I cannot get into my windows user after multiple attempts to reset the password

Question

I cannot get into my windows user after multiple attempts to reset the password

Wesley1337 0

Hi, my windows was showing a duplicate user, so I attempted to turn off auto login to fix this. However, I did not have the password for my Microsoft account saved anywhere I could access it without being logged in on my computer. As such, I attempted to reset my password using both the option on my PC and externally on another device. While I can still log into my Microsoft account on other devices, the password is flagged as incorrect on my PC despite it being connected to the internet

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4 answers

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Answer 1

Francisco Montilla 31,530 Independent Advisor

Hello,

The duplicate user glitch almost always happens when netplwiz was used for auto-login, it got confused between a local account and your Microsoft account. I need a few specific details about what your lock screen is actually showing so we can figure out which credential it is demanding.

How did you turn off auto-login initially? Was it through netplwiz, the registry, or somewhere in Settings?
Look at the bottom-left corner of your sign-in screen. Are there still multiple accounts listed there, and if you click between them, does the name above the password box change?
Right above the password field, does it show your full Microsoft account email address, or does it only display a local username? Also, do you see a Sign-in options link right below the password field?
When you type the password and click the eye icon to reveal it, does it match your actual password character for character, just in case the keyboard layout switched?

Wesley1337 0 Reputation points

2026-10-13T13:54:58.1933333+00:00

Thank you, ok, so. I used Netplwiz, but the issue is that the option to disable auto login wasn’t there. The issue is that windows hello, despite not being set up, was stuck in on. As such, I created a pin, turned it off, then instantly deleted the pin, then went and turned off auto log in.

There is no longer multiple accounts, I’d have tried both if they were still there, I just have the one user which I now cannot get into.

It does say the name which it also says on Microsoft.com, which for privacy I’m just gonna call “Wesley O”. Just to be clear what I mean, going to my profile on Microsoft.com says “Wesley O”, and the name of the user I am trying to access on my PC says Wesley O.

The keyboard layout is the same, and I have triple checked the spelling of the password is correct
Wesley1337 0 Reputation points

2026-10-13T15:11:10.8166667+00:00

Ok, somehow, by fucking around, my mother managed to get it logged in. However, a seemingly related issue now is that every time I manually sign out, it shows an application error
Francisco Montilla 31,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-14T03:40:44.26+00:00
That error basically means an app or background task is trying to launch Command Prompt right as Windows is already unloading system files and terminating processes to log you out.

To figure out what is triggering cmd.exe during sign out, I need a few details:

Did you run any batch files, registry tweaks, or debloater scripts while you were trying to fix the duplicate user or auto login issue?

Does this pop up strictly when you hit Sign out, or does the exact same error appear if you do a full Restart or Shut down?

When you open Task Manager and look at the Startup apps tab, do you see any Command Prompt entries, batch scripts, or unfamiliar utilities enabled?

Also, what did your mom actually enter or do to get you back in?

Knowing whether she used an older password, a local account, or something else helps confirm if Windows is still confused about your user profile.

Answer 2

Wesley1337 0

To be triple clear: I can get into my Microsoft account just fine, but I cannot get into the user on my windows machine which should be using the same sign in info as my microsoft account

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Answer 3

Wesley1337 0

None of the AIs answers help unfortunately as I have already tried most of them, including the Microsoft account sign-in helper

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Answer 4

Since the Microsoft account works on other devices and the PC is online, the most likely causes are that Windows is still using a different sign-in method, the device has not synced the new password yet, or the Windows profile is damaged.

Try this in order:

On the Windows sign-in screen, select Sign-in options and choose Password instead of PIN or Windows Hello.
- Safe Mode does not allow PIN or biometric sign-in, so password is the correct method to test.
Confirm the PC is actually online from the lock screen.
- Select the Network icon on the lock screen.
- If Wi‑Fi is weak, use Ethernet if possible.
- If the PC cannot reach the internet, it may only accept the last cached password used on that device.
Fully restart the PC.
- On the sign-in screen, select Power > Restart.
- If updates are pending, use Update and restart.
If the password still fails, start in Safe Mode with Networking and try the account password there.
- On the sign-in screen, hold Shift and select Power > Restart.
- Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After restart, press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
- Then try signing in with the Microsoft account password, not the PIN.
If Windows signs in with a temporary profile or shows “We can't sign in to your account”, treat it as a profile issue.
- First, restart in Safe Mode and then restart normally and try the original profile again.
- Warning: files created or changed while signed in to a temporary profile are lost when signing out unless saved elsewhere.
If the account still is not accepted, use the Microsoft account recovery flow again and verify the exact account identity.
- Check the email domain carefully, such as .com vs .co.uk.
- If the primary alias is not recognized, try another alias or phone number on the same account.
If the issue is now a lockout from too many attempts, stop retrying and use the Microsoft account sign-in helper to check the account state.

Important limits:

Microsoft support cannot retrieve or bypass a lost or forgotten password.
Support agents also cannot send password reset links or change account details.
If Windows continues rejecting the password after Safe Mode with Networking and the account is confirmed correct, the remaining documented path is to use the sign-in helper or contact Microsoft Support through the public support flow.

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