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Restore To Factory Settings – Guide for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10

It depends on whether you’re using a third-party email address. If your email address ends in outlook. But you can use any email address for your Microsoft account, even an email address from a third-party web-based mail service like Google Mail or Yahoo! When you choose a password for your Microsoft account, it doesn’t change the password you might need to use to sign in to web mail on a third-party site. Under Picture password , tap or click Add , and then follow the instructions.
When you choose a password for your user account, it’s important to pick something you can remember. You’re going to need it again later! Of course, you can also write your password down and keep it in a safe place. Taped to the underside of your laptop or the inside of your desk drawer is probably not a good idea, however. If you do write your password down, be sure to keep it separate from your PC.
For added security, use different passwords for different purposes. For example, it’s a good idea to keep distinctly different passwords for a social networking account and your online bank account. If you do forget or lose your password, there are still several things you can try to reset or recover it.
For more info, see Reset your password above to reset or recover it. The steps to reset your password will vary a bit depending on if your computer is on a domain, or in a workgroup. If your computer is part of a work or school organization there’s a good chance it’s part of a domain.
If this is a home computer it’s almost certainly in a workgroup. Sign in with a domain account that has administrator permissions to this device. If you’re not sure, contact your organization’s IT admin for help. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
On the Users tab, under Users for this computer , select the user account name, and then select Reset Password. Type the new password, confirm the new password, and then select OK. Note: If you are logged on as an administrator, you can create and change passwords for all user accounts on the computer.
Warning: If you use an administrator account to change a password for another account, any encrypted files or e mail messages for that other account will no longer be accessible to the person who was using that account. If you type the wrong password when you attempt to log on, Windows displays a message that the password is incorrect.
Select OK to close the message. Select Reset password , and then insert your password reset disk or USB flash drive. Log on with the new password. If you forget your password again, you can use the same password reset disk. You don’t need to make a new one. Type your old password followed by a new password as indicated, and then type the new password again to confirm it. Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password. Change your Microsoft account password. Reset your Windows local account password.
Table of contents. Windows account help. Sign in. Windows Hello. Reset your password. Reset your PIN. Manage accounts on your PC. Windows 11 Windows 10 Windows 8. Windows 11 If you added security questions when you set up your local account for Windows 11, then you can answer security questions to sign back in. After you’ve entered an incorrect password: Select the Reset password link on the sign-in screen.
Windows 10 version and later If you added security questions when you set up your local account for Windows 10, then you have at least version and you can answer security questions to sign back in. If your PC isn’t connected to a domain, follow these steps: Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings , and then tap Change PC settings.
Tap or click Change your password and follow the instructions. Does my Microsoft account password affect the password on my email account? Create a picture password to sign in with gestures instead of by entering characters. Reset your password The steps to reset your password will vary a bit depending on if your computer is on a domain, or in a workgroup. My computer is on a domain Sign in with a domain account that has administrator permissions to this device. Need more help?
Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help. Can you help us improve? Resolved my issue. Clear instructions. Easy to follow. If the drive that Windows 7 is installed on in your computer is not D: Step 5 , be sure to change all instances of d: in the commands above with the correct drive letter.
Remove the disc or flash drive and then restart your computer. You can close Command Prompt and select Restart but it’s also okay in this situation to restart using your computer’s restart button. Once the Windows 7 login screen appears, locate the little icon on the bottom-left of the screen that looks like a pie with a square around it, and select it. If your normal Windows 7 login screen didn’t show up, check to see that you removed the disc or flash drive you inserted in Step 1. Your computer may continue to boot from this device instead of your hard drive if you don’t remove it.
Now that Command Prompt is open, execute the net user command as shown, replacing myusername with whatever your user name is and mypassword with whatever new password you’d like to use:. So, for example, I’d do something like this:. Close the Command Prompt window. Log in with your new password! Create a Windows 7 Password Reset Disk!
This is the Microsoft-approved, proactive step you should have done a long time ago. All you need is a blank flash drive or floppy disk, and you’ll never need to worry about forgetting your Windows 7 password again.
While not required, it would probably be wise to undo the hack that makes this work. If you don’t, you won’t have access to accessibility features from the Windows 7 login screen. To reverse the changes you’ve made, repeat Steps 1 through 7 above. When you have access to Command Prompt again, execute the following:. Confirm the overwrite and then restart your computer. Undoing this hack will have no impact on your new password. Whatever password you set in Step 11 is still valid.
Your password should now be reset. For a full list of ways to reset or recover a forgotten Windows 7 password, see Help! I Forgot My Windows 7 Password! When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.
You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. By Tim Fisher. Tim Fisher. Tim Fisher has more than 30 years’ of professional technology experience. He’s been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. Reviewed by Ryan Perian. Tweet Share Email. What to Know Run Repair your computer from the Windows 7 installation disc and run an overwrite command in Command Prompt.
Remove the disc and restart the computer, execute the net user command with a new username and password.
Windows 7 ultimate reset computer free. How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC
› Information. Method 2: Reinstall Windows 7 on your PC · 1) Turn off your computer and disconnect all peripherals from your computer (except for your monitor.
How to factory reset a Windows 7 without a CD – Information News
› Information. Method 2: Reinstall Windows 7 on your PC · 1) Turn off your computer and disconnect all peripherals from your computer (except for your monitor.