Learn to manage your password on Windows

Updated: February 16, 2023
6 min read
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Learn to manage your password on Windows
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by Thomas Johnson
Tech Expert & Writer
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Please note: to follow most of the instructions listed in this article, you must use a local Windows account with administrator privileges.

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How to set a password on a Windows computer

If other people have access to your computer, it is wise to protect your Windows with a password. This will help you keep your settings and data safe. The system will ask you to enter the password when you turn on your device, when you change your account, or when you wake up from sleep mode.

How to set a password on Windows 11

  1. Go to the "Start" menu and open "Settings".
  2. Go to "Accounts" → "Login Options".
  3. Open the "Password" section and click "Add".
  4. Enter the password twice, specify a hint for it, and click "Next".

How to set a password on Windows 10

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  1. Open the Start MenuSettings (the gear icon) and go to Accounts.
  2. Select "Login Options" on the side menu, expand "Password" and click "Add".
  3. Fill in the fields, using the system prompts, and click "Done" at the end.

How to set a password on Windows 8.1, 8

  1. On the right sidebar, click "Settings" (the gear icon) → "Change computer settings". In the menu that opens, select "Accounts" (or "Users") and then "Login Settings".
  2. Click the "Create Password" button.
  3. Fill in the fields, and click "Next" and "Done".

How to set a password on Windows 7 and earlier versions

  1. Open StartControl PanelUser Accounts.
  2. Select the desired account and click "Create a password" or click "Create a password for your account".
  3. Fill in the fields using the system prompts and press the "Create password" button.

How to remove a password on a Windows computer

How to remove a password on a Windows computer

If some people who need physical access to your device don’t know your password, you may decide to disable protection. This will save you from entering your password every time you start the system, log into your account, and activate your PC from sleep.

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How to remove the password on Windows 11

  1. Launch "Settings" from the Start menu and go to "Accounts" → "Login Options".
  2. Open "Password" and select "Change".
  3. Enter your current password and click "Next".
  4. Leave all fields blank and simply click "Next" and then "Done".

How to remove the password on Windows 10

  1. In the Start menu, click the gear and go to "Accounts".
  2. Select "Login Options" on the side menu, then expand "Password" and click "Change".
  3. Enter the password that you assigned earlier and click "Next".
  4. Leave all fields blank, and then click Next and Done.

How to remove the password on Windows 8.1, 8, and earlier versions

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  1. Use the Windows + R key combination and type netplwiz at the command prompt (or enter control userpasswords2 if the first command doesn't work). Press Enter.
  2. In the window that opens, select the account for which you want to remove the password and uncheck the "Require username and password" box. Click OK.
  3. Enter the password, confirm it, and click OK.

After these steps, Windows will stop asking for the passcode, but only when you turn on your computer. If you lock the screen (Windows + L), log out, or hibernate the device, you will still be prompted for the passcode afterward.

If the "Require username and password" option turns out to be unavailable, or if you want to delete the Windows password, try another way. It will work best for more advanced users.

  1. Open the Account Management section using one of the instructions at the beginning of this article.
  2. If the window that appears tells you that you are using a Microsoft online profile (log in by email and password), disable it. Then use the system's prompts to create a local profile, but do not fill in the fields for the cipher.
  3. After disabling your Microsoft account, the system will stop syncing your settings and files on different computers. Some applications may refuse to work.
  4. If the local profile in the account management menu is initially active, simply change the current password, leaving the fields for the new one blank.

If you delete the old code, the system will only ask for it once you add the new code.

How to reset Windows password

If you have forgotten your password and cannot log in to the local Windows administrator profile, you do not have to reinstall the operating system. There is an easier way out: resetting the protection. With modern versions of Windows, all you need to do is enter a couple of commands; earlier versions require a second computer, a USB flash drive, and a free password reset utility.

How to reset the password on Windows 11 and 10

  1. Click the Power icon on the lock screen, then hold down the Shift key and select Reboot.
  2. When the computer restarts in recovery mode, go to "Troubleshooting" → "Advanced Settings" and invoke the "Command Prompt".
  3. Insert the command copy C:\windows\system32\utilman.exe C:\windows\system32\utilman2.exe and press Enter.
  4. After that, type copy C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe C:\windows\system32\utilman.exe, and then press the Y key to confirm and Enter.
  5. Close the command line and select "Continue" to boot Windows.
  6. On the lock screen, click the "Special Features" icon to start the command line and enter the net user command.
  7. Repeat the net user command, then add your account name (as specified in the output of the previous command) and a new password, separated by spaces — for example, net user name psw.
  8. Close the command line and log in to your account using your new password.
  9. After that, you can disable or change the cipher as described in the previous sections of the manual.

How to reset passwords on Windows 8.1 and earlier versions

  1. 1. Download Lazesoft Recover My Password installer to any available computer.
  2. 2. Run the downloaded file and perform the installation.
  3. 3. Connect the flash drive to your computer. If necessary, make a copy of the files stored on it, as all information will have to be deleted.
  4. Open Lazesoft Recover My Password, click Burn Bootable CD/USB Disk Now, and create a bootable flash drive by following the program's prompts.

After these steps, Windows will stop asking for the old password, and you can set up a new one according to the instructions at the beginning of the article.

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