Top 9 Ways to Unlock A PC If You Forgot Laptop Password

Can you unlock a laptop if you forgot the password?

"I have an old laptop with Windows Vista and I can not remember my password. I have tried multiple things to get in and none of them work. The only thing I need is to get on the computer to see if I have an old program holding over 10,000 pictures. I really need help."

Have you set up a password for your laptop to protect your data from malicious access? If Yes, chances are that you will encounter plenty of cases where you forgot the password. For instance, your password is too complex to remember well or you have idled the laptop for a long time and forgot laptop password easily.

When you lose your password, it is most likely to be locked out of the computer. This is such a frustrating thing if you are urgent to work with the laptop and need to access the stored files. So, the problem arises: How to unlock your laptop when you forgot the password?

When you search for solutions on Google, you will get various methods on different forums. If you find it difficult to decide which method to apply, you can’t miss this article that covers all the possible ways to access your locked laptop due to forgetting your password. You can always find a suitable method based on your own situation.

Before proceeding, there are several things you should pay attention to:

Best way to unlock a PC if forgot laptop password (for local accounts)

To regain access to a locked laptop after you forgot laptop password Windows 10, the best way is to reset the password via a reliable Windows password reset tool. Here, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is such a tool that can totally satisfy your needs. It stands out among all the similar programs due to the following features:

✔ 100% work on all versions of Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista computers.
✔ Come with an easy-to-follow interface and detailed instructions for each step.
✔ Support password reset for any local Windows account without OS reinstallation. Thus, you don’t need to worry about data loss.
✔ Able to create a password reset disk in one second using CD/DVD or USB drive (USB is more recommended).
✔ The password reset USB can be created even after you forgot the password and can be used for another PC.

Below is how to reset a laptop password with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. By doing so, you can unlock the laptop easily and securely.

Step 1. Connect a USB to a running Windows computer. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. At the top pane, select “Tools” > “Reset Windows Password”.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, click "Next" to begin to create a a WinPE bootable media.

Step 3. Here we tick "USB Boot Device", choose your prepared USB and click “Proceed” to move on.

Step 4. Note that the USB flash drive needs to be formatted so you will lose all data on it. If there is important data on it, please make a backup and redo; if not, click "OK" to continue.

Step 5. When the bootable USB is created successfully, unplug it and connect it to your laptop. Boot the PC from this USB, and you will see the interface AOMEI Partition Assistant appear automatically. Click "Reset Password", select the Windows system you would like to operate, and click "Next".

Step 6. Then, select the account you would like to operate and select the feature you want to use: "Remove Account Password" or "Reset Account Password". Here we choose "Reset Account Password" and click "Next".

Step 7. Type the new password and confirm it, then click "Yes". After that, you are able to log in to your computer with this new password.

Another 7 methods to open a locked laptop for local account users

The previous content is about how to reset a laptop password to unlock the PC using a 3rd-party tool. Next, we will also show you how to access your locked computer with methods offered by Windows.

Method 1. Use other sign-in options

When setting up your computer, you may be asked to set different ways to protect your computer including a common password, Pin, picture password, and fingerprint. Also, there can be other user accounts that are allowed to log in to your PC. Thus, once you forgot laptop password and are stuck on the log-in screen, you can try other sign-in options or log in with another account.

Method 2. Use the hidden administrator account

Generally, Windows 10 (or other Windows versions) creates a built-in administrator account during the system installation. And this account does not have a password by default. If you don't set a password for it manually, you can get this administrator privilege to access your laptop. Let's see how to unlock your laptop when you forgot the password with the hidden administrator account.

Step 1. Restart the computer, press Ctrl + Alt keys when seeing the Startp interface, and then double hit the Del key. A new log-in window will show up.

Step 2. Type "Administrator" on the username box, leave the password box blank, and press "Enter". Then, you can log in successfully.

Step 3. Go to "Start" > "Settings" > "Accounts" > "Sign-in". Under the "Password" section, select the "Change" button, and follow the introduction to reset a new password. Later, you can open your laptop with this new password.

Method 3. Use security questions

The same as method 1, setting security questions is an effective way to keep your data safe but it is also a workaround to find your password back. Please note that this way only works on Windows 11 and Windows 10 Version 1803 (and beyond) PCs.

Step 1. After inputting the wrong password, you can see the "Reset password" link on the sign-in screen, click it.

Step 2. Then answer the security questions shown on the screen and follow the instruction to reset the password for your laptop.

Method 4. Use a Windows password reset disk

Using a Windows password reset disk is the easiest way provided by Windows to reset the forgotten password. However, most users find it difficult to apply this approach because this disk needs to be created when you can work with your laptop normally.

If you forgot laptop password Windows 10 and have no password reset USB created before, just jump to the next method.

Step 1. Insert the prepared password reset disk, then click "Reset password" on the sign-in screen when you fail to log in to the system.

Step 2. The "Password Reset Wizard" window will appear, click "Next" to move on.

Step 3. In the new window, choose the target password reset disk and click "Next".

Step 4. Then type a new password and confirm it, click "Next" to proceed. Wait for the process to complete, click "Finish" to exit the window.

Method 5. Use a Windows installation disk

If all the above methods are not working, you should switch to using Windows installation disk because it can help you open Command Prompt during the installation so that you can execute the command lines to reset your password. Detailed steps on how to reset a laptop password with Windows installation disk are as follows.

Step 1. Boot your laptop from this installation disk.

Step 2. When the Windows installing screen appears, press Shift + F10 keys to launch the CMD tool.

Step 3. Then, type the following commands and hit "Enter":

copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\

copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Step 4. Unplug the disk from your PC and reboot the laptop. When you see the login screen, hit Shift key 5 times.

Step 5. A command prompt box will pop up again, input the command: net user username new_password to reset your password.

Note: If you are not sure of your username, you can type net user to see all the accounts on your laptop before inputting the password reset command.

Step 6. After that, you can use the new password to unlock your laptop.

Method 6. Factory reset your laptop (data loss)

According to Microsoft officials, when you are locked out of the computer because you can’t remember the password, doing a factory reset is also available. This is because all the settings will be moved during the factory process, so will the password. But please think twice before following the instruction because this method can certainly cause data loss.

Step 1. Turn off your laptop and click on the "Restart" button to reboot your laptop (please hold the "Shift" button while clicking on the "Restart").

Step 2. In the next screen, select "Troubleshoot".

Step 3. Then, choose "Reset this PC".

Step 4. You can either select "Keep my files" or "Remove everything".

Step 5. If you choose "Remove everything", you will be asked to choose either "Just remove my files" or "Fully clean the drive".

Step 6. After that, click "Reset", and wait patiently until it is finished. Then, you can get into your system without typing the password.

Method 7. Reinstall Windows on the laptop (data loss)

With the same principle as the previous method, reinstalling Windows can also remove your password. But what you should know is that all the files on the laptop will be erased during the OS reinstall and the reinstalling process usually takes a long time.

Step 1. Connect the Windows installation disk to your laptop and boot from it.

Step 2. Set some parameters according to the guidance. When you see "Install Now" in the Windows Setup screen, click on it.

Step 2. Then, enter your product key. If not, please click "I don't have a product key" to skip it.

Step 3. Select an edition you plan on installing and hit "Next".

Step 4. In the new window, read carefully and select "Custom: Install Windows only(advanced)".

Step 5. Then, select the destination for the Windows installation and hit "Next".

After that, you have finished Windows reinstallation and seem to own a brand new PC. So, you can open your laptop without password now.

How to reset a laptop password if you are Microsoft account users?

If you have set a Microsoft account as your login account, things become much easier. Resetting a Microsoft password only needs a few clicks, which is much more flexible and effortless. Therefore, if you are a Microsoft user and forgot laptop password Windows 10, you can follow the simple guide below to complete the password reset.

Step 1. Open Microsoft password reset page on a working computer.

Step 2. Enter your email address or phone number you set for your Microsoft account and click "Next".

Step 3. Follow the steps to finish the verification.

Step 4. Once verified, you can enter the new password and confirm it to reset your password.

Conclusion

Can you unlock a laptop if you forgot the password? The answer is yes! From this page, you can learn a range of methods to access a locked computer after you forgot laptop password. If you are using a Microsoft account, you can reset the password from Microsoft website. If you are using local accounts, there are eight ways for you to choose.

By comparison, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is more applicable in any case and can secure your data simultaneously. Don't hesitate to give it a try. If you are a Windows Server user, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant Server.