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Qandon's avatar
Qandon
Iron Contributor
Feb 18, 2025

I forgot my laptop password windows 10 without disk, what to do?

Hello, today I encountered a super embarrassing situation, that is, I forgot my laptop’s Windows 10 password. The key is that I didn’t create a password reset disk before, and now I can’t log into the system at all. There are still many important files in the computer, and I really don’t want to reinstall the system, so I want to ask everyone, is there a way to unlock it without a reset disk or third-party tools?

Some methods I have tried myself:

1. Try common passwords:
I tried several common passwords first, including old passwords I had set before, and even my birthday and email password, but all the results were wrong...

2. Safe mode + administrator account (failed):
It is said on the Internet that you can enter safe mode, log in with a hidden Administrator account, and then change the password. I tried holding down Shift + restart and entering "Troubleshooting" → "Startup Settings" → entering safe mode, but found that the Administrator account was disabled, so it didn't work...

2. Change password using command prompt (failed):
I originally wanted to enter recovery mode, open command prompt (Shift+F10), and then use net user command to change password. But I found that by default, the password of the main account cannot be changed directly, so I was stuck.

I still haven't found a good way. If anyone knows a way to reset forgotten laptop password without resetting the disk, please help!

11 Replies

  • Walterttor's avatar
    Walterttor
    Iron Contributor

    Don't panic. Forgetting laptop password is really a headache, but there are ways to solve it. I have encountered this before and tried several methods. I will share with you several methods that do not require a reset disk or third-party tools. You can try one of following methods to reset forggten laptop password without reset disk.

    Method 1: Use "Safe Mode" to enable the hidden administrator account
    Windows 10 actually has a hidden Administrator account. If it is not disabled, you can use it to change your password.

    1. Press and hold Shift + click "Restart" to enter "Advanced Startup Options".
    2. Select "Troubleshoot" → "Advanced Options" → "Startup Settings", and then restart.
    3. After restarting, select "Enter Safe Mode" (press F4).
    4. Check if there is an Administrator account on the login screen. If so, select it to log in, and then go to the Control Panel to change your main account password!

    But if this administrator account is disabled, you have to try other methods.

    Method 2. Log in with a "local account"
    If you previously logged in with a Microsoft account instead of a local account, you don't need to change your password, just reset it online:

    1. Open the Microsoft password reset page on another device (phone/computer).
    2. Enter your Microsoft account email address and follow the prompts to reset your password.
    3. Restart your laptop and try entering your new password on the login screen.
    4. But if your Windows account is a local account, this method doesn't apply...

    Method 3. Roll back with "System Restore"
    If your computer had previously enabled System Restore, you can try rolling back to the previous state, which may bypass the password login:

    1. Press and hold Shift + click to restart and enter the "Advanced Startup" interface.
    2. Select "Troubleshoot" → "Advanced Options" → "System Restore".
    3. Select an earlier restore point (preferably when you still remember the password).
    4. Let Windows restore the system, and then try to log in with the old password.

    The premise of this method is that you have previously enabled System Restore. If not, it will not work...