How to Reset Forgotten Admin Password Windows 8/8.1

What to do if you forgot your Windows 8/8.1 password?

"Hello, I'm a novice using an old hand-me-down laptop running Windows 8. I have forgotten the admin password and currently can only access the guest account. I have tried every way possible to reset it but no success. Please help, thank you."

---From Microsoft Community

Owing an administrator password means you have all the privileges on your Windows 8 PC including deleting some specific files, uninstalling programs, changing system settings, and so on. So you can imagine how much trouble it will bring if you have forgotten admin password Windows 8.

In order to prevent things from getting worse, the best way is to reset your admin password if forgotten. Whether using a Microsoft or local account, you can always find the solution in this article. Now, let's get started!

How to reset forgotten admin password Windows 8/8.1?

If you can still log in to your Windows 8 with other accounts after losing Windows 8 admin password, you can simply go to Command Prompt to reset password with CMD or change it from settings.

Thus, the below content will focus on the situation where you are locked out of the PC. Based on the account type you are using, just jump to the corresponding section to begin your forgotten admin password reset process.

Part 1. Reset Windows 8/8.1 admin password for local account

Method 1. Use the password reset disk created in Windows 8

It is recognized as the simplest method to use a Windows password reset disk to change the password in Windows PC. So if you want to reset forgotten admin password Windows 8.1/8, you can give priority to this method.

Warning: This disk needs to be created when you can normally use your Windows 8 computer, otherwise, this method doesn't work.

Step 1. You will be stuck on the sign-in screen when you fail to access your system. Then, click "Reset password" when you insert the previously-made password reset disk for Windows 8.

Step 2. Click "Next" when the "Password Reset Wizard" window appears.

Step 3. In the new window, choose the target password reset disk and click "Next".

Step 4. Then type a new password and confirm it, click "Next" to proceed, and wait for the process to complete.

Method 2. Use the installation disk created with Windows 8 ISO file

For advanced Windows 8 users, using the command lines to reset a password would be more reliable. If you have experience in making adjustments with CMD, you can apply this method. Since you are unable to log in to Windows, you have to create a Windows installation disk first so that you can open Command Prompt during the installation.

Let's see how to reset a forgotten admin password on Windows 8 via installation disk.

Step 1. Boot your Windows 8 from this installation disk.

Step 2. When the Windows installing screen appears, press the Shift + F10 keys to get into the Command Prompt.

Step 3. Then, type the following commands and hit "Enter":

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

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

Step 4. Unplug the disk from your Windows 8 computer and reboot it. When you see the login screen, hit Shift key 5 times.

Step 5. In the new Command Prompt window, input the command: net user username new_password to reset your password.

Note: Replace the username and new password with your actual admin username and new password, eg. net user Tom 123.

Step 6. After that, you have succeeded in resetting forgotten admin password Windows 8 and can start to use the new password now.

Method 3. Use the bootable USB created by Windows unlock tool

If you have no password reset disk created before or know little about command lines, you can switch to this method. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, a versatile Windows unlock tool, can help reset or remove admin password Windows 8 by creating a bootable password reset USB even after you have forgotten the password.

In addition to Windows 8 password reset, this software is also available on other versions of Windows computers like Windows 7, 10, and 11. Even if you are a computer novice, the easy-to-use interface and step-by-step guidance can lead you to finish the operation effectively.

Download the demo version and follow the below guide to see how to reset a forgotten admin password on Windows 8 or 8.1.

Step 1. Prepare an empty USB and connect it to another Windows 8 computer if you cannot log in to your own PC. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. And Click "Tools"> "Reset Windows Password" in the main interface.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, click "Next" to begin to create a WinPE bootable media.

Step 3. Here we tick "USB Boot Device" and choose your prepared USB and click "Proceed" to move on.

Step 4. Note that the USB flash drive will be formatted during the process. If there is important data on it, please make a backup and redo; if not, click "OK" to continue.

Step 5. When the bootable USB is created successfully, unplug it and connect it to your Windows 8 computer. Boot the PC from this USB, and you will see the interface AOMEI Partition Assistant appears automatically. Click "Reset Password", select the Windows system you would like to operate (Here we take Windows 7 as an example), and click "Next".

Step 6. Then, select the account you would like to operate and select the feature you want to use: "Remove Account Password" or "Reset Account Password". Here we choose "Reset Account Password" and click "Next".

Step 7. Type the new password and confirm it, then click "Yes". After that, you have learned reset forgotten admin password Windows 8.1/8.

Part 2. Reset Windows 8/8.1 admin password for Microsoft account

If you are a Microsoft account user, don't need to worry more about password forgotten because it's very easy to change a new password when compared with a local account user. To reset forgotten admin password Windows 8 for Microsoft account, you can do as follows:

Step 1. Open Microsoft password reset page on a working computer.

Step 2. Enter your email address or phone number you set for your Microsoft account and click "Next".

Step 3. Follow the steps to finish the verification.

Step 4. Once verified, you can enter the new password and confirm it to reset your password.

Conclusion

What should you do if you have forgotten admin password Windows 8 or Windows 8.1? This post has given you the detailed answer: That is to reset the forgotten password. And this passage has mainly discussed the most challenging situation: How to reset a forgotten admin password on Windows 8 if you are locked out of the system? You can choose the best solution from the article based on your needs.