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GabrielleLee's avatar
GabrielleLee
Copper Contributor
Jul 08, 2024

My laptop is locked how do I unlock it Windows 10?

Hi everyone, I'm having a tough problem and I hope I can get some help. My laptop is Windows 10, and for some reason it got locked recently, and now I can't log into the system at all. I've tried restarting it several times, but every time it gets stuck at the login screen, where I have to enter my password, and I can't remember the password. Is there any way to bypass this password lock or reset the password? Thank you very much for your help! 

 

What do do if my laptop is locked without password reset disk?

  • CameronRoberts's avatar
    CameronRoberts
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee 

    Hey! I totally get the frustration of being locked out of your laptop. If you don’t have a password reset disk, don’t worry—you’re not stuck. iSeePasword Windows Password Recovery Pro can help you bypass or reset the password without needing that reset disk. It’s straightforward to use, just follow a few steps to create a bootable USB, and you should be back in. Hope this helps!

     

    This is the user guide: (worked for me)

    https://www.recodie.com/reset-forgotten-windows-password

     

  • AsaUribe's avatar
    AsaUribe
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee Ultimate BootCD.

    It is a free tool to create a bootable media with UBCD and utilizing the tools it provides to reset Windows 10 local account password. This method is particularly useful if your laptop is locked without access and need a reliable way to regain control of your system. UBCD is a comprehensive collection of diagnostic tools and utilities that can assist in various system recovery tasks, including password resets.

     

    When your laptop boots from the UBCD, navigate through the menu to access the appropriate tools for password resetting. Generally, you will select “Parted Magic” from the main menu, which is a Linux-based environment included in UBCD that offers various system recovery utilities.

     

    Once Parted Magic is loaded, open a terminal window. In the terminal, you will need to identify and mount your Windows partition.  Run the chntpw (Offline NT Password & Registry Editor) tool by typing 'chntpw -i SAM'. This tool allows you to edit or reset passwords in the SAM file. Follow the on-screen instructions to select the user account and reset the password.

     

     

  • Asawot's avatar
    Asawot
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee 

    I've been in a similar situation before, where I forgot my laptop's password and ended up being locked out of the login screen. It was really a headache! Later I discovered that if you use a Microsoft account to log in, you can actually reset your password online to unlock a locked laptop.

     

    What I did was open Microsoft's password reset page on another device. It's actually pretty easy to reset your Microsoft account password to unlock a locked laptop. Here are the specific steps:

    1. Open the Microsoft password reset page on another device: account.live.com/password/reset. (https://account.live.com/password/reset
    2. Select "I forgot my password" and click "Next."
    3. Enter your Microsoft account email address (the one you use to log in to your laptop) and click "Next."
    4. Choose a verification method, such as SMS, backup email, or security questions, to get a verification code.
    5. After entering the verification code, the system will ask you to set a new password.
    6. Return to the laptop login screen, enter your new password, and you're done!

    This method is pretty simple, as long as you remember your Microsoft account's email address.

  • Wokhiosk's avatar
    Wokhiosk
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee 

    Sometimes, a system update can cause login issues. Always make sure your Windows 10 is up to date. Check updates by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. You don’t want your security to be compromised!

     

    If your laptop has a serious issue (like it won’t boot at all), recovery media can be a lifesaver. Use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a recovery USB drive. This way, you can troubleshoot or even reinstall Windows if necessary.

  • Wokhiosk's avatar
    Wokhiosk
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee  Sometimes, a system update can cause login issues. Always make sure your Windows 10 is up to date. Check updates by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. You don’t want your security to be compromised!

     

    If your laptop has a serious issue (like Laptop is locked and you want to unlock it Windows 10), recovery media can be a lifesaver. Use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a recovery USB drive. This way, you can troubleshoot or even reinstall Windows if necessary.

  • Francesow's avatar
    Francesow
    Copper Contributor
    If you’re not super tech-savvy, navigating through UBCD can be daunting. You need to boot from the CD or USB and then figure out where Parted Magic is. For someone who’s more familiar with standard Windows interfaces, this can feel like a whole different world—kinda like learning a new language!

    Unlocking a locked laptop with certain methods of password resetting, you could leave your system vulnerable. If you don’t fully understand what you’re doing, it’s possible to inadvertently expose your machine to security issues by either leaving backdoors open or not resetting things properly.
  • Gaemliken's avatar
    Gaemliken
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee Two possible ways to unlock a Windows 10 laptop:

     

    1. Use Safe Mode: Restart your laptop and boot into Safe Mode. Depending on your operating system, you can usually press F8 or hold Shift while selecting Restart. In Safe Mode, you may be able to access an administrator account without requiring the password. From there, you could create a new user account or reset your password.

     

    2. Reinstall the Operating System: If other methods fail and you do not have critical data you need to save, you can consider reinstalling the operating system. You can create a bootable USB drive with the OS installation files, boot from it, and proceed with the installation. Note that this will erase all data on the drive, so it should be the last resort if data recovery is not a concern.

     

    The above are two effective ways to unlock a locked laptop with Windows 10 and it also applies to Windows 11 and Windows 7. Make sure you have the backup before reinstalling Windows 10.

  • Bellaop's avatar
    Bellaop
    Copper Contributor

    GabrielleLee "My laptop is locked how do I unlock it?" Based on my experience, Windows 10 password reset disk is the most reliable way to unlock a locked laptop when you forgot Windows 10 login password.

     

    A Windows password reset disk is a special removable USB drive or floppy disk that contains a specific set of files allowing users to reset their Windows account password when they are unable to remember it. This tool is particularly useful for local accounts on Windows operating systems.

     

    To create a password reset disk, the user must do so in advance using the Windows operating system. This usually involves navigating to the Control Panel, selecting "User Accounts," and following prompts to create a reset disk with a USB drive or floppy disk.

     

    When the user forgets their password, they can insert the reset disk during the login screen, select the option to reset the password, and follow the on-screen instructions. The disk essentially provides a means to bypass the password and reset it to something new without losing access to the account.

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