[Solved] I Forgot Windows 8 Password, What Can I do?

Scenario: I forgot windows 8 password, how to reset?

“Hello, I lost my old Dell laptop login password, it's a Windows 8 machine, I can't remember the password at all, and I don't have a password reset DVD. This is a local account, not an MS account. PLEASE ASSIST! I don't want to reinstall my system because it has some crucial files.”

--From Microsoft Community

What are the different account types for Windows 8?

As the pathfinder of Windows 10, compared with Windows 7, Windows 8 introduced many new ideas in the system. This Windows system 8 developed a new interface, higher compatibility, better online services, and new security features.

Windows 8's security features include two new authentication methods designed for touchscreens: PINs and image passwords. On Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 computers, users may utilize both a Microsoft account and a local computer account.

▶ Microsoft Account
The Microsoft Account is connected to your personal Microsoft account. It doesn't tie to a specific device, so it can be used on any number of devices. Cloud storage allows you to access Windows Store programs, settings, and data from any device you sign in to. And if you want to purchase software from the Windows Store, you must have a Microsoft Account.
Therefore, if you forget your Microsoft Account password, you may restore it from any device that has an Internet connection.

▶ Local computer account
The local computer account is the specific account in which all information is connected to that specific computer, so it cannot be accessed from other devices. Once users lose or forget their local computer account password, they will need a password reset drive or another administrator account on the computer to recover access to the account, otherwise, they'll have to reinstall Windows.

How to reset Windows 8 password

No matter which password you’re using on your Windows 8 PC, the point is how to reset forgotten password, so in this part, we’ll show you how to reset and change Win8 password for Microsoft account users and local PC account users.

▌1. Reset forgotten password on Windows 8 for Microsoft account

◤ Option 1. Use Microsoft Account Recovery on Windows

Step 1. Select “Forgot password?”, or you can go directly to Reset password and enter the user name again for the account you’re trying to reset, then select “Next”.

Step 2. For your security, Microsoft must validate your identity before you can reset your password. The technique used to authenticate your identity is determined by whether or not you previously added security information to your account and whether or not you can still access it.

When you obtained and may choose a verification option, select the option to send the verification code to, and select "Next".

Step 3. Retype the first part of the email address or the last four digits of the phone number hinted at in the previous window. Select Get code.

Step 4. Enter the code you received and select “Next”.

After your finish all the new settings, you’ll be able to sign into Windows with your new password.

◤ Option 2. Use Microsoft Account Recovery online service

If you have trouble resetting your Windows password, you may try resetting it online. Hit the Sign in button on the Microsoft Account website on a separate Desktop or mobile device's browser.

Step 1. At the next screen, type your email address and click “Next”, then enter your password, and click the link for Forgot password.

Step 2. At the next screen, enter an alternative email address through which you can reset your password. Type the CAPTCHA characters and click “Next”.

Step 3. Enter the code sent to your alternative email address and click Verify.

Step 4. Follow the web to set all information, and click “Next” to continue.

Step 5. Click OK. The email will include a link for resetting your password. Click it, enter the email address for the account with the forgotten password, and click “Next”.

Step 6. Type and then retype a new password. Click Next.

You’ll receive a notice that your password has been changed. Now you can use the new password to sign into the PC.

▌2. Reset computer password on Windows 8 for the local account

If you’re using a local account on your Windows 8, normally, you just need to correctly answer the three security questions that you set when you install Windows.

After you've entered an incorrect password, select the Reset password link on the sign-in screen, and then answer your security questions, and set a new password.

Or, if you had created a Password Reset Disk before you forgot computer password, you can directly click Reset password, then insert the Reset USB, then simply follow the instructions on-screen to create a password to log in to the account using your new password.

But, most users won’t have this kind of preparation. Since you can’t even log in to your Windows, you’re unable to create a Password Reset Disk for the current PC. Thus, in this case, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional will take care of your problem. This tool can create a one-size-fits-all password reset disk, you just need to find a working PC to create a password reset USB then plug this USB into the target PC, and the software will help you reset or cancel your PC password with simple operations.

Stage 1. Create password reset USB

Step 1. In the toolbar above the disk information, choose "Tools" and then the “Reset Windows Password” function.

Step 2. Click “Next” to continue.

Step 3. Choose your USB in the USB Boot Device box, then click “Proceed”.

Step 4. The USB flash drive needs to be formatted and all the data on it will lose. If there is important data on it, please make a backup and redo.

When it’s finished, you can remove this USB and plug it into the PC you want to reset the password.

Stage 2. Reset forgotten Windows password

Step 1. After you plug it into the target PC and reboot it, this USB will become the boot drive automatically, and you’ll enter this tool to reset PC password.

Now, if your computer has 2 systems, you’ll choose the system that you forget the password of. And click “Next”. If your PC has only one system, this step will be skipped.

Step 2. You’ll see all accounts on the current PC, select the account you want to reset the password, and choose the operation you want to perform: Remove password or Reset password. Click “Next”.

Step 3. If you want to remove the password, you’ll see a confirmation window. Click “OK” to confirm.

If you choose to reset your PC password, you’ll see a window asking you to type your new password and confirm the password by typing the new password again. Click “OK” after you reset your new password.

Step 4. Now, click “reboot your PC” and confirm your operation. The computer will automatically boot from your system disk.

Conclusion

After looking through this post, “I forgot Windows 8 password, how can I reset?” is not a complex problem now. For local account users, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a quite helpful password reset tool. And as a disk and partition manager, this tool can also help you upgrade the disk without reinstalling OS and apps, convert files system between FAT32 and NTFS without formatting, or even fix issues without booting into PC, and so on.