How to Reset Forgotten Windows Password (Proven Method) 2024

Forgetting the password to your own Windows PC is stressful, but you can get back in. This guide shows three proven ways to reset a forgotten password on Windows 10 or Windows 11. Use them only on a computer that belongs to you or that you are allowed to manage. Follow the steps carefully and you will be back on your desktop.

Note: These methods reset a local Windows account. If you sign in with a Microsoft account, you do not need any of this. You can reset it online from any device on Microsoft’s official password reset page.

In this article

1. Method 1: Reset the Password With Utilman.exe and Command Prompt (Bootable USB)
   1. Step 1: Prepare a Bootable USB Drive
   2. Step 2: Replace Utilman.exe With Command Prompt
   3. Step 3: Reset the Password
   4. Step 4: Restore the Original Utilman.exe
2. Method 2: Use a Password Reset Disk
   1. Step 1: Create a Password Reset Disk (Do This in Advance)
   2. Step 2: Use the Password Reset Disk
3. Method 3: Use EaseUS Partition Master (The Easiest Method)
   1. Step 1: Install EaseUS Partition Master
   2. Step 2: Boot the Locked Computer From the USB Drive
   3. Step 3: Reset the Password
4. Which Method Should You Use?

Method 1: Reset the Password With Utilman.exe and Command Prompt (Bootable USB)

This is the most technical method, but it works well. You use a bootable Windows USB drive to open Command Prompt at the login screen and reset the password from there.

Step 1: Prepare a Bootable USB Drive

1. Create a bootable USB drive for your Windows version (Windows 10 or Windows 11) with a tool like Rufus or the Media Creation Tool.

If you need help with this step, watch this video: https://youtu.be/3sMCYurRidY.

2. Plug the bootable USB drive into the locked computer.
3. Restart the computer and press the boot menu key (usually F12, F2 or Esc) to open the boot menu. Select the USB drive to boot from it.

Step 2: Replace Utilman.exe With Command Prompt

1. When the Windows Setup screen appears, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt. If that does not work, hold the Fn key with the same combination.
2. Move the Utilman.exe file to the root of your C: drive so you can restore it later:

   move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\

3. Copy Command Prompt in place of Utilman.exe:

   copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

Note: Your Windows drive letter inside Setup is not always C:. If these commands cannot find the files, check the other drive letters (often D:) with dir and use the one that holds the Windows folder.

Step 3: Reset the Password

1. Remove the USB drive and restart the computer.
2. At the login screen, click the Ease of Access button in the bottom-right corner. Because you replaced Utilman.exe, this now opens Command Prompt.
3. Reset the password with this command:

   net user [your_username] [new_password]

   Replace [your_username] with your account name and [new_password] with the new password you want. If you are not sure of the exact user name, run net user on its own first to list all accounts.

4. Close Command Prompt and log in with your new password.

Step 4: Restore the Original Utilman.exe

Put the Ease of Access tool back so the button works normally again. Once you are logged in, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

copy c:\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

This restores the original Utilman.exe. You will need your bootable USB again for this step if Windows blocks the copy while running, so repeat it from Setup if needed.

Method 2: Use a Password Reset Disk

This method is simple and safe, but it only works if you created the reset disk before you forgot the password.

Step 1: Create a Password Reset Disk (Do This in Advance)

1. Insert a USB drive into your computer while you still know your password.
2. Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Create a password reset disk and follow the prompts.
3. Keep the USB drive in a safe place. It will let you reset the password if you ever forget it.

Step 2: Use the Password Reset Disk

1. If you forget your password, insert the reset disk.
2. Click Reset password on the login screen and follow the prompts to set a new password.
3. Log in with the new password.

Method 3: Use EaseUS Partition Master (The Easiest Method)

EaseUS Partition Master has a password reset tool that does not need advanced skills. You prepare a bootable USB on a second computer, then use it on the locked one.

Step 1: Install EaseUS Partition Master

1. Download EaseUS Partition Master from the official website and install it on another computer that you can log in to.
2. Open the software, go to Toolkit and select Password Reset. Follow the instructions to create a bootable USB drive.

Step 2: Boot the Locked Computer From the USB Drive

1. Insert the bootable USB drive into the locked computer.
2. Restart it and boot from the USB drive, the same way as in Method 1.

Step 3: Reset the Password

1. The software shows a list of user accounts. Select the one you want to reset.
2. Click Reset password and confirm. The tool clears the password for that account.
3. Restart the computer, remove the USB drive and log in without a password. Then set a new password once you are inside.

Which Method Should You Use?

• Sign in with a Microsoft account: reset it online on Microsoft’s official password reset page.
• Comfortable with commands: use Method 1 (Utilman.exe and Command Prompt).
• You made a reset disk earlier: use Method 2.
• You want the simplest option: use Method 3 (EaseUS Partition Master).

If you would rather remove the password completely instead of resetting it, see my guide on how to remove a Windows 11 login password without software. If you also lost admin access, read how to factory reset Windows 10/11 without the admin password.