore your system to its previous state or reset your computer. Please see below for how to do this. It is recommended that you look at the next section to back up your computer before performing this operation.

1. Follow the previous method to enter the Windows Recovery Environment.
2. In the Choose an option screen, you can click Troubleshoot to enter the Advanced options screen.

3. You can then select System Restore or Reset this PC.

🔐 Note: The "System Restore" option restores your computer to its previous state and does not affect your personal files on the computer. The "Reset this PC" option resets your computer to its default state, but you can choose to keep your files or delete everything.

Back Up Your Computer to Prevent Data Loss on Windows 11

It would be great if you can reset your forgotten Windows 11 password by the first four methods. However, if you can't reset your password, you can only choose to restore your computer to its previous state or reset it. Before doing this, I suggest you backup your computer to prevent any data loss.

Since you forgot Windows 11 password and can't access your data, you can use AOMEI Backupper Standard to create a bootable media, boot your computer to WinPE, and then run AOEMI Backupper to back up your data and system to an external hard drive.

Follow the steps below to create a bootable media and backup your important data with AOMEI Backupper.

🔐 Note: It should be noted that during the media creation process, your USB drive will be formatted. Therefore, if you have important data on your USB drive, please back up the files on your USB drive in advance.

1. Connect a USB drive to another working Windows 11 computer. Download, install and launch AOMEI Backupper. Then, click Tools and select Create Bootable Media.

2. In the pop-up window, choose Windows PE - Create bootable disc based on Windows PE and click Next.

3. Select USB Boot Device and click Next. You’ll be prompted that your USB disk will be formatted. Click Yes to start creating bootable media.

4. Then insert this bootable media into your Windows 11 computer that you forgot your password.
5. Start your computer and it will automatically enter the program AOMEI Backupper. In the main screen, click Backup -> Disk Backup to backup your computer to an external hard drive.

Wrapping Up

Forgot your Windows 11 password? As you can see after reading this article, forgetting your Windows 11 password and getting locked out is not a terrible thing. However, despite that, resetting Windows 11 password will take some time and may delay your work.

Therefore, after you have regained access to Windows 11, it is recommended that you take appropriate precautions as soon as possible to prevent forgetting your password again. Such as creating a password reset disk, adding security questions to your local account, making a system restore point or backing up your files regularly.