If you are locked out of your own computer or need to assist a friend or family member who has forgotten their Windows password, you may need to reset a lost Windows password. It’s quite simple if you have a bootable disc, such as PCUnlocker. This tutorial will take you through the steps of creating a PCUnlocker Live CD and booting your computer from the CD to easily reset a forgotten Windows 10 / 8 / 7 password.
Burn PCUnlocker to a CD or USB Drive
The first thing is to access another PC and download the PCUnlocker ZIP file. Next, extract the ZIP file’s contents to a folder on your hard drive. In Windows Explorer, open the extracted folder and you’ll see an ISO file named pcunlocker.iso then you’ll need to burn to a CD or USB.
I will use the freeware ISO2Disc to create a bootable CD or USB drive from that ISO file. Insert a blank CD into the drive and launch ISO2Disc. then go to to the ISO file in the unzipped files. Select “Burn to CD/DVD” and press the Start Burn button to start.
This will create a bootable PCUnlocker CD in few minutes. Also you can create a bootable USB Instead.
Boot Your PC from CD or USB Drive
Insert the bootable PCUnlocker CD into the computer whose password you want to reset. To access BIOS, immediately turn on the computer and press a system defined key (such as F12, ESC, DEL, or F2). Set CD/DVD as the first boot option in the BOOT menu.
After changing the boot priority, save the BIOS settings and restart your computer. The PCUnlocker CD should now boot up.
Reset Forgotten Windows Password
PCUnlocker will locate the Windows operating systems that were installed on your hard drive once you boot to CD. To proceed, select one of your user accounts from the list and click the Reset Password button.
This will launch the Change Password dialogue, where you can enter a new password or leave it empty to remove the password. If you select a local account that was previously linked to a Microsoft account, you will be warned that the program will convert your Microsoft account back to a local user.
Your Windows password will be reset immediately after you click OK. Reboot your computer and undo the BIOS changes you made. You can now log in to Windows with your new password!
PCUnlocker is available in three editions: Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. PCUnlocker Enterprise is required to reset a forgotten Windows password on a computer with UEFI secure boot enabled.
Final Words
If you have the right tools, resetting a forgotten Windows password can be a quick and easy process. PCUnlocker is a powerful and efficient program that can assist you in quickly resetting your password and regaining access to your computer. Remember to burn the software to a CD or USB drive, boot your computer from it, and select the account you want to reset the password for, then follow the software’s instructions.