How to Change Password in Windows 10 without Current Password

Can you change password in Windows 10 without current password?

Yes, you can change the password in Windows 10 without knowing the current password, but the method depends on your account type.

For a Microsoft account: You can reset the password using Microsoft's password reset page on another device. This requires access to your linked email or phone number for verification.

For a local account: If you have another administrator account, you can change the password from there. Otherwise, you can use a password reset disk (if created earlier) or access advanced recovery options to reset it.

Using Command Prompt: If you have admin privileges, you can change the password through Command Prompt by booting into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

Third-party tools: Some recovery tools allow you to reset or remove passwords from a locked system.

For security reasons, always ensure you have proper authorization before changing a password this way.

How to change password in Windows 10 without current password

Forgetting your Windows 10 password can be frustrating, but there are several ways to reset or change it without knowing the current one. Whether you’re using a local account or a Microsoft account, the methods below will help you regain access.

Method 1. Using Windows password reset disk (for local accounts)

If you have created a password reset disk beforehand, you can easily change your password. This method works because Windows allows you to use a pre-configured reset disk to bypass authentication.

Step 1. Insert the disk or USB into your PC and click “Reset password” below the blank.

Step 2. Click “Next” button in the pop-up window and choose the target password reset disk. Click “Next”.

Step 3. Input the new password and the hint and click “Next” button.

Step 4. Click “Finish” to complete all the processes. Now, you can try to log in with the new password.

If you forgot your Windows password and didn’t create a password reset disk beforehand, AOMEI Partition Assistant provides a reliable solution to regain access to your system without reinstalling Windows. This powerful disk management software includes a feature called "Reset Windows Password", which allows you to reset or remove your forgotten password easily. It allows you to create a password reset USB even after you forgot the password on all versions of Windows 11/10/8/7 computers.

Step 1. Connect a USB to a running Windows computer. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. At the top pane, select “Tools” > “Reset Windows Password”.

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

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

Step 4. Note that the USB flash drive needs to be formatted so you will lose all data on it. 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 laptop. Boot the PC from this USB, and you will see the interface AOMEI Partition Assistant appear automatically. Click "Reset Password", select the Windows system you would like to operate, 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 are able to log in to your computer with this new password.

Method 2. Resetting Microsoft account password online

If you’re using a Microsoft account instead of a local account, you can reset your password online. This works because Microsoft provides an official recovery option for account security.

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.

Method 3. Changing local account password via Command Prompt (admin rights required)

Another way to change your password is through the Command Prompt, but this requires administrator rights. This method works because the command-line tool allows direct password modifications.

Step 1. Type cmd into the Start menu, right-click the Command Prompt from the list, and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2. Type the command: net user and press Enter to list all the user account on your Windows system. Please note the account name you plan to change the password for.

Step 3. Type the "net user username new_password" and press the Enter key to continue. Remember to replace username and new_password with the actual username and new password for the account like net user admin 123456.

Method 4. Resetting password via safe mode with Command Prompt

If you don’t have another admin account, you can reset your password using Safe Mode with Command Prompt. This works because Safe Mode provides system access with administrative privileges.

Step 1. Reboot your computer. When the Lenovo logo appears, press the F8 button repeatedly to enter Advanced Boot Options.

Step 2. In the advanced Boot Options, select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" and hit "Enter" button.

Step 3. You will see an administrator account on the login screen, click it to log in without password.

Step 4. In the Command Prompt window, you can reset your password with this command: net user [username] [new password].

Step 5. When you see the message saying "The command completed successfully", you have successfully reset your password and you are able to log in to your laptop with the new password.

Method 5. Changing password using Windows 10 installation media

If all else fails, you can use Windows 10 installation media to reset your password. This works because installation media grants access to system recovery tools.

Step 1. Boot your laptop from this installation disk.

Step 2. When the Windows installing screen appears, press Shift + F10 keys to launch the CMD tool.

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 PC and reboot the laptop. When you see the login screen, hit Shift key 5 times.

Step 5. A command prompt box will pop up again, input the command: net user username new_password to reset your password.

Note: If you are not sure of your username, you can type net user to see all the accounts on your laptop before inputting the password reset command.

Step 6. After that, you can use the new password to unlock your laptop.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to change password in Windows 10 without current password. Among various methods, a powerful password reset tool called AOMEI Partition Assistant offers an efficient way to reset or remove forgotten passwords without reinstalling Windows. In addition to the Reset Password feature, it also has many other useful functions to help you manage your computer better, including resizing/moving partition, cleaning up disk space, migrating OS to SSD, and so on.