Lost Windows password from old laptop

Question

Lost Windows password from old laptop

Cornichon 0

Hi there,

I have this old laptop that I am logging into with a local account. Back when I started using it years ago, I used to log into it using my Microsoft account before deciding to switch to a local account. Fastforward to today, I am trying to sign in to my Microsoft account on my laptop again (in settings > account) and I do manage it but then I have reached this stage "sign in to this laptop with your Microsoft account" that says that they need my current Windows password one last time.

I have tried everything: the password for my local account, my current Microsoft password and any other password that I could remember and nothing worked. And there are no options to skip this step or even to reset that password.

How should I proceed?

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

EmilyS726 272.5K Independent Advisor

Can you hold down Win+R keys, type in netplwiz and press enter, then click on Add there, can you tell me, does it allow you to add the Microsoft account this way?

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Answer 2

That prompt is asking for the current password of the local Windows account, not the Microsoft account password. If that local account was created without a password, leave the password field blank and continue.

If the local account does have a password and it is no longer known, the supported options are:

Try resetting it from the sign-in screen
- Sign out or lock the PC.
- On the Windows sign-in screen, select the arrow next to the password field.
- Select OK > Reset password.
- Answer the security questions for that local account.
If already signed in with that local account and Windows offers it
- Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Select Password > Change.
- If available, select I forgot my password and follow the prompts.
If another administrator account already exists on that PC
- Open Computer Management.
- Go to Local Users and Groups > Users.
- Right-click the affected account and select Set Password...
- Set a new password, then use that password when Windows asks for the current device password.
If no password reset option works and there is no other administrator account
- The documented recovery path is to reset the Windows device.
- Microsoft support cannot retrieve or bypass a forgotten password.

For future protection on a local account, a password reset disk can be created from Control Panel > search for create password reset. This works only for local accounts.