Reset Windows 10 Password Without Installation Media

This guide shows you how to regain access to a Windows 10 PC when you’ve forgotten your password and don’t have a USB drive or DVD with the Windows installer. You’ll learn two built-in methods that work on most systems: using the hidden Administrator account via Safe Mode, and using the Sticky Keys utility from the login screen. No additional software is required, but you will need physical access to the computer and the ability to restart it.

What You’ll Need

• Physical access to the locked Windows 10 computer.
• Ability to restart the computer (keyboard or power button).
• If your account is a Microsoft account (not a local account), you’ll also need access to the phone or email linked to that account, because the methods below reset the local password only—for Microsoft accounts, you’ll need to reset online.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Reset via Safe Mode and the Hidden Administrator Account

1. Start or restart your computer. As soon as the Windows logo appears (or right after the manufacturer’s logo), press and hold the power button for about 5–10 seconds to force a shutdown. Repeat this process 2–3 times. On the next boot, Windows should display the “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen.
2. Wait for the “Automatic Repair” screen to appear. Click Advanced options.
3. In the blue screen, go to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings.
4. Click Restart. After the restart, you’ll see a list of options. Press 5 or F5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking (or just Safe Mode if you don’t need internet).
5. Once Windows loads in Safe Mode, you’ll see a login screen. Click on the Administrator account (it may be labeled “Administrator” or just show a user icon). If it asks for a password, leave it blank and press Enter. If it doesn’t appear, skip to Method 2.
6. After logging in, open the Control Panel (search for it in the Start menu). Go to User Accounts → User Accounts → Manage another account.
7. Select the account whose password you forgot. Click Change the password.
8. Enter a new password (leave blank if you want no password), confirm it, and click Change password.
9. Restart the computer normally and log in with your new password.

Method 2: Reset via Sticky Keys (Utilman.exe Trick)

1. Boot to the login screen (the one where you enter your password).
2. Click the Ease of Access icon (the little person with a clock) in the bottom-right corner. This opens the Sticky Keys prompt. Do not click anything yet.
3. Now, force a restart by holding the power button for 5–10 seconds. Repeat the forced shutdown 2–3 times until you see the “Automatic Repair” screen.
4. Go to Advanced options → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt.
5. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter to back up the original Sticky Keys executable:

   copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe.bak

6. Now replace sethc.exe with cmd.exe by typing:

   copy /y c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

7. Close the Command Prompt and click Continue (or restart normally).
8. At the login screen, click the Ease of Access icon again. This time, instead of Sticky Keys, a Command Prompt window will open.
9. In that Command Prompt, type the following to reset the password for your user. Replace username with your actual username (e.g., net user John 12345):

   net user username newpassword

   Press Enter. You should see “The command completed successfully.”

10. Close the Command Prompt and log in with the new password.
11. After you regain access, it’s important to restore the original sethc.exe file. Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click Start → Command Prompt (Admin)) and type:

    copy /y c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe.bak c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Common Mistakes

• Using the wrong username: The net user command requires the exact username. If you don’t know it, type net user alone to list all accounts.
• Forgetting to restore sethc.exe: Leaving the Sticky Keys hack in place is a security risk and can cause issues with the Ease of Access feature. Always restore it.
• Forcing shutdown too many times: Doing it more than 3 times may trigger Windows Recovery Environment, but it’s not harmful. Just be patient.
• Using a Microsoft account: These methods only work for local accounts. If you use a Microsoft account, you’ll need to reset via the Microsoft website (account.live.com/password/reset) using your recovery email or phone.

Tips

• After resetting, consider switching to a PIN or picture password for easier login in the future.
• If you have a password reset disk (created earlier), you can use it at the login screen by clicking “Reset password” and following the wizard.
• Always keep a backup of important files, as these methods don’t affect your files, but it’s good practice.
• If you’re using a work or school computer, these methods may be disabled by group policy. In that case, contact your IT administrator.

Troubleshooting

• No “Administrator” account appears in Safe Mode: In Windows 10, the built-in Administrator is disabled by default. If it doesn’t show, you can enable it from the Command Prompt in the recovery environment (Method 2) by typing net user administrator /active:yes before restarting.
• Method 2 doesn’t open Command Prompt when clicking Ease of Access: Make sure you copied the file correctly. Double-check that the path is correct (c:\windows\system32). If the file is in a different drive (e.g., D:), use dir to find the Windows folder.
• “Access is denied” when running net user: You must run the Command Prompt as administrator. In the recovery environment, it usually is, but if not, try right-clicking and selecting “Run as administrator”.
• BitLocker is enabled: If your drive is encrypted, you’ll need the BitLocker recovery key to access the recovery environment. This key is usually stored in your Microsoft account or printed when BitLocker was set up.
• You can’t boot into Safe Mode: If the forced shutdown trick doesn’t work, try using the Shift+Restart method: hold Shift while clicking Restart from the login screen (if you can). Or use a Windows installation media if you have one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will these methods delete my files?

No, they only change the password. Your files, documents, and installed programs remain untouched.

What if I have a Microsoft account?

These methods only work for local accounts. For Microsoft accounts, go to account.live.com/password/reset on any device and follow the online reset process.

Is this legal?

Yes, as long as you own the computer or have permission from the owner to reset the password. Using these methods on someone else’s computer without permission is illegal.

Can I use this to bypass a password without knowing the old one?

Yes, that’s the point. But it only works if you have physical access to the machine and can boot into the recovery environment.

What if the Administrator account is disabled in Safe Mode?

You can enable it from the Command Prompt in the recovery environment (Method 2) by typing net user administrator /active:yes before restarting.

Will this work on Windows 11?

Yes, the same methods work on Windows 11, though the recovery environment looks slightly different. The steps are essentially identical.

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