If you’ve forgotten your Windows 10 password and don’t have an option available to reset it, you might want to try the Command Prompt (CMD for short). Whether you want to change your Windows password while you’re already logged in, or you forget your Windows password and get locked out, the Command Prompt is here to help. It enables you to securely and quickly reset your Windows local account password without losing any data on the computer. Without further ado, this article will guide you on how to reset your Windows 10 password using the Command Prompt, and provide alternative methods in case the Command Prompt does not work for you.
Reset Windows 10 Password with Command Prompt While Logged in
When you are logged into Windows 10, there are many options to change your local account password, and the Command Prompt is one of them. The Command Prompt lets you change your Windows 10 password instantly with a simple command, without requiring you to enter your old password. This is a better way, especially if you’ve forgotten your Windows 10 password.
Step 1: Log in to Windows 10 as administrator.
Changing your account password in Windows 10 using Command Prompt requires administrator privileges, so the first step you need to take is to log in to your Windows 10 as administrator.
Step 2: Open Administrator Command Prompt.
Type cmd into the Windows search box and the Command Prompt app will automatically appear in the search results. Then, click Run as administrator on the right and click Yes if prompted by the User Account Control dialog box. This opens the Administrator Command Prompt window.
Step 3: Reset Windows 10 password with Command Prompt.
In the Administrator Command Prompt window, type net user “username” “new password” and hit Enter, and your password will be changed/reset immediately. Note that you need to replace “username” with your actual account name and “new password” with your desired new password.
Reset Windows 10 password with Command Prompt While Locked out
If you have forgotten your Windows 10 password and get locked out, you can also use the Command Prompt to reset your password and regain access to your system. In this case, you’ll need the help of a bootable USB drive. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Boot your PC from a Windows 10 USB drive.
Plug a bootable Windows 10 USB drive into your locked computer on which you want to reset your Windows 10 password using the Command Prompt.
Tip: If you do not have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive, you will need to create one on another available computer using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool or an ISO image file. If you don’t have another computer available, borrow one from a friend.
Go to your Windows 10 login screen and click the Restart button while holding down the Shift key. This will boot your computer to the blue screen that says Choose an option.
On the Choose an option screen, choose Use a device, and on the next page, choose your USB drive. Your computer will boot from the Windows 10 USB drive.
Alternatively, you can boot your computer from the USB drive via the boot menu or BIOS utility, if you want.
Step 2: Replace Utilman.exe with Cmd.exe.
After your computer has finished booting from the USB drive, you will see the Windows Setup window. Click Next and select Repair your computer. Then, you will see the Choose an option screen again.
This time, choose Troubleshoot > System Image Recovery > Windows 10.
You will see the Re-image your computer dialog. Select Cancel and then Next.
Click the Advanced button, select Install a driver, and then click OK. This will bring up the Open dialog box allowing you to access your drives and system files.
In the Open dialog, go to the drive which contains your Windows 10 OS (usually drive C) and open the Windows\System32 folder.
In the System32 folder, locate the file named Utilman and rename it Utilman1, then locate the file named cmd and rename it Utilman. This replaces the Utilman.exe on your Windows 10 with cmd.exe. You need to refresh the current folder to see the changes.
Close all windows and dialogs on the screen and you will be back on the Choose an option screen. This time, choose Continue to exit this screen and boot to Windows 10 normally.
Step 3: Reset Windows 10 password with Command Prompt.
When you get to the Windows 10 login screen, click the Ease of access icon in the lower right corner. This will bring up a Command Prompt window (cmd.exe) instead of the Erase of Access application (Utilman.exe).
In the Command Prompt window, type net user “username” “new password” and press Enter to reset your Windows 10 password instantly.
Once your password has been reset, simply close the Command Prompt and log in to your Windows 10 with the new password.
Reset Windows 10 Password with iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer
The Command Prompt is an easy and effective way to reset your Windows 10 password, even if you’ve forgotten your password and are locked out. But what if the Command Prompt doesn’t work for you for some reason? Don’t worry. There is an even more powerful tool – iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer – that allows you to safely reset your Windows 10 password and regain access to your computer.
All you need to do is install iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer on another working computer and run it to quickly create a password reset disk.
Following that, boot up your locked computer from the USB drive and you can reset your Windows 10 password with ease.
After the password has been reset, remove the USB drive and restart your computer, then you can log in to Windows 10 with the new password.
iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer has the following features.
- Quickly create a password reset disk with just a few clicks.
- Instantly reset the Windows password with only one click.
- Reset Windows password safely without any data loss.
- Support Windows local account and Microsoft account.
- Add new administrator accounts without logging into Windows.
- Work for Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 and Windows Server.
