Forgot Windows 10 Password? Here's how To Unlock It

Fingerprint blocked, PIN not working anymore, forgot laptop password or can't retrive the Microsoft account, and no WiFi connection ? See below several ways to solve it without needing a reset disk - simply plug a phone with USB, sharing the internet connection and reset forgotten Windows 10 password !


How to reset password on Windows 10 without disk

Fingerprint blocked, PIN not working anymore, forgot laptop password or can't retrive the Microsoft account, and no WiFi connection ? See below several ways to solve it without needing a reset disk - simply plug a phone with USB, sharing the internet connection and reset forgotten Windows 10 password !

Forgot windows 10 password, no reset disk ? One hint : do not update your Microsoft account password on another device, if the locked device isn't connected to internet ! If you do so, the password will not be synchronized, and it won't be possible to log in at all.

The easiest solution if you forgot laptop password probably is to use an external software that will help you recover any error with your laptop: welcome screen lock after you forgot laptop password and did too many wrong attempts, blue screen, black screen, Windows 10 loading stuck, Win10 restarting by itself, update loop, and more.

However, if your issue simply is a password problem, the following options can be tried, depending on your situation:

Windows 10 PIN not working

When using a PIN to login Windows 10 computer, it can happen that the PIN is not working anymore, either because of too many tries, even after some other issues, for example typing unintentionally on keyboard.

In that case, the following message might be displayed :

Your PIN is required to sign in

You PIN is no longer available due to a change to the security settings on this device. You can set up your PIN again by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in

Windows 10 PIN login not working

In that case, even when trying to enter the PIN, the computer won't allow to login, with following message : You can't sign in to your device right now. Go to account.live.com to fix the problem or try the last password you used on this device.

Of course, that is a big problem, if you can't remember the last password used, which might especially happen after months using only fingerprint recognition or PIN to login, without ever typing the password, except that one time at account setup.

After fingerprint login hasn't worked out, try again entering the PIN, eventually using the button allowing to show the input, to make sure that the right digits have been entered, and caps lock or another input language are not at fault here.

Windows 10 offline

After some time thinking, which happen to make sure it is not possible to try too many PIN combinations quickly to hack into the computer, if the login is still unsuccessful, following message should appear :

Your device/PC is offline. Please sign in with the last password used on this device.

There, try to login to a WiFi if possible. If, like in this example, the only WiFi available are necessiting a browser login, for example hotel login page where room and name and necessary to access internet, then there is no way to change the password from the Windows login screen.

Another solution if you have access to another computer and have an USB key, is to download an external software that will actually unlock Windows 10 password for you and help you retrieve your data and access.

If you have no way to access a network with internet connection accessible to your computer without login, here is the solution.

Share connection with USB tethering

Connect your phone by USB, which must have a working internet connection, either by WiFi or by mobile network.

In the phone settings, go to the tethering options, for which the location might depend on your phone.

Generally, it should be accessible under wireless and networks settings, most likely behind the more option in that menu.

There, with the computer locked out on login screen, and mobile phone connected by USB and sharing internet connection, activate the USB tethering, which means that the internet connection of the phone will be shared to the connected computer.

Windows password recovery

You can now click on the link I forgot my password, which will lead to a recover your account page, in which you'll have to enter your windows account. If, like us, you had forgotten it, then check your mailboxes looking for emails from Microsoft, until you find one of them - that must be your account.

It will also be asked to enter some characters displayed in an image.

After that, a code will be sent to your email, which must be entered to update the password to a new one.

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The Windows code and the account code are the same ones, therefore the Microsoft account login is the same as the computer login.

Microsoft password reset

The next step will be to enter a new password, and to confirm it. Make sure this time to be able to remember your password, so that the same issue will not happen another time ! Try not to write it down however, as this is a big security issue.

How to unlock your laptop when you forgot the password

All set ! That what should now be written on the computer, along with a message saying that the password for [email protected] has been changed successfully.

You should now be able to sign in normally, simply by entering the full password.

From the sign-in options, make sure to select the correct one, password entry, and to enter the password using the right characters, avoiding caps lock or using another keyboard language setup.

Forgot laptop password Windows 10 solved

And that is it ! You should now be back in your laptop, and can reactivate the fingerprint login, the PIN login, or any other way to access your account on your laptop.

This is how to unlock HP laptop forgot password, when you forgot password on HP laptop, but also works for locked out of Asus laptop, or also Asus laptop forgot password issues.

See more solutions online :

Your PIN is no longer available Windows

When having forgot Windows 10 password with no disk access on the computer, or getting the error your device is offline please sign in with the last password used on this device, how to unlock laptop can be tricky.

However, forgot Windows PIN is not always an issue, as the solution above has proven.

Share the internet connection with USB tethering, and reset the password using the standard Windows tools, and your laptop should be accessible again in no time !

Forgot Windows 10 password no disk

When being locked out of the computer, having forgotten the Windows 10 password and getting errors such as your pin is no longer available due to a change in security settings on this device, the best option is to share the connection from a smartphone using USB cable, and follow the process to reset the password.

Without the password, without disk, and without active internet connection, it is the only solution to recover access to the Windows 10 account.

However, if you have access to another computer with an active Internet connection, you can download a software that will unlock Windows 10 password for you by putting it on a bootable CD/DVD or USB flash drive!

Your pin is no longer available due to a change in security

When getting the error “your pin is no longer available due to a change in the security settings on this device” at Windows start, the only way to get back access to the laptop is either to use another login method, such as the password, or the fingerprint login.

If you are not able to use any of these methods, then you have to reset the Windows password to get back access to it.

Please sign in with the last password used on this PC

When you get the error please sign in with the last password used on this PC at Windows start, the only way to login to your laptop is to use that password.

If you are not able to use this password, because you have forgot it for example, then you must change your password using your Windows account.

Unlock Windows 10 password with a bootable USB stick

There is a way to solve most common Windows 10 issues using an external USB stick, on which you load a software that will be executed on startup, before Windows, and will let you solve all these issues:

  • I forgot Windows 10 password
  • BSOD (Black screen of death) keeps appearing
  • BSOD (Blue screen of death) keeps showing
  • Windows 10 loading stuck
  • Windows 10 keeps restarting
  • Win 10 stuck on update loop
  • Win 10 stuck on welcome screen
  • Windows10 does random reboot
  • Windows 10 screen freeze constantly

If you experience any of these issues, the only way to access your data despite not being able to use the WIn10 graphical interface, is to use an external software on a bootable USB stick to retrieve your data.

In case your forgot laptop password it will simply allow you to unlock Windows 10 password, and for other issues it will allow you to access and retrieve your data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I update my Microsoft account password on another device?
If you are facing a laptop forgot password issue, then do not update your Microsoft account password on another device if the locked device is not connected to the internet, as if you do, the password will not sync and you will not be able to sign in at all.
What are the recommended steps for users who have forgotten their Windows 10 password and need to regain access to their computer?
Users can reset their Windows 10 password by using the Reset password link on the login screen, which requires security questions. Alternatively, if linked to a Microsoft account, the password can be reset online via Microsoft's website. For local accounts without security questions, using a password reset disk or third-party software might be necessary.

Yoann Bierling
About the author - Yoann Bierling
Yoann Bierling is a Web Publishing & Digital Consulting professional, making a global impact through expertise and innovation in technologies. Passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the digital age, he is driven to deliver exceptional results and drive growth through educational content creation.

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