How to Reset Windows 10 Local Account Password When You Forget It

Unless you are not plugged in, you must be using passwords every day. In fact, you might be using tens of them, and if you are cautious and know how to set up passwords responsibly, you might be at risk of forgetting some of them. That is because passwords are meant to be complicated and not so easy to remember. The human brain is a marvelous thing but it is not so great at remembering things we don't use all the time. While it might be easy for you to remember a password that you use every single day, you might have a harder time with passwords that are used less frequently. One of these is the Windows 10 local account password. Of course, many people log into their Windows accounts daily, but if it is a password to an account that you do not use often, you might forget it. The problem, unfortunately, is that recovering the password might be impossible unless you are able to use recovery options.

What is Windows 10 local account password?

Windows 10 is, of course, the latest Windows version that is now run on 700 million devices. You yourself might be running Windows 10 on multiple devices, including your home and office desktops. Furthermore, every device might have multiple local accounts. Local user accounts are stored on a local server and they can have different rights and permissions set up. For example, an administrator account should have more privileges than a guest account. Let's say we are talking about your home Windows system. If you live alone, you still might have several accounts set up, but if you have multiple members in the family, multiple accounts exist, and, in turn, multiple Windows 10 local account passwords exist as well. Remembering them all can be a challenge; if that is your responsibility. In some cases, losing a password might not be a huge deal; for example, if you forget a guest account password. However, if it is your own Windows 10 local account password that you forgot, you are in trouble.

What to do if you forgot Windows 10 local account password

Whether or not you can recover the passwords depends on a few things. Do you have this password saved and protected by a password manager? Is the password manager's vault accessible from another computer or online? Do you have a Microsoft account? Have you set up security questions? Needless to say, the more password recovery options you've got, the better.

Reset the password using your Microsoft account

1. Go to the Windows login screen.
2. Click I forgot my password.
3. Enter your Microsoft account email and then Enter the characters you see. Click Next.
4. Choose email or text to verify your identity and click Send code.
5. Enter the recovery code and click Next.
6. Create a new password and click Next.
7. Sign in using a new password.
8. Store the password in a password manager's vault for safe keeping.

If you have forgotten your Microsoft account password, you can follow this guide.

Reset the password using security questions

1. Enter the password to log in.
2. If the password does not work, try entering it again to get a password hint.
3. If the hint does not help, click Reset password below.
4. Answer the security questions on the screen.
5. Create a new password and click Next.
6. Sign in using a new password.
7. Store the password in a password manager's vault for safe keeping.

If you cannot use security questions because they had not been set up – and we strongly suggest that you set them up once you restore access to your account or you reset your computer – and you cannot recover the password using your Microsoft account, you've got one more option. Unfortunately, it is pretty drastic. If you follow the instructions below, all programs, data, and settings will be reset, which means that it will be removed. This is the last resort measure that users are likely to employ only after all other solutions fail.

Reset Windows 10 local account password by resetting the PC

1. Click the Power icon on the login screen (bottom right).
2. Hold the Shift key on the keyboard and, at the same time, click Restart.
3. When the Boot options menu loads, choose Troubleshoot.
4. Click Reset this PC and then Remove everything.
5. Once your PC resets and restarts, it will no longer be locked by a password.

There is a solution if you do not want to forget passwords again

No one can stop you from writing down passwords on a piece of paper, but what if it gets tossed, lost or eaten by a dog? You don't want to rely on that not happening, do you? When it comes to keeping the passwords in a file on your computer, that will not help if you cannot access your computer, now will it? Furthermore, that is incredibly unsafe! Cyber attackers take over computers all the time, and you do not want to give them the gift of easy access to your personal accounts, do you? So, what are you supposed to do? The answer is simple: Set up a password manager. We offer Cyclonis Password Manager, a free password management tool that can store passwords, as well as help you create and strengthen them.

When you set up a password manager, you want to adjust the settings so that your passwords are stored on a cloud rather than locally. If you do this, you will be able to download the application on any computer and access the stored passwords in case you forget your Windows 10 local account password again. When it comes to storing this password, you want to use the Private Notes feature, which you can read more about here. All passwords and private notes are encrypted by the password manager, and only you can access them using a master password, the only password you need to remember from now on. If you want to ask questions about the application, or you need further assistance with the recovery of your local account password, do not hesitate to leave a comment below.