What to Do If You Can't Find Your Windows Password: Full Guide

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Everything to know about finding & resetting your Windows password

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: January 6, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Retrieving a Windows User Password
|
• Microsoft Password (Signed In)
|
• Microsoft Password (Signed Out)
|
• Local Password (Signed Out)
|
• Local Password (Another Account)

|Show more |Show less

Have you forgotten your Windows user account password? This is a frustrating issue to deal with, and it doesn't help that there's unfortunately no way to find your Windows password anywhere on your computer. Windows passwords are encrypted for safety, so the only way to retrieve the password is just to reset it. Thankfully, resetting your Windows password is really simple, whether you've got a Microsoft account or a local account. Keep reading to learn more.

Finding a Windows User Account Password

Unfortunately, there's no way to recover a Windows user account password if you've forgotten it. The Credentials Manager cannot be used to get your Windows password. If you forgot your Windows password, you'll need to reset it. You can use the built-in "forgot my password" tools to change a forgotten Windows password.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Can you retrieve a Windows user account password?

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1. 
   No, there's no way to retrieve a Windows account password. If you don't remember your Windows password, there's no way to get it back. While the Credentials Manager helps find some of the passwords saved on your system, it won't save your computer's password, as this password is encrypted.

   • If you can't remember your Windows password, the best option is just to reset it.
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Section 2 of 5:

Resetting a Microsoft Password when Signed In

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1. 
   1
   Open the Settings app. To easily open Settings, press ⊞ Win+I.

   • If you have a local Windows account, you won't be able to change your password while you're signed in, as Windows will ask for your current password. You'll want to reset your local password while signed out or from another account.
2. 
   2
   Click Accounts. It's in the left-hand sidebar, and it has an icon of a person.
3. 
   3
   Click Sign-in options under the "Account settings" header. If you have multiple accounts signed in to one computer, make sure you're selecting the Sign-in options option under the correct account. The Sign-in options option has an icon of a key.
4. 
   4
   Click Password. It's in the top section, with an icon of a key. If you don't see this option, untoggle "For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device (Recommended)." Then, back out of the "Sign-in options" menu and enter it again to see the Password option.
5. 
   5
   Click Change. If you have a PIN, you'll be asked to verify it.
6. 
   6
   Click Forgot password?. Microsoft will want you to verify your password before continuing, but if you don't remember it, you'll need to proceed like you've forgotten your password.
7. 
   7
   Choose whether to have a code texted or emailed to you. If you choose to get a code texted, you'll have to provide the last four digits of your phone number. If you choose to get a code emailed to you, you'll need to confirm your email address.
8. 
   8
   Enter the code that was texted or emailed to you. Click Next to continue.
9. 
   9
   Reset your password. You'll have to enter the new password twice. Click Next to continue, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete your password reset.
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Section 3 of 5:

Resetting a Microsoft Password when Signed Out

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1. 
   1
   Click I forgot my password on the Microsoft sign-in page. This method will only work for Microsoft accounts. If you have a local account, jump to our local account steps below.
2. 
   2
   Choose whether to have a code texted or emailed to you. If you choose to get a code texted, you'll have to provide the last four digits of your phone number. If you choose to get a code emailed to you, you'll need to confirm your email address.
3. 
   3
   Enter the code that was texted or emailed to you. Click Next to continue.
4. 
   4
   Reset your password. You'll have to enter the new password twice. Click Next to continue, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete your password reset.

   • If the password reset option isn't working from the sign-in screen, you can also reset your password on Microsoft's website.
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Section 4 of 5:

Resetting a Local Password when Signed Out

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1. 
   1
   Enter an incorrect password. When trying to sign into a local account that you don't remember the password of, you must start by entering the wrong password.
2. 
   2
   Click OK. This will bring you back to the sign-in screen.
3. 
   3
   Click Reset password. It's the bottom option under the password field.
4. 
   4
   Answer your security questions. When you created your local Windows account, you would have been prompted to set three security questions. To reset your account password, you'll need to answer these security questions. Type the answers in the respective fields, then click the arrow button to proceed.

   • If you can't remember the answers to your security questions, you can try to reset your password using a different administrator account on the PC. If you don't have access to another admin account, you'll need to reset your PC.
5. 
   5
   Reset your password. You'll have to enter the new password twice. Click the arrow button to set your new password.
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Section 5 of 5:

Resetting a Local Password from Another Account

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1. 
   1
   Log in to an administrator account on the PC. If you don't have access to an administrator account, you'll have to try resetting your password using your security questions. If you still can't log in to your device, you'll have to reset your entire PC.
2. 
   2
   Open Computer Management. The easiest way to do this is to type "computer management" into your taskbar search bar and click Computer Management in the Start menu that pops up.
3. 
   3
   Expand Local Users And Groups > Users. The Local Users and Groups option is under the "System Tools" drop-down.
4. 
   4
   Right-click the user whose password you want to change. A contextual menu will pop up.
5. 5
   Click Set Password…. This will allow you to change the password of this account. Once you change the password, you'll be able to log out of the admin account and log in to the account you were trying to get into previously.
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