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Apr 03 2024, 07:00 AM - 11:00 AM (PDT)
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How Can I Remove Password from Windows 11 PC?

Copper Contributor

I have a home pc that changed the password two week ago. Unfortunately, I forgot to save the password like I did in the past. Now, I can't login the PC and unable to get to the Windows 11 desktop.  Is there any way to remove password from Windows 11 without losing data? I tried Ophcrack password recovery tool but it does not work on a Windows 11 PC.

12 Replies

@Yarisyoyo 

 

Yes, there are a few methods to remove the password from a Windows 11 PC without losing data. Here are the steps:

Method 1: Use an Administrator Account

If you have another user account with administrator privileges, you can use that account to remove the password from your account.

  1. Log in to your PC using the administrator account.
  2. Press Windows key + X and select "Computer Management."
  3. Go to "Local Users and Groups" > "Users."
  4. Right-click on your user account and select "Set Password."
  5. Leave the new password fields blank and click "OK."

Now, you can restart your computer and log in to your user account without a password.

 

Method 2: Use a Password Reset Disk

If you have created a password reset disk before forgetting your password, you can use it to reset your password.

  1. Insert the password reset disk into your PC and restart your computer.
  2. Press any key to boot from the disk.
  3. Follow the instructions to reset your password.

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Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-windows-local-account-password

Method 3: Use Windows Password Recovery Tool

If you don't have an administrator account or a password reset disk, you can use a Windows password recovery tool like iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery to remove the password from your account.

  1. Download and install it on another PC.
  2. Create a bootable USB or CD/DVD with Windows Password Recovery.
  3. Insert the bootable USB or CD/DVD into your locked PC and restart your computer.
  4. Press the key to enter the boot menu and select the bootable drive.
  5. Follow the instructions to remove the password from your account.

Source: https://www.iseepassword.com/online-help/windows-password-recovery.html

 

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These methods should help you remove the password from your Windows 11 PC without losing data. However, if you have encrypted files or folders, you may need to use the original password to access them.

@Symonds1905  I will go and test out the WinPassGo tool as you suggested as I don't have a password reset disk. In addition, there are only one local account on this PC.

Don't trust free software completely, some free software can't remove Windows password for you, but implant virus into the computer. I'd rather reinstall a clean OS than put the computer at risk.


You need another administrator account in order to do so. 

 

In your Terminal, type:
net user USERNAME NEWPASSWORD


or

 

net user USERNAME *
to change it discretely. Here, it will ask you to type your password which will be invisible and where you can input nothing.

 

or

 

Use your recovery disk which is safer than 3rd party tools.

You could clean install and you'll lose your apps, but your files will be there if you do it right. Hopefully, you have your Bitlocker key if activated, at least.

Hi Vince,

Thanks for the tip. However, there is only one admin account on my PC. It seems the suggestion you shared does not work in my case.
If you have an install disk/usb/recovery, which you can make from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 or https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11, you can install "over" your current system, (don't delete/format your drive; just select the drive your OS is on--important!) so that when you make your first login account, your files will be in the Windows.old folder of your C: drive. For example, C:\Windows.old\Users\YOURUSERNAME.

You'll need to not have Bitlocker protection though I believe, or have your key ready.

You can look at your recovery options here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/recovery-options-in-windows-31ce2444-7de3-818c-d626-e3b5...

@Yarisyoyo 

 

Windows Key,

Go to Settings,

Accounts

Under account settings click "Your Info" tab, here you should account settings see something like "sign in with Local account"

click that option and leave username and password blank if it ask.

should soft reboot to main screen

hit enter 

@Symonds1905 So, I, for one, worried about the constant, although "unsuccessful" login attempts from Asia, Middle East, etc., decided, under Microsoft's advice, to get rid of my Windows password and use Microsoft's Authenticator on my phone instead. For a while it worked fine, the hundreds of malicious login attempts disappeared! Yet, starting this week, once again my Microsoft Authenticator keeps sending me login authorization requests, again from malicious players trying to access my Windows account. I have checked for viruses using a number of well known, and well rated, antivirus programs and all report neither bugs nor rootkits. I have ran a number of off-line virus checks with the same results. Is it that Windows Security is, once again, failing?

@Yarisyoyo 

 

Just change your password and when you get to the screen to enter a new one, leave it blank. Then it will auto log you in with no password from now on.

I have followed your instruction selecting windows key plus x) to bring up the tabs and selected Computer Management pop up. After spending several minutes exploring this pop up to my dismay, there is no "User" to right click on. 

I no longer have a need for a password or PIN for my PC. I found to get rid of the PIN, but am now stuck with a password.

@Symonds1905 

As usual this is horrible advice. None of this is applicable to my computer. There is no "USERS". I NEVER asked to use a password and I NEVER. EVER gave microsoft permission to FORCE me to use a password. Microsoft did this to my computer during an update. They infected my computer.  I'm at my God damned house. I don't want a password for MY OWN COMPUTER that I BOUGHT. I just want to go up to my own computer in my own home and use it. I don't want to use a password. I can actually trust my family. The owner of this company has a lot to hide on his computer and needs a password, but my family isn't like that. We're decent people and we don't want to HAVE to use a password

That's typical of Microsoft to FORCE people to use a password.