Windows 11 Forgot Password? Every Legit Way Back In

Staring at the sign-in screen with no idea what the password was is stressful, but in most cases it is fixable without losing anything. If you hit the Windows 11 forgot password problem, the right fix depends on one thing: whether you sign in with a Microsoft account or a local account. This guide walks through the legitimate options Microsoft documents for each, from a two-minute online reset to the last-resort reset of the whole PC.

We deliberately skip password cracking tools and accessibility-key tricks you may see elsewhere. They are unreliable, can damage Windows, and do nothing against an encrypted drive.

Step 1: Work out which account you have

Look at the sign-in screen:

• An email address is shown under your name, or you remember signing in with Outlook.com, Hotmail or another email: it is a Microsoft account. These are the easiest to recover.
• Only a name is shown and you never used an email to sign in: it is probably a local account, stored only on this PC.
• A work or school account (your organisation’s email) is managed by that organisation. Use its password reset page or ask its IT department.

Situation	Best option
Microsoft account, password forgotten	I forgot my password, or reset online
Forgot the PIN, password known	I forgot my PIN, or sign in with password
Local account	Security questions or reset disk
Local account, no questions or disk	Another administrator on the PC
No way in at all	Reset this PC, Remove everything

Microsoft account: reset the password

Microsoft lists three ways to start when you are not signed in:

1. On the sign-in screen, select I forgot my password. If several accounts are on the PC, pick yours first.
2. Or select Sign-in options, choose Web sign-in, follow the prompts and select Forgot my password.
3. Or, on a phone or another computer, open account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx in any browser.

The process is the same each way. Microsoft must verify your identity first, so it asks where to send a code: the recovery email address or phone number on your account. Confirm the hinted details, select Get code, enter the code and type a new password. Then sign in to Windows with the new password while the PC is online, so it picks up the change.

If you no longer have access to any of the verification options, Microsoft points you to its sign-in helper tool. Microsoft also states plainly that its support agents are not allowed to send password reset links or change account details, so be wary of anyone who claims they can.

Forgot your PIN instead

Many people sign in with a Windows Hello PIN and forget it rather than the password. The PIN is separate from your Microsoft account password and works only on that PC.

• Below the PIN box, select I forgot my PIN and follow the steps to verify your account and set a new PIN.
• If that link is missing, select Sign-in options, then the password option, and sign in with your password. Then go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) to change it.

Microsoft notes that I forgot my PIN is only available for Microsoft accounts, not local accounts. If you forgot both the PIN and the password, reset the password first, then the PIN.

Local account: security questions or a reset disk

A local account cannot be reset online. Windows offers two routes on the sign-in screen:

1. Type a wrong password and select the arrow (or press Enter).
2. Select OK, then Reset password.
3. Answer the security questions you set when the account was created, then choose a new password.

If you created a password reset disk earlier, select Use a password reset disk instead, plug in the USB drive and follow the wizard. Microsoft notes that the disk only has to be made once; it keeps working after later password changes.

Once you are back in, set a password you will remember and consider whether a Microsoft account would suit you better. Our guide on how to switch to a local account explains the trade-offs in both directions.

Have another administrator reset it

If someone else on the same PC has an administrator account, they can set a new password for your local account. Microsoft’s method is:

1. Sign in with the other administrator account.
2. Open Computer Management.
3. Expand Local Users and Groups > Users.
4. Right-click your account and select Set Password…, then enter and confirm the new password.

Local Users and Groups is not included in Windows 11 Home. On Home, the administrator can use Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage another account, select your account and choose Change the password. Windows warns that setting a password this way can cause the account to lose access to some protected information, such as EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates and stored passwords, so use it when the other options are not available.

This does not work for Microsoft accounts; those must be reset online.

Last resort: Reset this PC

If none of the above is possible, Microsoft’s advice is to reset the device. That means losing your personal files on the PC unless they are backed up elsewhere, for example in OneDrive.

1. On the sign-in screen, select the Power icon, hold Shift and select Restart.
2. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
3. Choose Remove everything. Keep my files is only useful if you can later sign in, which is not the case here.
4. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall and follow the prompts.

If BitLocker or device encryption is on, you may be asked for the recovery key; see our BitLocker recovery guide. For what each reset option does, read Reset this PC in Windows 11. After the reset, Windows 11 Home setup needs an internet connection and a Microsoft account.

Avoid the next lockout

• Add an up-to-date recovery email address and phone number to your Microsoft account.
• For a local account, create a password reset disk today and keep it somewhere safe.
• Keep a second administrator account, or a trusted family member’s, on shared PCs.
• Store passwords in a password manager rather than in your head alone.

More sign-in and account protection tips are in our Windows 11 security hub.