Forgot Your Windows Password? We'll Get You Back In
Locked out of your own Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop or desktop, with no reset option that works? We help owners regain access and keep their files, especially on older PCs with a local account.
Device owners only · Files kept where possible · From $40
How hard this is depends on what kind of account you sign in with. If it's a Microsoft account (an email address on the sign-in screen), the password is reset online and you don't need us. If it's a local account (just a name), the reset options are the security questions, a password reset USB, or another administrator account on the same computer, if any of those were ever set up.
When none of them were, the owner can still get back in. We reset the local account password on the computer itself, or copy your files off first and then reset Windows, depending on what keeps the most of your data. On older personal laptops with a local account and no drive encryption, your files are almost always recoverable.
Try These First (Free)
One of these solves it for many people, so check them before booking anything.
Is it a Microsoft account?
If the sign-in screen shows an email address, use "I forgot my password" or reset it at account.live.com/password/reset from any device, then sign in with the new password.
Security questions
On Windows 10 (since 2018) and Windows 11 local accounts, enter a wrong password once and choose "Reset password" to answer the questions set up with the account.
Password reset USB
If you ever made a password reset disk on a USB stick, plug it in and choose "Reset password" on the sign-in screen.
Another admin account
If someone else in the house has an administrator account on the PC, they can set a new password for yours from their account.
Forgot the PIN, not the password
Choose "I forgot my PIN". You'll need the account password to set a new PIN, so if you don't know that either, you're back to the steps above.
Locked out after too many tries
Windows 11 locks the account for about 10 minutes after repeated wrong attempts. Wait, then try again carefully, checking Caps Lock and the keyboard language.
When None of That Works: Windows Password Recovery
For a local account on a computer you own, we reset the account's password on the machine itself, so you sign in to your normal desktop with your files and programs where you left them. One honest caveat: saved passwords stored by Windows for that account, and any files encrypted with Windows' own file encryption, can't be carried across a reset. We tell you before we start if that applies to you.
If you'd rather not keep the old setup, or a reset isn't possible, we copy your documents, photos and other files off the drive first, then reinstall Windows cleanly and put your files back. Either way, your files come first.
If Your PC Is Protected by BitLocker
If the computer is encrypted with BitLocker or Windows device encryption, nothing can be reset or copied without the recovery key. That's how the encryption is meant to work. Most older laptops with a local account aren't encrypted, but some are. If you see a BitLocker recovery screen, or the drive turns out to be encrypted, see our BitLocker recovery help for where the key is usually saved.
Owners Only: How We Confirm the Computer Is Yours
We only work on computers that belong to the person asking. Bring photo ID and something that ties you to the computer: a receipt or invoice, a warranty registration, or an account name that matches yours and files you can describe. For a family member's computer after they've passed away, we work with the estate's executor.
We don't unlock computers owned or managed by an employer, school or organization; their IT department holds the access. For a second-hand computer you bought that still has someone else's password, we'll do a clean reinstall with a bill of sale, but we won't recover the previous owner's files. If anything about a request doesn't add up, we decline it.
From First Message to Fixed
Step 1: Tell us what you see
Windows 10 or 11, an email or a name on the sign-in screen, and what you've already tried.
Step 2: Confirm ownership
Photo ID and proof the computer is yours, at drop-off or before a visit.
Step 3: Back in, files kept
Password reset on your account, or files copied off and Windows reinstalled, then you set a new password and a reset option you'll remember.
What It Costs
| Advice on which reset option you have | Free |
| Windows password reset (local account) | From $40 |
| Files copied off a locked computer | From $50 |
| Windows reinstall with your files put back | $40 + file transfer quote |
You get the price before we start. If the drive is encrypted and there's no recovery key, we'll tell you before you pay for anything. See full pricing.
Windows Password Recovery FAQs
I forgot my Windows 10 password. Can I reset it without losing my files?
Usually, yes. For a Microsoft account, reset it online. For a local account, try your security questions or a reset USB first. If neither was set up, we can reset the password on your computer with your files kept, as long as the drive isn't encrypted.
How do I know if I have a local account or a Microsoft account?
Look at the sign-in screen. An email address means a Microsoft account, which you can reset online. Just a name means a local account, which has to be reset on the computer itself.
Can I get my files off a locked laptop?
Yes, if the drive isn't encrypted with BitLocker or device encryption. We copy your files off safely, whether or not you want the password reset afterwards.
Will resetting the password delete anything?
Your files and programs stay. What can't carry over is Windows' saved credentials for that account and any files you encrypted with Windows file encryption. Most home users have neither, and we check first.
Can you bypass the password on any Windows laptop?
We reset passwords only for the computer's owner, with proof of ownership, and not on encrypted drives or work, school or managed computers. We don't help anyone get into a computer that isn't theirs.
How do I stop this happening again?
Set up security questions or switch to a Microsoft account (which can be reset online), make a password reset USB, and keep your password in a password manager. We'll set that up when we're done.
Locked Out of Your Own Computer?
Tell us what the sign-in screen shows. We'll tell you which reset option you have, often without needing us at all.