Even if your password wasn’t that difficult to remember — you’re human. Everyone forgets things now and then, even important things!
I Forgot My Windows 8 Password! What Are My Options?
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to get back in if you forgot your Windows 8 password, all of which we detail below.
Make Educated Guesses at Your Password
Before you roll your eyes at this one, give it a shot. Seriously try this, if even just to humor us. Guessing is probably the first thing you did once you realized you forgot your password, but were they educated guesses or just a few frustrated tries? Yes, there are several geeky ways to get back into Windows, but before you spend all that time and energy with those, give educated guessing a really good last shot. Considering that both simple and complex, well-crafted passwords are usually inspired by the things most familiar to us in our lives, think about whether your password could have something to do with:
Your spouse’s, partner’s, friend’s, or child’s birthdayAn aspect of your first, middle, or last nameA favorite set of numbersA fond memory from childhoodA favorite food or activityThe phone number you remember when you were a kidWhere you work or liveYour pets…Or maybe it’s some combination of the above
Reset Your Microsoft Account Password Online
An option you were given when you first bought your computer or installed Windows 8 was to sign up for a Microsoft account or sign in with your existing Microsoft account. One huge benefit of doing that is that it gives you an escape plan if you ever forget your password: You can reset your Microsoft account password. Go to account.live.com/password/reset and follow the on-screen prompts.
Use That Password Reset Disk You Made
A password reset disk is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a floppy disk, or flash drive, that can be used to reset your Windows 8 password if you forget it. If you have one, this is the time to find it and use it! Unfortunately, it’s that if you have one bit that will probably have you moving on to the next idea. A password reset disk is tied to your specific Windows account, meaning that one has to be created from within Windows, back when you actually knew your password. In other words, if you don’t already have a password reset disk, your chance to create one for this instance is over. Once you get back into Windows using one of the other ideas below, please create a Windows 8 password reset disk so you can avoid all this trouble next time you forget your password.
Have Another User Change Your Windows Password
If more than one person uses your computer, and at least one of those other people is configured as an administrator, that person can log on with their password and change your password for you from the User Accounts applet in Control Panel.
Use This Trick to Reset Your Windows Password
There is a free and relatively simple procedure you can follow that lets you reset your password if you’ve forgotten it. With this trick, you’ll be able to reset your Windows 8 password right from the Windows login screen, without a password reset disk or flash drive, and without any need for third-party software. You’ll have to use Command Prompt and do some things you may have never done before, but follow our instructions closely, and you’ll get through it fine. If for whatever reason, the almost-always-work ideas above weren’t successful for you, it’s time to move on to a more “serious” method.
Reset Your PC
The Reset Your PC process is very different than just resetting your password. This process removes all your installed programs, apps, and even all of your saved data. In other words, you get to log in to Windows again because your computer is reset back to its initial configuration, just as it was when you bought it or first installed Windows. To complete this process, access Advanced Startup Options and then choose Troubleshoot > Reset Your PC. See our article on How to Reset Your PC in Windows 8 for a full walkthrough of this process. This is obviously not a great way to get past a forgotten password, but if all else fails, this will almost certainly work. You’ll have the option of creating a new local account or Microsoft account. If you happen to have a second Microsoft account you do know the password to, you’ll have the option of signing in with that.
